Neuromarketing: How to Tap into Your Audience’s Emotions

“Human beings, in their thinking, feeling and acting are not free agents but are as causally bound as the stars in their motion.”

Albert Einstein said that.

I.e. whilst we often perceive ourselves as making choices of our own volition, those choices are actually the result of a vast web of interconnected causes.

In turn, our perception of free will is an illusion.

Right now, you may be thinking:

“Kieran, what are you on about? I thought you were a marketer, not a philosopher?”

Yes… I’m definitely not a philosopher.

What interests me, however, is that Einstein’s deterministic assertion also applies to marketing.?

To be specific, something called neuromarketing.

Determinism → Neuromarketing

Neuromarketing is a field that combines neuroscience with marketing to understand how our brains respond to various stimuli, such as advertisements, products, or brand messaging.

In line with the suggestion that our choices might not be entirely free, neuromarketing reveals that many consumer decisions are shaped by subconscious processes and emotional responses.

Things that are out of our control.?

If purchasing decisions are heavily influenced by subconscious reactions – rather than conscious deliberation – this leaves marketers with a conundrum:

How can we…

1. Quantify these subconscious reactions
2. Use these findings to inform our strategies

After all, consumers themselves won’t be able to recognise their own subconscious urges, so a survey or questionnaire won’t cut it.

That’s where neuromarketing techniques come in.

Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), for instance, have enabled marketers to measure the neural engagement and emotional response of consumers to advertisements.

Applying Neuromarketing

Here are some key findings from recent neuromarketing research, as well as some simple ways you can apply this knowledge to your marketing efforts:

• Decision fatigue: too many choices can lead to “decision fatigue”, where consumers become overwhelmed and abandon the decision-making process altogether.

? Refine your product or service offering and tailor it to the wants and needs of your target audience e.g. do you have 40 products that only occupy 1% of sales? Cut them!

? Reduce the number of options users have to make on your website by simplifying navigation menus, dropdowns, and categories.

? Focus on the most important actions and content, especially on mobile e.g. one primary action per screen.

• Storytelling impact: Storytelling activates multiple areas of the brain – particularly the prefrontal cortex, temporal cortex, and limbic system – making it an effective tool to create emotional connections and engage consumers on a deeper level.

? Craft a series of blog posts that showcase real-life customer success stories, giving a detailed account of how your services positively impacted businesses, not just the results.

? Run a behind-the-scenes campaign on social media, giving followers a glimpse into the daily operations and the people behind the brand.

? Create a video that tells the origin story of your business, showcasing the founder's journey, challenges, and passion that led to the creation of the company.

• Eye movement: Users typically read web content in an "F" pattern, starting with a horizontal movement across the top, followed by a vertical movement down the left side. They also tend to scan advertisements in a triangle pattern, moving from the top left to the bottom right.

? Organise content in a way that matches these reading patterns to ensure key messages are seen.

? Place important information, headlines, and calls to action (CTAs) in the top and left areas of web pages.

? Ensure the initial glance captures the essence of your website or ad's message.

Key Takeaway

Businesses need to start making decisions based on data, not assumptions.

Given that our brains react to stimuli before our conscious mind even registers them, the goal is to tap into these subconscious urges.

That’s how you will make your audience feel like they want to trust you and keep spending with your brand.

It’s no surprise, then, that 30% of all Fortune 500 companies already use neuromarketing techniques…

Has anything piqued your interest in this newsletter? Comment – don’t be shy!?

Alternatively, if you’d rather discuss anything 1v1, reach out to me directly on LinkedIn or book a 30-minute consultation!