July 22, 2019
This phrase is relatively new, but the social savvy will recognise it instantly as the hybrid of neuroscience and marketing. Whilst mixing psychology and sales isn’t something new (charm pricing, duh), for the first time social is recognising the power neurology has on marketing – explaining why books like Choice Factory by Richard Shotton and Brainfluence by Roger Dooley are becoming so popular. The neuromarketing solutions market is going to be worth over £2000million by 2024, slowly becoming a marketing tactic you can’t ignore, so get ahead of the curve with these 5 tips.
- The world really does revolve around me
As much as we would like to see ourselves as beings of the greatest intellect, unfortunately, we’re not. When you strip us of our higher functioning thought, we have what neuroscientists like to call a ‘reptile brain’. The reptilian brain is essentially our survival instincts, and it’s selfish. All the reptile brain thinks about is the survival of me, myself and I. This can be easily harnessed in the modern era by making any social post a self-preservation crusade. If your tone of voice suggests that “this” is absolutely imperative to someone’s life, and survival, then the brain will think it is. Ensue popularity of the product.
- Retail therapy is real, and it’s glorious
Anyone who’s watched ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ or bought an expensive pair of shoes knows that buying something new is instant gratification. This means that people are more inclined to spend when they’re experiencing negative emotions for that sweet dopamine rush. Whilst this seems like it should be obvious, not enough companies realise this opportunity; to explicitly promote spending, on them, as an escape from stress.
- Avoid the abstract
The reptilian brain is easily pleased, it wants to be fed, clothed, and washed. What it wants is tangibility. Unfortunately, tangibility is something hard to provide through a screen. Being creative may be fun but being abstract is not always the best way to reach someone. Therefore, marketers need to engage their audience by the products real effect on the world, or even better, on the individual. Hearing that this new-fangled app will actively allow you to save – and therefore enable you to get that car you’ve always wanted – boosts the physicality which then, in turn, will boost the sale.
- Give a little, get a little
More than just an innuendo, ‘giving and receiving’ refers to what neuroscientist call the ‘reciprocity principle’, which means when people are surprised with a gift, they feel compelled to give one back. Make this work in your favour by giving an unexpected gift, with an immediate call to action after. A great and commonly seen example of this is companies giving ‘tips’ on a blog, (who does that, right?) which sends you to their site. After reading the very insightful and helpful tips, they feel like they owe your website a perusal.
- Ease the pain
Unsurprisingly, the need to avoid pain is three times stronger than the need to seek pleasure. Instead of focusing on what you great things you can do, tailor your posts to what pain can be taken away. This will immediately pique consumer interests.
If you’re wondering how you can put these tips into best practice but not sure how then get in touch!