Tag: conversion

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The Power Of Why Marketing Methodology

“People Don’t Buy What You Do, They Buy Why You Do It” ~ Simon Sinek — that’s the power of why!

The Power Of Why

My Inspiration For The Power Of Why

To understanding the Power Of Why, let’s talk about biology… yes “biology”. We are all inspired — at the top level — by our experiences. From there our feelings take over; and while we are always gathering information, that ‘information’ influences our feelings… which in turn influences our decision, and ultimately, we buy based on what we feel, not what we know.

The Power Of Why“When we are confronted with a decision, emotions from previous, related experiences affix values to the options we are considering. These emotions create preferences which lead to our decision.” ~ Peter Noel Murray Ph.D.

Read His Entire Article Here

So how does this tie into biology you ask?

When you look at the information and “decision-making regions” of the brain — top down, like the image above — the”Neo-Cortex” is the ‘WHAT’ ring, and the “Limbic Brain” (or “Allocortex” region) are the center two, ‘HOW’ & ‘WHY’ regions respectively. When we buy, our final decisions are most often attributed to the ‘why’. In other words,  does it make us feel good, or special, or sexy, or smart, or [whatever].

So more often than not, your marketing message must seek to tap into that Allocortex response region, eliciting an emotion, putting the buyer on a path to make a decision in your favor.

This is only century-old knowledge, and the ‘message delivering methodology’ within this knowledge is at the core of why DRM (Direct Response Marketing) works so well. In fact, one of the most successful companies in the world uses this methodology all the time. That company? Apple.

So, Gimme Some Examples Of DRM and The Power Of Why

Okay, we are just scratching the surface here, here are a few ‘slogans’… see if you can name the brand:

  • “Think Different” (we all want to be unique)
  • “Melts in your mouth but not in your hands!” (still true)
  • “Fly the friendly skies!” (well not so much anymore)
  • “Snickers really satisfies!” (okay that one is a give away)
Apple Think Different Logo
Copyright © Apple Inc.

Well, how’d you do? My guess is, most will — while maybe more in a sub-conscience way — easily relate to the emotional experience we have had with each brand. The first one, by the way, was Apple. “Think different.” was an advertising slogan for Apple, Inc. (then Apple Computer, Inc.) in 1997 created by the Los Angeles office of advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day. The slogan has been widely taken as a response to IBM’s slogan “Think”.

The Golden Circle — Explaining The Power Of Why

Simon Sinek codified this whole concept in the creation of “The Golden Circle”, and with 32.6+ million total views, you can be guaranteed that more than a few have been inspired. Here is that video:

I hope you left inspired today about “The Power Of Why”!

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Which is Better? Online vs. Print Advertising

Advert Spending By Media Type
Source: OnlineMarketingTrends.com — As Projected for 2015 & 2016

“So, which is better, online or traditional advertising?”

A client recently asked me just that question.  The answer, however, is not as straightforward as you might think.  So in a twist of tradition, here is the ‘meat’ of my answer: “Advertising success depends on two factors:

  1. Who is the target?
    and
  2. What are your goals?”

Let’s break down these two components…

Who is the advertising target?

Often overlooked, ‘knowing your target’ is a crucial piece of an effective sale conversion strategy.

“Everyone should want to buy my [widget/service]!”, a client told me once; and while potentially true, research shows that timing & relevance are a much bigger factor in making a buying decision. Crucial pieces of effective sale conversion strategy rely on saying the right message at the right time. As such, knowing your target and their buying cycles tends to lead to a significant lift in success when it comes to any advertising.

Demographics are a huge aspect of knowing your target

Today’s ability to track age, gender, location, how they saw your advert, how long they stayed, did they share it, etc., are at the core of the advantage of digital advertising. In fact, “Direct Response Marketing” techniques are heavily invested shopper data in an effort to ‘personalize’ the shopping experience for each individual.

Advertising GoalsWhat are your advertising goals?

Today’s goals seem different, but they’re not. In fact, the goals have not changed until the last 20 years. It is still all about the conversion of the audience or “target” — are you seeing the tie into the first advertising component above?

So, what did traditional advertising discover that digital ads still need to work on?

In short, ‘message effectiveness’. Tradition advertisers recognize that the timing at which their ads display — and the core of the offer — must be in alignment with the awareness level of the target. While simple messages like “free trial” and “try it now” are synonymous with today’s advertising, traditional adverts, traditional methodologies tend to focus on an awareness level that works off the brand awareness level — and consequentially, the true reason people buy — how the experience made them feel.

Today’s conclusion to this deep advertising question

I could probably write 10 more blogs on this subject and only scratch the surface, but the bottom line is, both types have their place. A wise marketing mentor taught me a lesson that I will never forget: “Never put all your eggs in one basket!”.

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Words Matter — How A Single Word Makes All The Difference

Words That MatterYou likely know that specific words matter. You click on a headline because a single word strikes you.

What you may not know is, you click a call-to-action link or a signup button solely because a word creates relevance & emotion.

So really, how much do words matter?

The research behind this power of words is incredibly deep. Researchers have found that the word you use to describe a car accident (“contacted” vs. “smashed”) paints the way eyewitnesses view the event. Another study found that simple stock names that are easier to pronounce lead to quicker gains post-IPO.

Perhaps my favorite study is one shared by  Brian Clark of Copyblogger. Social psychologist Ellen Langer tested the power of a single word in an experiment where she asked to cut in line at a copy machine. She tried three different ways of asking:

“Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?” – 60% said OK

“Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I’m in a rush?” – 94% said OK

“Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?” – 93% said OK

Words MatterI don’t know about you, but I thought Langer’s third request was rather elementary. Yet it didn’t matter. The trigger word “because” was all she needed. 

The takeaway: As single words matter, when you want people to take action, always give a reason using an influential word or phrase! 

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get “The 12 Most Influential Words In The English Language” — put together to help you chose the right words for your marketing copy — proven and guaranteed to get you better results!

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