There are 6 essential principles that Robert Cialdini, a professor of psychology and marketing, lives by, and these influence all his marketing decisions. These 6 principles being – reciprocity, scarcity, authority, commitment and consistency, liking, and consensus. Let’s dive deeper into what these 6 principles mean and how they have made it easier for marketers to plot strategies and plans for selling a product or service.
Reciprocity
Humans usually feel obligated to return favors or gifts when someone makes a kind gesture towards them. The wind blows both ways and when you show someone love or respect, it is automatically reciprocated. This trait can be used to your advantage when you are trying to promote your brand. For example, airlines use this tactic of giving feedback forms to people only who asked for their help during the in-flight journey.
Scarcity
This could be one of the most common tricks people use for marketing. Quite often brands take out “Limited Edition” products that sell fast. You will also find tags such as “Last 3 left” under products online while shopping. The brain tells you to go for something which is scarcely available because you will feel the need for it when you know it is not readily available.
Authority
When you see someone confident and assertive promote a brand, their opinion is more believable than someone new to the brand. For instance, cosmetics often ask dermatologists to promote their brand or give reviews. This sense of authority coaxes the consumer into trusting the brand more.
You can always contact experts or authoritative parties related to your product. Use getemail.io, a website with a free email finder tool to lookup email IDs of professionals instantly.
Commitment and Consistency
These two principles are quite self-explanatory. When you see someone successful do something with constant commitment, you are motivated to do the same. When a brand is consistent in its efforts and delivery, it builds long-term trust. Having one hit in the market and suddenly plummeting down paints you in a bad light, which is why you need to be committed to your efforts and keep your promises to your audience.
Liking
Influencer marketing is a perfect example of this principle. Consumers trust brands and products more when they are promoted and given good reviews by people they trust and follow. People are more inclined to listen to those they like than random strangers on a screen. This is where creating buyer personas come in handy. Ads and videos use people that the audience likes and can relate to.
Consensus
Consensus is statistics that people believe in because they are an accumulation of trust of people like them. Figures such as “9/10 use this product” leave an impact on people. It is a basic social instinct to ask around for opinions on something new you are trying to feel safe about using a product or service. This is why there are reviews that help people in taking a purchasing decision.
Conclusion
These 6 factors are responsible for deciding how a consumer will make a purchasing decision which is why they can be leveraged to paint strategies that are not only tactical but keep the consumer’s perspective in mind. If you pay careful attention you will realize that almost all marketing strategies revolve around these 6 principles.