7 Persuasion Tactics to Increase Conversions

Have you ever browsed shopping sites like Amazon or eBay with a particular product in mind but got overwhelmed with all the options? You just suffered choice overload—a consumer dilemma. Too many options bombard our minds leaving us with a hard time deciding.

That's where persuasion comes in—a psychological process influencing a person's actions and attitude. With how overwhelming choices can be, you can use persuasion to quicken the decision-making of your potential buyers.

Many businesses use persuasion in marketing. It's a proven method to increase conversions and drive site traffic. You’ve probably experienced it in one of your shopping sprees (a quick purchase due to limited supply ring a bell?).

In this article, we'll be looking into the seven principles of influence, other persuasive marketing tactics, and things to remember in persuasion marketing. Read further below.

Seven Principles of Influence

If you search “how can you turn no into a yes” in Google, you’ll find articles on persuasive tactics. Persuading humans is a popular research topic, especially in academe branches like psychology, philosophy, and social science. All those show that human persuasion has a formula.

Robert Cialdini developed seven formulas to guide the human decision process. He authored the Seven Principles of Influence, which is now heavily used in persuasive marketing. Let's run through them.

Reciprocity

Have you ever received a gift from someone and felt obligated to give something in return? That's the law of reciprocity.

An example is Grammarly. It's an AI writing assistant that can immediately spot your grammar mistakes. And the good part of it is the software is offered for free.

It's an incredible tool for many writers—saving them time editing their work. With so much value in the free version, many Grammarly customers opt to get the premium paid version for added editing help.

This principle goes back to 1974 with Philip Kunz and Michael Woolcott's social experiment. They mailed out Christmas cards to 600 random strangers; to their surprise, 200 replied.

It's all about mutual benefit, providing value to potential buyers so that they will do the same by buying your product.

Here are reciprocity tactics you can use:

• Create educational content. Give value by writing articles that can help them solve their problems and challenges. You can also provide actionable tips through carousel posts on Instagram. It’s about giving them information they need.
• Create lead magnets—freebies that can serve as a sneak peek into your paid offerings. They can be ebooks, consultations, mini-courses, or checklists. You can even offer a sample or trial of your product. Offer these in exchange for their name and email.
• Give discount coupons. Everyone loves saving money, so discounts might just be the nudge they need. You can also offer exclusive discounts to loyal followers—they’d feel special and they may want to give back by purchasing your product or service.

Commitment and Consistency

It's about gradually leading your potential buyer with one foot at the door until they fully relent. Cialdini theorized that loyalty is built on small, consistent commitments people make.

If you're a PC gamer, you’re probably familiar with Steam. Steam lets you add games to your wishlist. They don't pressure you to buy, but it keeps the product at the top of your mind. You will receive a notification whenever there’s a price drop, update, or new offer.

Instead of pushing them to make a big buying decision, usher them through smaller steps that require less mental effort.

Other commitment and consistency tactics are:

• add to cart prompts
• cross-selling or ‘often bought with” prompts
• posting about the commitments in public

Social Proof

Without deeper research, what would you buy: a course with many reviews or a course without any? Probably the former.

When unsure of our decision, we gravitate to doing what others do. Social proof is a term coined by Cialdini to describe how humans trust what is already proven and tested.

People trust peer recommendations more than they would a random advertisement. You can take advantage of that. Customer reviews and testimonials are effective, but you can also try other methods like what TikTok is doing now.

Social referrals are a great tool to attract new customers by letting the old ones do the work. TikTok uses this principle while also giving back value to the advocates.

Authority

Say you have a medical problem and need advice; will you listen to a man who looks like a runaway guitar artist or a man in a white coat? It's human nature to trust those we think are of authority.

Cialdini stated that humans have three factors that trigger the principle:

• Title—Prof., CEO, Expert, President, Dr.
• Clothes—outfits that fit the job like uniforms or suits.
• Accessories—items that amplify the role like stethoscopes, badges, or luxury watches.

In marketing, the product's credibility is based on how you present it.

We see many people in ads that look and dress the part. Take Chloe Ting's workout program advertisements as an example.

Since it is a weight loss program, Chloe seems like a credible instructor because she has a well-toned body.

