Decision Making And How We Actually Make Decisions
Decision-making — how do we actually do it? Most perceive it as an exercise in analyzing and logically approaching problems, and in some respects, that is true. However, the fact is, there is a lot of science behind the process we go through.
For many in business, it has been thought that marketing your product was a psychological game, and as such, for many years people marketed their products based upon the selling of an idea. Just give ’em more information and they will eventually buy, right?
What we have found out, however, is that people do not make their decisions based upon what they know. In fact, if you give them too much information, they won’t be able to make a decision and your sale will fail because the buyer will go into “choice paralysis” and not be confident about their decision.
What is choice paralysis?
Have you ever been shopping in a store only to approach a sample table and on that table is a sample of jellies? There’s a very definite scientific methodology about the way that they display these jellies. Notice they never give you a choice of more than three or four if they want you to actually choose your favourite. This is because, over the number of three, the typical human will have “Choice Paralysis”
Also known as over choice, choice paralysis, or the paradox of choice describes how people get overwhelmed when they are presented with a large number of options to choose from. While we tend to assume that more choice is a good thing, in many cases, research has shown that we have a harder time choosing from a larger array of options.
So decision making works how, again?
It’s important to understand that all decisions involve emotions. In fact, every decision that you make is about your emotions. You can use certain words to make people feel confident within their decisions, however, it will always boil down to emotions. In this way, it’s a bad idea to provide more than four options to choose from with anything that you do.
Decisions are not made from an informational or rational point of view.
We’d like to think that we are rational and logical animals and that when we make a decision we carefully weigh all the options. However, research has shown that the truth behind it all is actually counterintuitive. There are literally hundreds of decisions that we make every day, and while the information that we possess does influence those decisions, 100% of those decisions are based upon the feeling that we get from the knowledge that we understand and how that understanding makes us feel a certain way.
Most of our decision-making is unconscious.
Neurological research shows that activity while making a decision, researchers were able to predict what choice people make 7 to 10 seconds before they themselves are even aware of having made a decision. STUDY SOURCE: Unconscious determinants of free decisions in the human brain. Nature neuroscience.
“Do you write your messaging and content to appeal to logical thinking? If so, it’s possible and even probable that your logical, persuasive arguments to your target audience about why they should go with the premium service or why they should purchase a particular product may be in vain.” ~ Susan Weinschenk, Ph. D.
Is there ever a time that our decision-making is making “rational decisions”?
The short answer is no. If you can’t feel emotions, then you can’t make decisions. This is largely thanks to our Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex… we’ll just call it the “VPC” for now, but science calls it the vmPFC.
Essentially, in the front of your brain lies the prefrontal cortex and within that is the VPC. It’s important in regulating fear, while other parts of your brain — specifically the amygdala — tells you when you should be afraid and what you should be afraid of. So if you’ve ever heard the term “fight or flight” that is a direct reference to the functions of your amygdala.
This is all within the limbic system, a collection of regions of the brain that specifically regulate emotions. And people decide when they feel varying emotions. They buy when they feel confident and do not buy when they don’t.
The science behind decision making.
According to researchers, there is a neuron that fires in the brain that triggers people to take action. Then the brain decides whether it is a confident action or not. This subjectivity is not based on the amount of information you have, it is based on a feeling you have… in this case, “confidence” or “no confidence”.
So, in business sales, if you want people to take positive action and buy what you are selling, you must be able to make them feel confident.
So is the information you know weighing heavier in the influence of a decision?
The answer is yes. In business sales, there’s an old adage that says only give more information to people if they’re making a goal-based decision. And while all decisions are made from our emotions, there are surely different levels that this takes place.
As an example, some decisions are made in the Orbital Frontal Cortex or OFC, so during the times that you are looking for solving a goal-based decision or value-based decisions, your heavy emotional decision making has mostly been done; all you were deciding upon now some of the more habitual details e.g. you like white better than black, or foods with less salt, etc.
