This is a continuation of the article I wrote and posted on this blog site. I recommend you read that article first to help you have a 360-degree grasp of this write-up.
We will be evaluating the remaining principles shared by Cialdini and the application modalities from CXL Institute.
5. AUTHORITY
Everyone online has people they look up to, trust, or consider as an authority. These people are more likely to buy if there is a recommendation or endorsement from an authority figure. People will more likely follow a credible knowledge expert. One who has an in-depth insight to the subject being evaluated than follow someone who is not knowledgeable. It is human nature to obey those in authority even if they are compelling them to do wrong. A Doctor that hangs his/her medical certificate on the wall with impressive specialization and work history in reputable clinics is more likely to get a higher level of compliance from patients than one without these. A person directing traffic with his uniform on is more likely to get people to obey him than someone on plain cloth.
E.g. Yeezy Sneaker by Kanye West, because he is a person of authority, the brand gained so much acceptance more than expected for a start-up brand. A partnership with Adidas says it all. People’s feeling about his fame or personality is easily transferred to the brand.
How brands can utilize this principle is to get a reputable celebrity with great fan base to speak about your product or endorse it. You can get an athlete or a general authority figure in that area or use borrowed authority. Transacting business with authorized brands (Shell, Jumia, Access, Facebook). On a long term basis, it is best if your brand, firm, or you become the authority. This can be achieved when you appear in interviews, write a blog, or be a contributor. On each of these occasions, it is important you speak boldly as an expert or authority in your field.
6. LIKING
People like those who are like them. Individuals are generally more comfortable with those who take them as friends. The more you like somebody, the more you are more likely to be influenced or persuaded by that person. Generally, liking can be a product of similar interest or attraction of the other party. It is established that more beautiful people sell more.
There are 3 factors in this principle:
-We like those who are similar to us
-We like those who compliment us
-We like those who corporate with us towards mutual goals
It is important that we design our communication to touch on these points. We can achieve this by utilizing our customer avatar with the information in our customer profile. We can communicate in such a way that shows we are similar to them when we engage them, we should ensure we complement them where necessary and also corporate with them to achieve their goal. These steps can increase likeness from our client and will help improve our sales.
Writing the bio of the organization to include things that established common grounds between the organization and the prospective clients will also be of great help. Your about us page should be able to connect with your target market.
7. UNITY
Cialdini 7th Principle termed the Unity Principle is the shared identity that the influencer shares with the influence. Here focuses on what the influencer and the influence have in common beyond the basic similarity of the liking principle. The more we have this mindset that people are part of “us”: Na my people in Pidgin English, the greater the likelihood that we will be influenced by them. This fits into the theme of pre-suasion which actually occurs before the persuasion. In this case, the person’s mind has put in a comfortable state by the shared identity. It is now easier to persuade such a person.
E.g., connecting with a fellow school mate in a remote city of another country; there is such chemistry that can make persuasion easier.
These 7 important secrets are universal and they are not hindered by any culture, religion, or any other social factors they are enshrined in the psychological DNA of man. Every expert in digital marketing should prioritize these 7 principles in addition to other principles that he or she might be using to influence his or her market segment. In designing a marketing campaign the ad copy of that campaign should be guided by this,not forgetting the uniqueness of the product or the primary message that the digital marketer wants to send across to his/her target market. In the same vein that Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were conveyed to the international space station on SpaceX Dragon Falcon 9 rocket.
One important factor we mentioned in the earlier part one of this write up is that though there is a rapid change in digital marketing tools and channels, the human behavior that drives buying patterns remains the same and is not changing.
Since behavior places a key role in determining the course of action a client will take online. It is important to understand behavior models and augment these 7 secrets that we have been discussing with the behavior model. We will be rounding up this article by evaluating the behavior model identified by BJ Fogg a leading social scientist. This model is called “Fogg`s Behavior Model”. It is a simple thought experiment where Fogg concluded that there is a formula for behavior change. He mentioned 3 key factors that drive behavior which are Trigger, Motivation, and Ability. Just like the law of cause and effect, He established that for behavior to occur these 3 factors must be at play, Using this simple example to explain the model E.G You just received a phone call, The phone call is a trigger. Naturally, you are expected to pick your call. But here you did not pick it. What are the likely factors that may be responsible for this?
A) You might be having a shower
B) You might not be in the mood to pick that particular person`s call,
If your reason is A: That is an “Ability” issue. If B then it is the “Motivation” issue.
Applying this insight into digital marketing is very important. As every digital marketer’s intent in each digital marketing campaign is to influence the course of behavior towards his/her product and services. You should design all your Ad copy with these 3 things in mind. Let there be a “High motivation”, things that will make your prospective client say I want to take action e.g. great product at a competitive price, tempting incentives, social proof, value-based service, etc. Also, make it easy for them to take action “High ability” e.g. An order form which when you fill auto-fills the buyer contact details. Finally, there should be a “High trigger” a compelling call to action link.
