Marketing does not just require science, it requires neuroscience.
Yes, knowing how the human mind works can push your marketing strategies to success. After all, every kind of decision comes from the brain – including buying decisions. And when it comes to buying decisions, these three neurological aspects will tell you everything you need to know:
1. Empathy
You’ve been hearing it ever since you started in the business. Marketing is all about empathy, empathy, empathy. It’s all about knowing how your audiences feel and what they’re going through. Well, as it turns out, it’s not just the need for moral support that drives buying behavior.
This response actually comes from one of the neurons in the human brain called “mirror neurons”, as discovered by Italian neurophysiologist Dr. Giacomo Rizzolatti. These neurons allow us to feel the pain and pleasure that other people go through. It is these very neurons that push people to look at your content, feel the emotions that you’re trying to make them feel, and pass the message on to their network by sharing your content. Learn how to tap into that neuron and your content will spread like wildfire.
2. Impulse
Although marketers now focus more on long-term brand-client commitment, you just can’t deny that going after that impulse buy still ranks among the top priorities for a lot of brands. Impulse is the main reason why people can look around their house and point out a few things that they don’t really need, or haven’t really used.
Most people deny that they’re just as susceptible to impulse buying as everyone else. This is because once logic kicks in, they find a million ways to justify their purchase. In reality, the human brain pushes people to grab a product off the shelf the moment they see it for a lot of good reasons.
Loss aversion is one of those reasons. Ever wonder why brands always claim that the stocks you see are limited? By nature, humans will always worry about possible loss. Sure, you might not need it now. But what if you find yourself needing it in the immediate future, and the product is not available anymore?
Humans are also driven by the desire to save, even subconsciously. Every “Buy one, get one free” or “50% off” offer will always trigger this inherent need to save a few cents.
3. Persuasion
Did you know that if you look at neuroscience facts, it actually tells us that persuasion is not always rational? It’s not enough for your research team to ask customers why they buy what they buy. Most of the time, they do so without a clear and logical purpose. Doing market research this way simply opens up the possibility of basing your strategies on misleading rationalizations.
Yes, the buyer’s journey is real. People assess their situation and figure out what the best solution would be. What we’re saying here is that it does not apply all the time. There are certain products that can make any consumer skip the entire decision-making process and just take their wallets out right away, with the right persuasive techniques.
The human mind is so intricate, but it’s the very thing that makes people buy what they want to buy. What makes it challenging is the fact that each mind is unique, which means that a strategy that applies to some may not apply to others. A deeper understanding of neuroscience can change all this.
Start with your own purchase decisions. Do you believe the aspects of the human mind discussed here affected your past purchases? What other factors do you think affect your buying decisions?
Comments are closed.