You can increase sales with various methods, including psychological tactics. Psych tricks can help nudge subscribers to take action and purchase products or add-ons that they would usually be resistant to. But what are these tricks and how can you implement them? From leveraging a user’s own curiosity to making them feel special, here are some tried and tested strategies.
Loss Aversion Tactics
Loss aversion tactics are among the most powerful for getting users to complete an offer. Today, it is more widely known as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), but the principles are the same. This method works so well because people actually experience a feeling of loss twice as hard if they miss out on something as they feel when gaining it. A simple MailChimp email countdown timer can be enough to force a decision because users will feel they will miss out on a great offer.
Leveraging User Curiosity
Teasing a product or service is a major tactic that most large companies use, and for good reason. As humans, we are hardwired to resolve issues, as our brain doesn’t like not knowing what is on the other side. As such, you can leverage the curiosity of customers so they resolve it themselves by engaging. For example, an email promo could contain the headline “The exact formula that increased engagement by 21%…” followed by a link to view the actual case study.
Nudge Subscribers to Take Action with the Bandwagon
A study of consumers aged between 18 and 26 (Gen Z) found that the bandwagon effect positively impacts buying behavior. The idea is that people will change beliefs or behavior based on the perceived popularity of owning a specific item; think Labubu and you get the idea. If you want your business to succeed, playing on these types of psychological ideas can be a massive advantage, and you can implement them with statements such as “join over 10,000 satisfied…”
Exclusivity and Feeling Special
One of the oldest tricks in the book is making customers feel like they are getting something exclusive or that they are special in some way. This feeds into basic psychology by way of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, where self-esteem comes into play. People always want to feel important, and framing your product as selective privilege capitalizes on this. Marketers typically use phrases that begin with something like “You have been specially selected to take part…”
The Autonomy to Say No
Nobody likes to feel like they have been tricked or forced into making a decision. Although the whole idea around psychological marketing is to funnel customers into making a purchase, most are resistant to it. As such, excellent marketing doesn’t create demand; it removes resistance. One of the most powerful ways of doing this is to remind the customer that they have the autonomy to disengage, adding phrases such as “you are totally free to cancel or downgrade”.
Summary
Loss aversion tactics such as FOMO are helpful tricks marketers can use to nudge subscribers to take action and engage with your product. You can also use the bandwagon effect by capitalizing on a product’s popularity, and remind people they have the agency to say no.