So in closing…
People liked having more choices to choose from but they were more satisfied with their choice when there was less to choose from. Silly humans, let’s have a chat.
Search Engine Optimization in 2021
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.
So if SEO is that simple, what’s all the confusion?
Part of the confusion is the comparison to where SEO was at 10-years-ago. Search engine optimization has always been a mix of content and good coding. You used to be able to do a lot more with the coding to help influence the way that a “search engine robot” — or simply “bot” — would search through your site you see if the search term was relevant to your content.
Now, bots work on an algorithm that makes the content a much “heavier-weight” in value, providing a better search-term result for the person searching the relevant search term. The term “weight” is the term used to express the value of the components that make up an optimized website or webpage.
In the world of Search Engine Optimization, content is king!
The weighting is constantly analyzed by search engines for different factors. However, experts agree that the content of a website is one of the most important criteria for ranking in search engines.
So how much content do I need? Well, the optimum length for a webpage or a blog is a minimum of 300 words, however, we also know that longer content produces higher search rankings… so is longer, better? Not really, it all depends on your goal(s); simply put, studies show that longer content dominates page one of search rankings. Webpages and blogs with 900 or more words are considered “cornerstone content” and this gives the highest weight to the search engine bots for a positive return.
So what SEO do I have to do to optimize my site?
Well, the first thing that we do is take a look at the site and the content and the coding. There are so many things that come into play as far as factors of what the search engine optimization companies, like Google and Bing, I’m looking for in the results that they returned for you. this is their value proposition, in general: “Delivering the best search results based upon what you are actually searching for.”
That said, SEO is much deeper than it used to be 10-years-ago — and for that matter even 5-years-ago!! SEO is a balance between what topic you have on your page, the length of your copy (how value-rich your content is), the keyword focus density, whether it is optimized for mobile.
So, how do I optimize my website for SEO? Here are 8 simple steps:
- Analyze all of your website data.
- Conduct thorough keyword research.
- Produce long and value-rich content.
- Optimize for on-page SEO.
- Optimized for off-page SEO.
- And then Optimize the website for mobile.
- Speed up the pages.
- Get quality backlinks.
It should be noted that backlinking has been a point of much debate over the past 5 years. The reason is that a lot of SEO strategies focussed on backlinking and in 2021 the latest algorithms from the search engine optimization companies have changed the weight of backlinks to help stop search engine spamming (trying to get you to see their site because they have lots of people linking to them); the strategy now is relevant-backlinking.
Does backlinking really help my SEO?
Backlinks are essentially links from a page on one website that point to another website. If you link to another website, then they have a backlink from you. the advantage of backlinks or because the search engines see that as a sign of legitimacy. So essentially when done correctly, backlinking can help legitimize your site and make you come up higher in search engines.
Some search engine experts swear by them, and other search engine experts don’t give backlinks much weight. the reality is, none of us really know as the algorithms that are written by the search engine optimization companies are a very closely guarded secret. They (SEO companies) give us clues but they never really tell us exactly how much weight each component factors in. we do know, however, that content is King.
Are you looking to see how your site ranks?
I provide an evaluation for marketing efficiency and content. This $75 service is currently on sale through March 31, 2021, for 80% off or $15 and at that price, you cannot afford to be uninformed. Schedule a time for marketing efficiency and content evaluation here. What you get is a clear report as to the things you need to do for the optimization of your website. Optimized websites will help you generate more sales and that is the goal of your Search Engine Optimization, right?
Let me be more direct, the bottom line is of your Search Engine Optimization to make your content seen by more people so you are known as the expert, which in turn leads to more sales; the reason you are in business. Read other blogs on SEO or General Marketing or Social Media or Copywriting, all of which will help you increase your sales.
Email Marketing: Top 9 Steps To Successful Campaigns
These email marketing tips are presented by our partners at Hubspot. The original article was written by Lindsay Kolowich Cox @lkolow.
