Value commercials are advertisements that have the specific purpose of selling or otherwise converting the audience, even if this purpose is covert. (This type of commercial is quite unlike brand commercials that many large businesses use for purposes that make sense only for their unique privileged circumstances, often because large companies may no longer need to expend much effort on product selling advertising). While value content aims to convert customers, it is also entertaining and informative. As much as possible, it should avoid looking and feeling like just another advertisement.
Before you begin
Before you begin formulating a commercial, prepare with knowledge on the following points.
Who is your ideal target customer / audience? ... Prepare to speak to this persona, exclusively. The more intimately you know your target persona, the more relatable and attractive you can make your message.
If you are talking to women and realize they are mothers, their unique problem you discuss from their buying process will be more meaningful.
You can use self image identification, ie using models that look and experience life like your ideal customer.
What is your distribution plan, ie on what types of platforms will the ad appear? (a website, YouTube, Instagram, etc?) ... As discussed below, there are several very important editing considerations.
Hook introduction within the first 5 seconds. A hook aka 'pattern interruption' is an attention grabbing statement. It is commonly based on pairing odd elements into a statement, even in a taboo way that will catch the audience off guard. Example(s):
Nuns won't teach you about lingerie.
Imagine how attention grabbing a name can be like 'Naughty Nun'
Someone speaking on behalf of Coca-Cola might say that they 'taste happiness'. The idea is attention grabbing because the physical senses are not usually associated with emotional states in this way.
I will tell you how this pair of old pair of rubber boots led me to my husband.
Tell a story (of problem resolution). Common equations include the following elements.
consumer 'problem', ie the unmet need as per the buying decision. This goes into varying levels of detail based on what is suitable for the particular context. If possible, reinforce the cost to the consumer of not investing in the offer. Also consider using scarcity marketing techniques.
I had trouble achieving a-b-c.
Do you have a-b-c problem?
A company selling a pricey solution for camera lenses sold the problem idea as follows. "Water droplets can ruin your best memories" and then proved this idea by showing how the failure to use their product resulted in the ruining of images of very important events.
A transformation for the consumer related to the UVP. Do NOT skip ahead to talk about your business, your experience and so on. Focus instead very narrowly, at least at first on promising to the consumer a transformative experience to the problem they face.
This product delivered benefits x-y and z. Now, I can a-b-c comfortably.
End with a crystal clear offer -- AND -- Call to Action / CTA. Make at least one of the three types of offer. The first type is a lead generator in which you ask for contact details at the top of your sales funnel or the lead's buying funnel. Hopefully, your subsequent contact can graduate leads to either a consultation or purchase offer. Ensure that your offer can convince buyers that your product is worth more than the money they will spend.
Using the problem statement above related to not getting the special camera lens solution, a call to action to go capture life's best memories will tie in well.
If you want to also get a-b-c benefit; subscribe.
Platform Considerations for production and editing. Consider the psychographics of each social media platform. For instance, Instagram users are younger and respond best to visually appealing content.
Facebook video ads should not depend on audio or even visuals because roughly 84% of people look at ads without audio, while doing something else. Consequently, the best Facebook ads should throw words across the screen.
(Unlike the case of Facebook ads,) YouTube advertisements should depend on visuals. People prefer to visually engage with YouTube ads. After all; have you ever felt irritated by YouTube videos in which content creators presented a silent slideshow of words? Whenever possible, include b-roll. B-roll may include video of consumers using the product like different angles or panning video footage of the product.
Be strategic with b-roll. It may seem counter-intuitive, however, visuals are the least impactful alone of the 3 video quality triangle. They should be used to amplify your most important video element, the message. Never try to focus only or mostly on the visuals.
Use very good sound. A Neurosite study suggests that long term memory is strongly related to the use of sound effects and music that fit and reinforce the concepts and theme of the message.
Finish with a hero shot. A hero shot is the primary image or video that represents the entire marketing effort. It should accurately depict the product, service or action and its purpose. To this end, the imagery is usually enriched with props, background and lighting to infuse mood and impart brand spirit. This type of image is ideal for social media and category or catalog section pages in online stores. Example(s)
For a video commercial, the hero shot for a coffee product as its key ingredient may involve the product being thrown into and splashing up coffee beans.
Unfortunately, there is no fixed recommended video length that always converts the best. Your market-specific variables will determine this. So focus on satisfying the must-have content that is needed to convert your specific target market. However, many experts recommend testing with lengths for YouTube or Facebook commercials of 2 to 3 minutes. More time on YouTube is likely more successful, so take advantage of that when possible.
Format accordingly. Facebook and Instagram advertisements are usually square. Conversely YouTube ads are rectangular.
After recognizing that competing insurance websites usually made the signup process difficult, Geico, an insurance company, offered a signup website that was so easy that, according to their unique selling proposition, even a caveman could use it. Their claim was that their website passed the 'grunt test'.
Performing the grunt test involves determining whether your target market can affirmatively answer 3 questions within seconds.
What do you offer?
How will your offering improve their life?
What must they do to buy it?
From the perspective of customer communication, whether through website design, campaigns, research & development surveys, product launchs, product labels or otherwise, passing the grunt test is critical for lead generation and conversion. After all, analytics show that if your communication does not pass this test within a few seconds, potential customers will lose interest.