Another way to use the authority principle is through affiliate and influencer marketing. New customers will likely trust your brand if an influencer or another trusted brand they follow promotes you.

To show the authority principle in your content, you can use phrases with:

• recommended by…
• used by…
• tested by…
• certified
• guaranteed

Liking

Like attracts like. It's part of our nature to gravitate toward what gives us a positive feeling. Cialdini stated three factors why we like something:

• Similarity - we like it when it is relatable. That's why most marketing efforts focus on leveraging potential buyers’ needs, wants, and desires. We trust those who know what we are going through and are like us.

• Compliments - We’re taking the idiom “flattery will get you everywhere” to new heights. It’s not about baseless compliments but something substantial that can boost the mood and confidence of the reader. L’Oréal’s tagline and advocacy “because you're worth it” is a great example.
• Mutual benefit - humans cooperate when there is a mutual goal. It’s important to lay out clear benefits so potential buyers can know their money’s worth.

Scarcity

Nothing kills procrastination more than a deadline or the fear of missing out (FOMO).

Scarcity is a common term in economics. It’s about the lack of equilibrium because there is a low supply and high demand—a shortage. In marketing, it gives that extra motivation for a potential buyer to click on the check-out button. Scarcity can make a product more desirable.

There are two types of scarcity: product and time.

Product scarcity is about having limited supply. It encourages customers to purchase immediately before stocks (or slots) run out.

Davek’s current clearance sale is a great example.

Time scarcity is about racing against the clock to get the product. It usually comes with a must-have offer that will vanish after the countdown.

Shopee, a popular shopping site in the Philippines, uses flash deals to offer a great discount for a limited time. They even incorporate a timer to further trigger a sense of urgency.

Unity

It’s all about the “us”. Leveraging a shared identity is an effective tool to urge your potential buyer into purchasing.

It may look similar to the liking principle, but unity's main distinction is being part of a community. Communities have unique characteristics that make members feel more connected.

Framing your content is an important factor in the unity principle. You have to make your potential buyer feel that you’re serving the community they are a part of—in short, creating a group feeling. You can do this by:

• Using community language. If your potential buyer is in the gaming community, use languages like AFK, buff, and nerf.
• Encouraging dialogue. Have a place where your audiences can share their insights.
• Reminding them of shared identity. Instead of saying, “Hundreds of people have taken this course,” say, “Hundreds of people like you have boosted their productivity thanks to this course. It’s your turn.”

Other Persuasive Tactics Based on Psychology

Marketing and psychology go hand in hand. A lot of marketing tactics are based on psychological theories about human behavior.

Here are some more persuasive tactics:

Barnum effect

Have you tried a personality test and been surprised by how much it talks about your life? That’s the Barnum effect. This is a cognitive bias where a person thinks a general or vague description applies to them. It’s a great way to make your potential buyer feel that they are in a one-on-one interaction with you.

You leverage this effect by making general statements tailored to your potential buyers or giving recommendations based on their interactions with you.

Fear-then-Relief

It’s a tactic that has a similar appeal to the scarcity principle. You want them to feel a bit of pressure. This technique makes potential buyers anxious about a certain pain point and presents the product as the solution.

Decoy effect

Decoys help nudge potential buyers into choosing the product you want them to buy. How does it work? It comes down to how humans decide. We tend to cross out the extremities. If there is a ridiculously pricey option (decoy), your potential buyer will move on to picking the other options.

Final Thoughts on Persuasive Marketing

Using persuasion is a guaranteed way to crank up conversion rates. But one thing that you have to remember is to stay ethical. Persuasive marketing does not mean lying to your potential buyer or blackmailing them. You can’t tell them it’s a limited offer but runs a whole year round. Or make them too uncomfortable with the fear tactic.

Here are some things to remember:

• Deliver on your promises
• Don’t exaggerate benefits (or problems!) for the sake of sales
• Build a solid customer experience
• Personalize your content

Now you have a good grasp of how to use persuasion in marketing! You can start developing content using tactics that work best with your market. The best way to know what those will be is by building a buyer persona.

If this is a new thing for you or you need a bit of a refresher, tune in for our next blog article!