1. Understand who you’re emailing.
Have you ever heard the saying from Meredith Hill, “When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one“? What Hill is getting at here is that if you’re watering down your message to apply to your entire audience, you’re leaving an opportunity on the table — the opportunity for creating high-value, specific, relevant content that speaks directly to the recipient.
With this in mind, the key to a great email marketing campaign is identifying your audience and using email segmentation to ensure you’re delivering to the right people at the right time. If you can accomplish this and build it into your strategy, you can get more creative and specific with your messaging.
2. Create a goal for the Email Marketing campaign.
Even with email marketing being a relatively low-risk and high-reward activity, you don’t want to send emails for emails’ sake. In other words, you won’t be successful simply because you marked it from your to-do list.
Instead, you should be intentional about what you want to get from your emails because that will help you target the right audience and build the right emails. For example, if you know you want to nurture leads from MQL to SQL, you can create a segment of MQLs and create content that is educational and persuasive enough to move them closer to a buying decision.
3. Outline the email (or emails) that will be included in the campaign.
Once you know who you’re emailing and why, it’s time to strategize how to move them from A (where they are) to B (where you want them to be, the goal of the campaign).
Keep in mind that you can’t expect a single email to do everything. Your email campaign can be made up of multiple emails, so consider taking your email recipients on a journey with each email serving a single purpose. This will increase the odds of each email being successful in its role toward reaching your goal. After all, “A confused mind says no.”
For example, if you’re doing a lead nurturing campaign, you might have a few educational emails to take them from the awareness stage to the consideration stage before providing more conversion-focused content.
The longer the buying process and sales cycle, the more emails you’ll need.
4. Spend time on the subject lines.
No one gets to the body content of your email unless they first click the subject line. That’s why it’s so important to consider your subject lines carefully: They’re like gatekeepers for the rest of your information.
Check out our article on the best tips for writing email subject lines.
5. Write copy that’s suited for them.
Once you know the purpose of each email you’re sending and you have the subject lines, you can write the copy that will engage your list. Consider where your audience is in their buying journey and provide the type of content that they’ll find useful. For example, it doesn’t make sense to promote products if you’re emailing a segment of subscribers who are largely in the awareness stage of the buying journey.
6. Use a comprehensive email builder.
Once you’ve written the copy for your emails, you’ll want to build them out in the email software client you’re intending to use.
There are several options depending on your needs, including Constant Contact of which you can start for FREE today, with no credit card required. Within this FREE-TRIAL offer, if you click on this link, you will also get a call from Constant Contact’s awesome customer service team and get a 30% discount for the first 90-days/3-months.
With a comprehensive email builder, you can create, optimize, and personalize your own email campaigns without needing any technical or graphic design experience.
7. Email Marketing should always include personalization elements and excellent imagery.
Marketing emails need to be personalized to the reader and filled with interesting graphics.
Few people want to read emails that are addressed “Dear Sir/Madam” — as opposed to their first or last name — and even fewer people want to read an email that simply gives them a wall of text. Visuals help your recipients quickly understand the point of the email.
8. Email Marketing campaigns should Include calls-to-action where appropriate.
Remember, if you’re taking-up your audience’s time — and inbox space — with another email, your message must have a point to it. Consider what you want your email recipients to take away from the email.
In most cases, you’ll want to add a call-to-action (CTA) for them to take further action.
Your goal behind the CTA may vary depending on the audience’s buyer’s journey stage and what you want to accomplish with your email campaign. For example, you may simply want to engage them further with another piece of content, or you might want to get them to make a purchase.
Regardless of what it is, you should follow CTA best practices such as making the ask with clear language and emphasizing it with contrasting design elements.
9. Test your emails and make sure they work on all devices.
Once your emails are built out, check them over before hitting the send button. Effective email marketing campaigns are designed for all devices on which users can read their emails — desktop, tablet, and mobile. Consider sending them as a test to a colleague and checking them across multiple devices and email clients.
