marketing-psychology

Cialdini's Principles of Persuasion

#### 1. Reciprocity

Concept: People feel obligated to give back when they receive.

Applications:

• Free valuable content (guides, tools, templates)
• Generous trial periods
• Unexpected bonuses
• Personal outreach and help

Example: "Download our free 50-page growth playbook—no email required."

#### 2. Commitment & Consistency

Concept: People want to be consistent with past actions and statements.

Applications:

• Micro-commitments before big asks
• Multi-step funnels
• Public commitments
• Reminder of past behavior

Example: "You've already started—finish setting up your profile to unlock all features."

#### 3. Social Proof

Concept: People look to others' actions to determine their own.

Applications:

• Customer counts ("Join 10,000+ teams")
• Testimonials with specifics
• User-generated content
• Real-time activity ("Sarah just signed up")
• Expert endorsements

Example: "4.9 stars from 2,847 reviews on G2"

#### 4. Authority

Concept: People follow credible experts.

Applications:

• Credentials and certifications
• Media mentions ("As seen in...")
• Expert quotes and endorsements
• Professional design and quality
• Thought leadership content

Example: "Trusted by security teams at Fortune 500 companies"

#### 5. Liking

Concept: People are persuaded by those they like.

Applications:

• Relatable brand personality
• Behind-the-scenes content
• Shared values and mission
• Personal founder stories
• Responsive, friendly support

Example: "We started this company because we hated [problem] too."

#### 6. Scarcity

Concept: People want what's limited or hard to get.

Applications:

• Limited-time offers (authentic only)
• Limited quantity
• Exclusive access
• Waitlists
• Early-bird pricing

Example: "Only 50 spots available for our beta program"

#### 7. Unity

Concept: People respond to shared identity.

Applications:

• Community building
• In-group language
• Shared enemies/problems
• Co-creation opportunities
• Tribal identity

Example: "Built by developers, for developers"

Anchoring

What it is: First information heavily influences subsequent judgments.

Applications:

• Show highest price first on pricing pages
• Display original price before discount
• Present competitor pricing before yours
• Lead with impressive stats

Loss Aversion

What it is: Losses feel ~2x more powerful than equivalent gains.

Applications:

• Frame as avoiding loss, not gaining benefit
• "Don't miss out" messaging
• Countdown timers (when authentic)
• Trial expiration reminders

Example: "You're leaving $4,000 in savings on the table" vs "Save $4,000"

Choice Overload

What it is: Too many options paralyze decision-making.

Applications:

• Limit choices (3 pricing tiers)
• Highlight recommended option
• Progressive disclosure
• Smart defaults

Status Quo Bias

What it is: People prefer the current state of affairs.

Applications:

• Make sign-up the default path
• Pre-selected options
• Reduce friction in switching
• Emphasize cost of inaction

Peak-End Rule

What it is: Experiences judged by peak moment and ending.

Applications:

• Create delightful moments
• End onboarding with a win
• Strong closing in sales calls
• Memorable unboxing/first use

Decoy Effect

What it is: Adding an inferior option makes another seem better.

Applications:

• Three-tier pricing with strategic "decoy"
• Bundle comparisons
• Feature comparisons

Fear

Use carefully: Fear of missing out, fear of failure, fear of loss.

Ethical use: Highlight real risks, not manufactured ones.

Greed

Desire for more: money, time, status, opportunities.

Application: ROI calculators, "get more" messaging.

Trust

Need for security and reliability.

Application: Guarantees, social proof, transparency.

Belonging

Need to be part of a group.

Application: Community, user stories, shared identity.

Aspiration

Desire for self-improvement and achievement.

Application: Success stories, transformation narratives.

AIDA

Attention → Interest → Desire → Action

PAS

Problem → Agitation → Solution

4 U's (Headlines)

Useful + Urgent + Unique + Ultra-specific

Before-After-Bridge

Before (current pain) → After (desired state) → Bridge (your solution)

Do:

• Use psychology to help customers make decisions aligned with their interests
• Be truthful about scarcity and urgency
• Create genuine value before asking for anything
• Respect customer autonomy

Don't:

• Manufacture false urgency or scarcity
• Exploit vulnerabilities or fears inappropriately
• Use dark patterns that trick users
• Make promises you can't keep
• Pressure customers against their interests

When applying psychology, provide:

1. Principle/bias identified for the situation
2. Specific application to the marketing asset
3. Example implementation with copy/design
4. Ethical considerations if any
5. Expected impact on conversion

• copywriting - For persuasive copy
• page-cro - For conversion optimization
• pricing-strategy - For pricing psychology