What is the job of a marketer? Of course, to sell a product or service. But selling consists of many elements: developing a message, increasing awareness, and motivating people to take action.

Marketing is about influencing people and their beliefs. But to do this, you need to know them well, understand their behavior and thoughts.

In essence, marketers must be able to persuade professionally. Of course, it's not that easy. But think about it, we have to convince other people all the time: at home and at work.

That's why we all know how to persuade. The key is to believe in your offer and know your audience well. What motivates them? What makes them act? What do they like and dislike?

In today's article, we're going to look at the basic principles of persuasion that will be useful to all marketers. Most of them are probably already familiar to you. Even if you don't realize it. But don't miss the opportunity to refresh your memory and use this important knowledge when creating your next campaign.

Social approval

Social approval appeals to our desire to look to others to make sure we are doing the right thing.

When people see a large number of reposts and likes, they think: "This recording is so popular. People thought it was important. So I must read it."

Therefore, if a content has a lot of reposts, it will get even more. Conversely, if there are few, it is better not to report it.

But social approval can be not only in social networks. This applies to any facts of mass approval. If a speaker gathers a wide audience, the number of listeners will only grow, because the crowd attracts attention and arouses interest.

Influencer marketing also uses social endorsement tools. Don't forget about this important psychological technique: publish testimonials, reviews, and case studies, showcase certificates, awards, and lists of the most popular posts. It really works.

Reciprocity

This is another powerful mechanism. If we give people something, they feel like they belong to us.

If people receive even a small thing from us, such as a free report, they are more likely to want to listen to us. The effect is only enhanced by personal communication.

This technique works because when someone gives you something for free, we feel guilty, which makes us feel uncomfortable. Therefore, if you offer to do something for you in return, people are more likely to want to act.

But how does it work? For the B2C industry, free samples have always been an effective promotion tool that can increase sales by up to 2000%. No wonder cosmetic companies give away so many samples.

This principle is also widely used in the B2B sphere. Groove conducted a survey among 712 SAAS companies and analyzed their conversion tactics. It turned out that offering a free trial is an effective strategy.

Urgency

You've probably heard of this before. The less of something, the more you want it. Therefore, if you receive a notification that the product you sent in your cart will soon be sold out, you are more likely to decide to buy it.

Such urgency techniques as time limits work equally well for B2C and B2B spheres. That's why countdowns are especially popular among marketers.

Oli Gardner conducted a split test to determine the impact of timers on landing page conversion. As a result, the indicators increased by more than 300%.

Clarity (simplicity)

The principle of simplicity applies to many areas of marketing. It's simple: if people have difficulties, they don't take action. So if a visitor gets confused while on your landing page, they will simply leave and never return. If you have a sentence that is too complicated, few people will want to take action.

Trust

Without trust, there are no sales. Content marketing helps build trust, but it takes time. But if you regularly offer your audience quality content, they will soon begin to trust you. And since they trust your words, they will trust your product.

Reviews, awards, and recommendations from friends and acquaintances also help to build trust, which is the most effective marketing tactic.

Without understanding what drives people, it is difficult to become a good marketer. Psychology will help you understand your customers' motivations and pain points, and convince them to take action. Use the above key principles in your strategy to increase conversion rates at all stages of the customer journey.