Want a quick refresher on how to master marketing email? Check out this helpful video:
Now that you know how to responsibly wield email marketing, grab some inspiration on other topics for your marketing.
Social Media, Groups Or Pages; Which Is Best?
When Social Media started in 1997, there wasn’t much to it.
It started to get its rise in the early 2000s — when the first big-idea(s) regarding the power of online networking started and was in its infancy.
In fact, there were many great ideas that came across the social media platforms at the time. Two of the most popular features, with the staying power of time (amazing within a social media world), have been “groups” and “pages”. Now, almost all of the major networking sites, e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, NextDoor, etc., have them for you to join or create.
As such, we are now in a time where these features, and how they work within the platforms, are fairly standard… yet they serve two very distinct purposes.
So what are the Social Media differences regarding Groups & Pages?
Essentially, if you’re looking to establish a brand and promote your business to a large number of people, a Facebook or LinkedIn Page makes the most sense. If you’re a new or small business looking to establish a presence, a group can be of great help, especially if you sell niche products.
Further “Groups” are great for things you are passionate about that you want a sense of community. Pages, on the other hand, are more for broadcasting your message or narrative of your brand. They will both support your big-ideas, blog announcements, daily thoughts, however, the decision on which to have, is largely how you want the interactive & engagement aspects to take place.
So… which is best for you?
Social Media Groups
Groups make it easy to connect with specific sets of people, like teammates or coworkers. Groups are dedicated spaces where you can share updates, photos or documents and message other group members, which makes them great for networking as well as sharing.
Facebook is easily the largest social networking site in the world and one of the most widely used. The general advantage of Facebook is that your message can get to virtually everybody who’s on social media anywhere in the world. The disadvantage is that your message can get to virtually anybody who’s on social media anywhere in the world, so you have to be clear about the purpose is of your group and ensure your description is easy to understand, as well as, create a set of rules and guidelines, so you can moderate the page effectively.
This also goes for the other major business networking site, which is LinkedIn. I personally love LinkedIn and they have a very strong library of groups that you can join. However, with both of these group platforms, if you are not regularly active, you can get lost in the mire of it all.
Social Media Pages
Inherent to the nature of social media, pages are unique in that they are primarily for a business’s brand and are, overall, fantastic for being able to capture a brand’s web presence. However, you are much more likely to get an issue-based engagement directed at your customer service.
Pages are great for customer service in that you can see who your directly dealing with — as Facebook has vetted that for the user to be able to speak to you — in other words, the customer has almost immediate access to you and your service-complaint-department, allowing them to feel more in control; one of the key component to an effective customer service department.
There Are Many Social Media Platforms With Groups & Pages
I am not sure of how many platforms have groups and pages, as that number is changing almost monthly. However, most Social Media allow you to create, manage and engage, within a much more specific way via your interests. Some of the top ones are:
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- NextDoor
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100+ Social Media Demographics that Matter to Marketers in 2021
Hootsuite just released “100+ Social Media Demographics that Matter to Marketers in 2021” where “Understanding social media demographics will help you fine-tune your marketing strategy and reach the right people with your message.” It’s a good read and I highly recommend it!
Anyway, if you need guidance with your marketing, Cortex provides a variety of services that may be a good fit for you. Please reach out at 1-888-502-3523 or schedule a quick chat and I will call you.
Writing Your Social Media Descriptions
Are you a small business owner that is struggling with the all too typical problem of not knowing what to write, how to start, or how to position what you want to say to be compelling and influential? I know you did not get into your business to write about it, however, this is overwhelming for many.
Cortex has you covered; I specialize in creating compelling content & marketing copy when you find it difficult to create it yourself. Let’s have a no-cost, no-obligation quick chat and let me help you get seen, get heard, and get noticed!