Marketing is often designed in a way that it is too technical. We tend to worry about media selection, target audiences, pay-per-click response rates and marketing technologies, and sometimes forget that good marketing really depends on understanding human nature and appealing to it. So with this in mind, let us look at four of the most powerful aspects of human nature and how they can be utilised to create marketing that gets phenomenal results.
The Need To Belong
Everyone wants to part of a group or community, so consider how your company’s products or services can provide that. Take Harley Davidson, for example; they do not just sell motor bikes, they sell the dream of belonging to a community of free spirits. Lexus does not just sell cars; Lexus owners see themselves as more discerning and less flashy than Mercedes or BMW owners. They believe they belong to a fraternity of drivers who appreciate quiet excellence rather than flashy prestige.
Gucci customers do not buy Gucci clothing to keep warm. They feel they belong to an elite group of style-conscious international trendsetters who can recognise each other by their clothes.
And while you may laugh at some of these communities, you need to remember that they are very real. If you want to sell more of your own products it would pay to ask yourself how you can show potential customers how buying your product makes them part of an attractive group. We all seek to belong in various ways; it is basic human nature.
The Need To Do What Others Are Doing
When you walk past a shop with a long queue of people outside, the first thing that you think is that that shop must sell good stuff. Likewise, when people read that a particular company is the number-one seller in its field, it is assumed that the company must be good at what it does. This is because many people like to follow what the rest of humanity is doing. As humans, we tend to trust the collective opinion of society; psychologists call this ‘social proof’.
As a security business, you should look for ways to show your potential customers that your products or services are popular. One of the best ways to do this is by showcasing your testimonials. This gives potential buyers confidence that they are making the right choice, which is based largely on the fact that if other people really like your product or service, then they probably will too. A lot of businesses do not use testimonials or endorsements nearly enough in their marketing strategies.
The Need To Gain Pleasure Or Avoid Pain
Almost all human action is motivated by our desire to feel good or avoid feeling bad.
Think about the last three actions you took; it is likely that you acted because you wanted to either avoid pain or move towards pleasure, whether it is directly or indirectly. It is a vital driver of how humans think, yet most marketing does not utilise this significant aspect of human nature.
Instead of just listing the features of your products, try rewriting your marketing materials so that they emphasise what kind of future pleasure your customer will get from employing your product. Or on the other hand, tell them what kind of upcoming pain they can avoid by buying what you sell. Very few advertisements, websites and brochures use this powerful technique, and they are significantly weaker as a result.
The Need For Love
All humans seek the admiration and love of others in a variety of different ways, and many of the goals we set are motivated by our desire to get the approval of others. And while some people might not want to admit this, more often than not they will know deep down that it is true – so why not reflect it in your marketing?
Instead of just listing the features of your products or service, start to think bigger picture; in what ways will your product help people to be more secure, or live the kind of life that alleviate loss and stress? Then try to incorporate those points into your marketing.
But you have to be careful with this – if you are too obvious in how you express this, you will end up looking crass and hokey. Incorporate this deep desire in subtle ways and you will see dramatically good results. The automobile and fashion industries are great examples; they are always quietly pointing out that others will admire you if you buy their cars or their clothing. You can do the same.
There are of course many other ways of using human nature in your marketing but these four methods are amongst the most powerful. Test the waters with one of them and you will find your sales increase. Use them all, and your sales will skyrocket.
