The Science of Persuasion: Using Psychology to Improve Your Content

When I purchased a brand new mobile phone, there approached a salesman marketing for an SD card. He said it was a special offer, and I would regret it later if I didn’t buy it now. 

I felt the deal was worth it, so I bought them and left the shop. 

Back in my mind, I was questioning myself “Why did I buy it soon?” “How did I get influenced?”

Here the “Science of Persuasion” comes into the picture. 

Science of Persuasion?

You may have the below questions.

What is it?

How this will help in producing content?

Science of persuasion is all about understanding how to Influence someone’s behavioural pattern (thoughts, beliefs and actions).

Here we will be exploring the 6 principles of persuasion. 

1. Reciprocity

2. Scarcity

3. Social Proof

4. Sympathy/Like-ability

5. Authority

6. Consistency

Implementation of these 6 principles will make you get more sales, visitors and subscriptions. Let’s get to know about each.

Reciprocity

Giving and receiving” 

You are at a restaurant and waiting for the bill and the waiter arrives with a fortune cookie or a small gift or an offer along with the bill. What will you do? You’re more likely to reciprocate by paying more tips to the waiter, right? This is reciprocity. 

How it works: Provide any free course/training to make your audience visit your website. And there you may expect a more number of visitors. 

Scarcity

Buy now, or you’ll cry later

As stated in the introduction, I felt I’ll miss the best offer of the season, so I bought an SSD card. It means people tend to see things more attractive when it is limited. 

How it works: Provide a training course at the best deal today and tell your audience that prices may go higher tomorrow. So the chances of sign-ups will increase.

Social Proof

Follow the social evidence.”

Let’s assume that you are about to visit a boutique and you find two boutiques near your area. One was completely crowded and the other one was empty. What will you do? You opt to go to the shop which is crowded. 

This is Social proof, when we are uncertain about making a decision, we tend to follow a group. 

How it works:  You may have got 50+ signups for your course “content marketing”. Try to make them more visible by advertising. This proof makes your audience believe that you are well equipped with the subject and they sign up for the course immediately. 

Sympathy/Like-ability

“Getting influenced by the people who we like”

If you’re a salesperson, you may use a local slang or language similar to your potential customers, so that your customers are more likely to buy from you. 

This is “like-ability” Persuasion. 

How it works:  Know your audience, and use good visual and design elements that appeal to their preferences. This makes your content more engaging. 

Authority

People seek authority

If your book on Amazon has testimonies of famous people, then the chances of buying the book are high.

How it works:  When you want your audience to buy your product or you need signups for a service, promote the product to someone who is a famous person or a celebrity. 

Consistency

“Commitment is what keeps you going”

You’re enquiring three different resorts for a stay, and only one has picked up your call and responded to you with all the necessary details. 

And the rest of the two calls you received only after two hours. 

Now, whom you’ll call again for a quick response? Yes, the first one. Because the principle of this coherence tells us that they are more responsive and committed. 

How it works When trying to sell your product, first ask your customers to sign up for the newsletter and send it consistently and then make them read your articles and ask them to register for the monthly webinar. 

This makes your customer feel much more committed to buying from you. 

Final thoughts

It is important to apply these principles in a genuine and ethical way to build long-lasting relationships with your customers.

In the end, it’s your customer’s decision that moves your entire brand/product, so that’s where we need to be influential. If you apply the principles correctly, you may taste the success more evidently.