Cialdini’s Principles of Persuasion and How To Use Them in Marketing
When I was a communications student in college, I took many interesting courses like “New Media & Society,” “Public Opinion & Social Processes,” and “Risk Communication.” But one of the classes that I find myself thinking of and using the most, even years later, is one called “Persuasion and Social Influence.” In this class, we covered the psychology of persuasive messages and how to craft campaigns that use them.
A key component of this course included studying the Principles of Persuasion defined by Robert Cialdini in his 1984 book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. These principles have proved so universal to me that I frequently identify them in marketing campaigns or public service announcements that I see on a daily basis. Even if you haven’t heard of them before, you’ve likely employed at least one of them in the past. And you’ve definitely been influenced by one of them, either consciously or subconsciously.
So what are these principles? I’ll give you a brief outline along with some examples of how they can be used in marketing campaigns.
1. Reciprocity
This principle refers to the idea that we are more likely to want to repay or help those who have helped us in the past. Cialdini’s classic example of this involves people being more likely to tip a waiter if they are given something with the bill, like mints or fortune cookies. A more current example is offering free services or consultations. Once someone has taken advantage of this, they feel indebted to you, especially if you went above and beyond and offered them an unexpected extra. Many people buy a product after tasting it in a grocery store at a free sample display — their decision to purchase is influenced by the feeling of owing something to the rep or company who gave the sample.
Content Marketing is another example. You provide free information that is helpful and yields good results for your readers. When they need a good or service in the future, they are more likely to want to use your product over a competing brand that offered them no free advice or help. Finally, to retain existing customers, offering an unexpected gift is an example of taking advantage of the reciprocity principle. By getting a free gift with their order or on their birthday, for example, the customer feels the desire to return the favor in the future. They’ll be more likely to want to use you again if all else is equal.
2. Commitment and Consistency
The idea that once we commit to a certain stance or product, we are likely to want to stay consistent with that commitment. We don’t like to feel cognitive dissonance, or that we are thinking or behaving in a way that is inconsistent with our past behaviors or thoughts.
One example of using commitment and consistency involves running social media contests. Frequently brands will ask users to say why they like a product or how they would use it if they won. By asking people to take photos with a product and posting them, you are asking people to publicly commit to a brand online. This makes them more likely to want to stay consistent with that in the future.
Another example is offering paid trials. Once people pay (even a small amount like $5) it increases the chances that they will want to use you in the future. This is because once a person commits to spending on something, they become more sure of their decision and want to defend it. This also explains brand loyalty after making a purchase — we want to believe we made the right choice initially and didn’t waste our money, so we will keep using a particular product unless there is compelling evidence that we should change.
3. Social Proof
When we aren’t sure about something, we often look at what others are doing or saying for guidance. The more people do something, the more likely we are to make a similar action. Cialdini’s original book describes his research on reusing towels in hotels. Guests were more likely to choose to reuse towels when they were told that most other hotel guests did. But we also see this idea borne out more and more in the internet age. It’s why we all strive for more social media “likes” on our posts and profiles. It’s also why we love to see User-Generated Content of our customers mentioning and endorsing our products.
We sometimes use social proof in ads as well by first promoting a post to our followers to gain likes and positive comments, and then using the same post in a prospecting audience. Facebook also takes advantage of this principle in its advertising by telling what number of your friends “like” certain pages right on their sponsored posts. This way, it appears as if your friends are endorsing the page.
Another example of social proof is reviews and ratings. We love products that have great ratings because it means that many other users liked the product. We check reviews before going to a new restaurant to see what others think. It’s also why bestseller lists can have such an impact on sales — once an item is on a bestseller list, it is perceived to have gained the endorsement of many people.
4. Liking
This is the idea that we tend to agree with those we like. It seems simple at face value, but it can still be a powerful tool. Who we like is determined by a number of factors, including their similarity to us, their attractiveness, and even the way they talk.
The principle of liking is the reason companies often run “refer a friend” campaigns that reward existing users for inviting their friends to join. It’s also why giveaways and contests frequently give extra entries for customers sharing about their brand on social media. We are much more likely to be influenced by our friends and people we like than by strangers or brands.
But it’s also possible to improve your company's “liking” by improving your brand voice. Write to your customers like one of them — if they are nerds, you should be too. If they are more professional, make sure your tone matches. Remember that people like people, not brands (that’s partly why many companies will have their social media managers sign their name after responding as a brand on social media).
It’s also why brands should spend time crafting a personalized “About Us” page that shows the human side of their company (office dogs included :)). And why if they have the ability to write personalized notes to customers, they should! Customers love to be reminded of the human on the other end.
5. Authority
Authority is the principle that we are more likely to agree with or be persuaded by those who are authorities in their field or those who are perceived as experts. We see this all the time in ads where products are endorsed by doctors, dentists, professional athletes or even “moms”. We tend to trust those who know more than us to help us make decisions.
Another example of this in online marketing is influencer marketing. Brands will pay experts or thought leaders to promote their brand or product because they have often gained a lot of authority on a certain topic or area of interest. We also see authority in action when brands include endorsements from experts on their website or in their ads. They might also include a list of well-known companies that use their products or services.
6. Scarcity
This principle centers around the idea that we are more likely to want something when it is running out or to take action on something when time is running out. We see this all the time in online marketing — sales running for one day only, limited release items, items that are available one time a year.
We often see scarcity used in marketing even when the item may not be that scarce. For example, a website might display the number of items left or the number of tickets available at a certain price. Amazon will include countdown clocks showing the time left on its daily offers, and Airbnb will tell you “132 people are looking for a place to stay in Seattle” for the dates you’ve selected. All of these make the buying process seem somehow more competitive, with limited availability, and spur potential buyers into action.
7. Unity
Though the original book includes only 6 principles, Cialdini added a 7th in his more recent book Pre-suasion: A Revolutionary New Way to Influence and Persuade. Unity is the idea that we all want to feel as though we belong to our different groups. The more we perceive someone to be one of “us,” the more likely we are to be persuaded by them. Many brands go to great lengths to make customers feel like part of a special group, team or family. Shared ethnicity, location, hobbies, gender, education, sports team, and more can be used to assist in persuasion.
Examples of unity are common in online marketing. Frequently companies might refer to their email list subscribers or social media followers by a special name, as a team or even as a family. Marketing teams will intentionally use jargon that only their close followers will understand in order to make them feel like part of a special group that’s in the know. They’ll also attempt to convey a certain exclusivity to their members or customers, to make them feel like they are part of a unique group. Companies that ask for advice from their fans will also make them feel as though they are part of the brand and have a higher chance of converting customers.