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Tested examples of Neuromarketing and how they can work for you

 

Neuromarketing made simple | Vermilion Pinstripes

Neuromarketing made simple

Neuromarketing refer to the commercial application of neuroscience technologies and insights to drive business further. Such technologies include functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and electroencephalography (EEG) to access the “pleasure centre” of the brain and let marketers know how people are really responding to their work.

Here are some simple neuromarketing tactics that have worked:

Encourage action with simple fonts

If you want a customer to perform some kind of task, then describe that task in a simple, easy to read font. That also includes all website related content. Instructions should also be simple. Content headings should be short, attractive and SEO friendly. 

If it’s hard to read, it’s hard to do.

Encourage action with simple fonts

 

 

Boost memory recall with complex fonts
This is good only for your copy, whether web, email or even a restaurant menu. A complex font on your copy will not only be more memorable, but grab more attention visually but use it sparingly for a specific purpose only.

As proven by Hyunjin Song and Norbert Schwarz of the University of Michigan, describing a costly product using a hard to read font will suggest to the viewer that more effort went into creating that product. Try this with certain dishes on a restaurant menu. Those dishes will be hot favourites! 

Remember complex font is not recommended for use with your logo, your tag line and contact details.

Menu with complex font 

Direct attention with gaze

 

Direct attention with gaze

Whether you are using images of people or animals, set their eyes to gaze where you want the viewer to look. Above image from Usability Specialist James Breeze, indicated that a face in ads will attract attention, but be sure the face is looking at what you want the viewer to see!

 
Use mood boosting image and colours

Use images that show your brand personality and the human side of your brand (see example we did for a small business in the Mid North Coast of NSW - Camden Haven Carpet Cleaning). A picture says a thousand words, so I use images that seemed obvious. You may opt for a smiling photo over a serious businessman as studies have shown that a “mood boosting” image can affect a customer’s willingness to spend.  

3 naughty dog - context marketing images

 

 Colours can help differentiate your products from competitors but also to influence positive or negative moods and feelings towards certain products. Nike used pink below to target women.

4 nike

 

 The other interesting trend is animated logos. Brasel & Hagtvedt conducted a study in 2016 that indicated agent animation elicits more positive attitudes.

Using sound and colour to sell more

A powerful bass makes people subconsciously attend to dark objects, whereas music leaning more towards the high frequencies shifts attention to light objects.

A large supermarket conducted an experiment and placed bananas on both white and black shelves with the same supermarket music mixed with either prominent high or low pitched frequencies. Twice more bananas were sold from the white shelf with high pitched music. The reverse effect was found with low frequency music and black shelves. 

Gain trust by showing trust

Trust - the basic element to building a credible business and getting referrals. First, focus on reducing pain. Customers’ emotions gear more towards pain avoidance rather than thrills.

For example, use a sentence like: “Trello help unorganised teams collaborate productively” rather than “Trello is more effective”. Secondly, Give away templates, cheat sheets, eBooks in exchange for email information Offer a limited time trial with little restrictions. 

Make buying easy. Forget about lengthy forms and screening process. Provide confidential information without signing an NDA.

“Loving” is a powerful word

Previous studies show that the slogan “Loving=Helping” increased donations. McDonalds use ‘I’m loving it!’ in their slogan to trigger more compliant behaviour.

If you have a survey on your website; try to use an image on the background which states “Loving”. More people will behave compliant and fill in the survey.

Here’s Vermilion Pinstripes loving message.

5 Heart tree

Fear of missing out

When things are scarce, people are more eager to buy them because they fear the item might sell out. It feels like a chance that we don’t want to miss. 

People with a high need for uniqueness prefer to hear what they will miss when they don’t buy the product, while people with low need for uniqueness need to hear what there is to gain from buying it. So frame your messages right. Gain message: “get the new edition now” Loss message: “be sure not to miss the new edition”.

Offering a discount for a favour

This is an interesting study done by Blanchard, Clarson and Hyodo. A straight 10% discount normally yield a 25% sales rate. By combining a discount of NO MORE than 30% plus a small favour like “Post an online review” or “Refer a friend”, seemed to triple sales by 68%.

The effect is negative when discount offered was above 50% with a favour. 

Do you know?

Google rewards websites with coveted page 1 placement when they have strong visual appeal (including video), unique content that solves customers’ pains and emotional engagement that retains users longer.

To summarise, Neuromarketing is effective when - It’s not about you.

Appeal to the customers’ pains. Keep it simple. Use short impactful statements and focus on quick ways to sum up your product and services.

Seeing is better than reading. Make your points visual. Have a strong start and a big finish. Use attention grabbing open and close with a compelling action.

Employ emotion. Make it memorable. The new marketing and communications techniques are about leveraging Maths + Science + Creativity + Psychology to trigger positive buying actions. The more you understand your customers’ buying behaviour, the smarter your marketing actions will be.

My recommendation is not to use Neuromarketing as just tactics of persuasion but as insights to power your sales, marketing and communications strategy. This is relevant for small businesses, B2B and B2C businesses.

Here are more topics to help you do marketing better:

  • How does data-driven marketing work? Learn more.
  • Modern Marketing for the Modern Business. Learn more.

Book now for free sales marketing communications consultation with Vermilion Pinstripes

Vermilion Pinstripes Sales Marketing Communications is based in Port Macquarie, Australia and Singapore.

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