Marketing your business to your target audience is all about stepping into their shoes and getting into their minds. By establishing their standard thought processes and behaviour patterns, you can use a range of techniques throughout your marketing materials to really get your audience on side.
One of the best, most powerful ways to do this is to apply some elements of psychology to your copywriting. Now, we’re not asking you to sit down with your audience and give their minds the once over! But what you do need to be aware of is how the brain works, and how best to elicit responses from your audience that will not only benefit them but your business too.
So, how can you use psychology in copywriting to influence your audience?
How to Use Psychology in Your Copywriting
There are numerous ways you can use psychological techniques to really get your audience on board. As copywriters ourselves, we find that the methods below are incredibly effective in doing just that – and the good news is, they’re incredibly easy to implement.
Repetition
Forget everything you’ve ever been told about repeating yourself being boring – in copywriting, repetition can actually be an incredibly powerful tool in solidifying an idea or concept in the mind of your audience.
This technique’s success is based on the illusory truth effect – a psychological phenomenon that is found if we are fed false information repeatedly, we are far more likely to believe it and consider it to be true.
Now, while the information you’re sharing won’t be false, the same rules still apply. Repeating information helps form patterns in the brain, making the information presented more memorable and more likely to be weighted with credibility as far as your audience is concerned.
So, like the old copywriting rule says: “Tell the audience what you’re going to say, say it: then tell them what you’ve said.” Don’t be afraid to repeat your messaging so your audience receives it loud and clear.
Mirroring
Bringing your audience into your sphere of influence is all about getting them onside, making them feel like you and they are on the same page, and searching for the same solution to the same problem.
But how can you do that through words on a screen? Simple.
Mirroring.
According to Imagine Health, mirroring is ‘something we do with people we like or are interested in – we copy their body language, speech, facial expressions and more.’ Mirroring serves as a ‘non-verbal way to show empathy – it signals that we are connected to that person in some way.’
Replicating this technique in your copy can be incredibly powerful. Try mimicking the kind of language your audience uses in their day-to-day life or telling anecdotes that help them relate to a pain point they’re currently struggling with.
The idea here is to reassure your audience that you’re all on the same page and that your goal is to help them move past their current pain point together (with the help of your products or services, of course!)
Knowledge Levels
Getting into the mind of your audience means understanding where their knowledge levels already lie. For example, if they’re already quite clued up on the topics you’re addressing, the last thing you want to do is start with the basics. This could end up feeling patronising and you’ll be at risk of losing their interest and their business.
On the other end of the scale, going into expert mode when you’re speaking to an audience relatively new to the topic you’re addressing will make them feel excluded, again meaning you might miss out on the opportunity to turn them into a loyal customer.
So, how do you find the perfect balance?
Research. Take the time to step into the shoes of your audience members. Determine how much or how little they know about your industry and your products or services, and establish whereabouts they are in the marketing funnel.
This will enable you to position your copy at exactly the right knowledge level for your target audience. You’ll then be able to use your copy to influence them in all the right ways, expanding their existing knowledge and helping them move towards a buying decision.
CTAs
This may seem like an obvious one, but getting your CTAs right is an incredibly powerful way to influence your audience through copywriting. And, in this case, something as simple as a single word can make a real difference.
When it comes to making decisions or carrying out tasks, we as human beings like to make things as easy as possible for ourselves. We don’t want to be faced with too many choices and we prefer simple, straightforward instructions to help us decide on our next move. This should be applied to all of your CTAs, no matter where they appear within your content.
For example, if you want to encourage your audience to book a service, a simple ‘Book Now’ will work better than ‘Fill Out the Booking Form Below’. The latter suggests more effort for your audience and they may be deterred from following through, particularly if they’re pushed for time and looking for a quick fix. ‘Book Now’ feels simple and straightforward, encouraging your audience to take seemingly quick action to solve their problem.
When it comes to CTAs, pay attention to the language you’re using and remember, the easier you make things seem for your audience, the more likely they are to carry out the action you want them to take.
Focus on the Positives
As business owners, you’re hyper-aware of the problems your audience is facing. You’ve done your research, and you understand the frustrations, pain points, needs or desires that have led them to be interested in your product or service.
When you’re writing your business copy, it can therefore be tempting to focus on those problems in an effort to show your audience that you can relate to what they’re experiencing. This, however, can give your copy a bit of a negative tone – something that isn’t necessarily going to encourage them to buy your products or services.
To influence your audience in the right way, it’s best to keep things as positive as possible. While you may acknowledge their pain points or problem, focus on how much your product or service could improve things for them. Share the benefits your business can provide and focus on the positive final outcome your audience will experience if they choose to become customers. A bit of positivity definitely goes a long way!
Copywriting with The Edwards Company
Using some psychology fundamentals in your copywriting can work wonders in influencing your audience and getting them on side. Mirror their tone, thoughts and feelings, embed important information with repetition, focus on the positives and get creative with your CTAs to really get into their heads.
If you’re looking to level up your copywriting game, we can help. We write compelling, unique copy for businesses like yours – please get in touch with our fab team for more information.