Do you ever get the feeling that there’s something you’re not being told, about digital marketing? It’s like the professionals are aware of something, that they’re keeping to themselves.

Here, like a magician that’s about to be banned from the Magic Circle, I’m going to lift the curtain to let you peer behind and see how some of the most sought-after illusions are done.

By the end of this article you will have a better understanding of people’s behaviour. You’ll also know how to deliver more value to your audience.

You’re going to learn the secret driving forces behind most people’s decisions, and how to turn it to your own advantage.

Surveying your prospects is smart, but this bypasses niche-specific problems and targets deep-rooted emotional and cognitive drivers that almost every human being is guilty of.

This is what your audience will never tell you, because they don’t know it exists.

And you can also use this information to benefit and improve your personal relationships.

Here is one of the most persuasive triggers you can use to influence your prospects.

Give them a sense of belonging

It’s important to give consumers a sense of belonging. We can do this in a couple of different ways. And there are several types of groups we can use to influence consumer behaviour.

The 2 most powerful groups are:

  • Dissociative groups
  • Aspirational groups

Dissociative Groups

A dissociative group is one that a consumer wants to avoid. They frequently have opposing values, beliefs, or behaviours, to the consumer.

The consumer does not want to be associated with this group.

Aspirational groups

These are groups that a consumer wants to join. The consumer aspires to become a member of the group because it allows them to improve their own self-image.

To utilise this for your business, embrace ‘Us vs Them’ scenarios, and storytelling.

One of the best examples we have of this kind of persuasive marketing comes from Apple’s ‘Get a Mac’ ad campaign.

In their television adverts, Apple positioned themselves as the ‘cool alternative’ to PCs running Microsoft.

Watch one of Apple adverts here, and see for yourself:

The great thing about this advert is that it also boosts Apple’s authority and credibility by using widely known statistics to attack PCs.

This also allows you to tap into another deep-rooted psychological trigger:

Give them something to blame

It’s easy to attack the dissociative group for not sharing the same values, but scapegoating is slightly different.

Here, we’re giving consumers a very specific reason for their failure.

We are explicitly telling them that something is wrong, and it either poses a threat to them or it prevents them from achieving results.

You might tell them that it’s not their fault that they haven’t achieved success. The fact that they might not have done the right level of work has nothing to do with it. No, they're just the innocent victim caught in a set of circumstances that are beyond their control.

This works because people naturally think highly of their own ability, and don’t like to see themselves at fault. When you give consumers something else to blame for their problem, the desire to pass on that responsibility becomes irresistible.

Consumers are likely to align themselves to you, and your brand, as a result as they see you as the ‘truth-telling white knight’.

Religions, and politicians, have used this strategy for hundreds of years.

And when you give consumers permission to pass the buck, the value they receive from you is enormous.

Give them something to believe in

So far you’ve identified which group the consumer wants to avoid, and which group they want to belong to.

Then you’ve given them a very specific reason for their failure.

Next, you give them a something to believe in - a sense of purpose. People need to feel needed.

They also need to feel that they have the ability to change or improve a situation.

By offering an opportunity that will help consumers to solve their problems, you’re asking them to take action. This works because usually if you create a role for someone to play, they will fulfill it.

If you’re able to create a ‘mission’ that represents something bigger than your company, and show your consumers how they can play a vital role in achieving it, you will experience a greater level of allegiance.

For this to work effectively, you need to create a dilemma. Something is at stake - and they are uniquely qualified to help you fix.

Now you have 3 strategies to help you become instantly more persuasive.

Use them wisely.