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Have you ever made an impulse buy, then later thought to yourself, “Why did I do that”? As a minimalist, I’ve very aware of my own buying triggers. Once you start paying attention to the factors that get you to click “purchase”, you’ll forever change the way you think about marketing for your business too! By going beyond trendy marketing tactics and focusing on long-term, science-based strategies, you can create an evergreen marketing strategy that truly work for you and your business. As an MBA, I can tell you that you don’t need to go to grad school to build a successful business, but there are so many valuable lessons you can take from psychology to level up your marketing game! In this episode, we’re going to dive into a topic that I found particularly interesting in grad school: the six principles of persuasion. In this episode, we’re going to look at how to create a persuasive marketing strategy based on the 6 reasons people buy.
Principle 1: Reciprocity (3:02)
The principle of reciprocity suggests that people are wired to return favors. It’s why you feel obligated to buy pizza for your family when they help you move into your new house, and why you feel guilty when your friend gets you a better gift than you gave them. When you provide something of value for free, such as free content, resources, or training, it increases the likelihood that people will feel obligated to give something in return. Some common marketing strategies that capitalize on this principle include offering free content, discovery calls, free trials, or valuable email list builders.
How to Build Evergreen Reciprocity
To use reciprocity to build an evergreen strategy, you can focus on creating evergreen content. Whether it’s an evergreen quiz, e-book, or podcast episode, the time you invest in creating high-quality content that provides value to your ideal client and stands the test of time won’t be wasted.
Principle 2: Commitment (8:54)
The principle of commitment states that when someone makes a small commitment, they are more likely to make a larger commitment in the future. Think of this like dating! Going on a first date is a small commitment, that allows you to test the waters before committing to more. Eventually, relationships can escalate into the commitment “until death do us part”. Similarly, in business, asking for smaller commitments first, such as attending a discovery call or purchasing a low-ticket product, can increase the likelihood of larger commitments down the road.
An Evergreen Commitment Strategy
This is why it’s important to have a free or low-ticket offer that serves your audience. Building offers that meet your ideal client at each stage of their customer journey helps you develop your relationship over time. Gradually, you’re helping them get ready for a bigger commitment and a bigger transformation.
Principle 3: Social Proof (11:09)
Social proof suggests that when people are unsure, they tend to follow the crowd. In marketing, social proof plays a significant role in influencing decision-making, which is why we’ve seen a huge rise in influencer marketing over the past few years. Leveraging testimonials, case studies, reviews, and endorsements can help establish trust and influence potential customers to take action.
Building Social Proof on Autopilot
There are many ways that you can automate building social proof in your business. You can automate emails that collect client testimonials, product reviews, or google reviews. You can automate an affiliate program too! I use ThriveCart for my affiliate program. Any of my coaching clients or course students can sign up for the affiliate program, share their auto-generated affiliate link with their audience, and earn income when someone uses their link to checkout.
Learn All 6 Reasons People Buy
Tune into episode 041 using the links at the top of this post to learn about three more principles of persuasion and how to apply them to your evergreen marketing strategy.
- Principle 4: Authority (15:06): Individuals tend to follow and trust authoritative figures or experts in a particular field.
- Principle 5: Liking (18:15): People are more likely to buy from those they like or have a positive connection with.
- Principle 6: Scarcity (21:04): Limited availability or exclusivity of a product or service creates a sense of urgency and motivates people to make a purchase.
Build your Evergreen Marketing Strategy
Mastering the basics of marketing principles is crucial for long-term success in business. By understanding and implementing the six principles of persuasion—reciprocity, commitment, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity—you can create effective marketing strategies that resonate with your audience and drive business growth. Remember, these principles are timeless and can be applied in various contexts, allowing you to make informed decisions and invest your efforts wisely. If you want help from yours truly to build your evergreen marketing strategy, apply for The Business Edit Coaching Program today.
Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode
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