Landing pages, product pages, campaign pages, any type of advertising should pass the grunt test to convince leads to follow the call to action.
To clarify, the test involves the following elements. # 1 involves clear and simple product identification, #2 involves unique value proposition and responding to customer problems (like pain points, desires or other key motivation factors). #3 involves the call to actions.
This post discusses the 6 principles of influence, aka 'persuasion science' by Robert Cialdini. Persuasion is one of the most practical skills that anyone can master in their professional and or personal life. It can make the difference in whether you can actually convert leads into buying customers, sell your de-commoditized product at a higher price, get a favor, get a spouse and so on. More critically, it can be a game changer when dealing with persons who have opposing views.
After discussing the 6 principles, the post also provides a caveat and suggestions for dealing with exceptions to the rules.
At the very least, understanding persuasion science makes you more capable of recognizing when it is being used against you manipulatively. This is noteworthy when considering that deep subconscious drivers often override one's conscious awareness and weariness of potential manipulation.
1. Principle of Reciprocity
I called a friend to ask her whether she wanted any katuk and gotu kola cuttings for her garden. While she would have had other opportunities to offer me oranges from her garden (which I did not even know she had all along), she never did until then. People generally feel a psychological sense of obligation to give back (in kind) when you give something not required to them first. Essentially, if you initiate an interaction of reciprocation, you essentially attempt to enforce an uninvited debt onto the other person. When under feelings of obligation, individuals are much more likely to say 'yes' to a request. This is why restaurants offer mints after dinner. As ridiculous as this sounds to the average unsuspecting person, the small gift or 'extra' actually increases the likelihood that dining patrons will give and increase tips in return. A study showed that a mint increased tips by 3%. Two mints quadrupled the tip increase to 14%. NB the gift usuallly accompanies the Call-To-Action (CTA), in this case the bill through which the client gets the chance to reciprocate. Most significantly however is the scenario in which, after the first mint is provided with the bill as usual before the waiter returns unexpectedly to say, 'for you nice people, 'here is a second mint', the tip can increase by nearly 8 times to 23%. In other words, marketers can extend the customer experience, ie exceed customer expectations to increase the probability of customer good will. Read how a blue bow on a bigger size of my order did this. Even outside of marketing, it is a matter of providing value that excedes expectations of what is normal or expected. Furthermore, the more of that gift you give, like 2 mints rather than 1 mint, has been shown to increase the value of the tip. In short, reciprocity works best if you are the first to give and the gift is personalised and unexpected.
Examples:
In sales; when fulfiling an order, include a small free gift of value that was unexpected. Do this at a point at which customers can respond to an Call to Action (CTA). Remember the case study of after dinner mints above. The free gift can be a sample of a new product you are launching with a CTA to make reviews in time for the launch. CTAs may involve enrollment into a loyalty rewards program or for a subscription box.
If you wish to make an unusual request of a service provider, let's say a frequently under-appreciated government service provider, you are more likely to meet their willingness if you give the 'gift' that exceeds expectation like recognition and sincere appreciation of their work, especially at the critical moment when you require their action (whatever that is).
Sending customers a hand written personalized thankyou note or request notes (that requests survey participation, etc) shows an extra-ordinary investment of time and effort and therefore a gift.
Businesses sometimes use the 'reciprocal concessions' aka 'rejection-then-retreat' technique. This involves giving tghe illusion of a gift by pretending to offer a concession. For instance, if you wish to offer a product for $100, you may begin by offering a competing product or size that is $200, which is clearly less desirable for being 'higher' than what you expect the customer to want to spend. When the customer rejects that initial unattractive offer, the seller then offers what the seller really intended. (S)he does this in a way that conveys the idea that the 'new' offer is a gift or concession. Consequently, the customer is more likely to feel obligated to repay the apparent concession with a purchase. BEWARE! Avoid using this type of technique in an unscrupulous way.
3. Principle of Authority
Human psychology shows that people are very likely to follow the advice or lead of experts, ie others they perceive to be credible and knowledgable. In short, authority relates to trust. In business, this can translate into as much as a 15% rise in conversions to a sale. In the service industry, it led to a 20% rise in appointments. Not surprisingly, when presenting themselves, professional service providers tend to display their credentials like training certificates and accolades. Others wear official uniforms or customary clothing, resulting in the public trusting and following even life altering instructions from otherwise complete strangers. As illustrated in the example below regarding requests you may wish to persuade your target to make based on research, each field, community, sub-culture, etc can define trustworthiness and or authority uniquely. How does your field define authority? Commit extra time to research this question. In short, before trying to influence your market, establish your trustworthiness & / authority in a way that is recognizable by the target market.
Examples:
Service industry or sale of some products. Encourage your receptionist to introduce you in a way that establishes your authority. For instance, the receptionist can say "So you need to resolve your pain point X?! ... Ok! Please wait while I connect you with Jessica who has helped countless people [with key target market profile characteristic] to resolve X pain point [and other specific as of the unique value proposition]".
When requesting any type of commitment to a proposal based on quantitative research, the 'Findings' section of that proposal must establish authority by demonstrating strict compliance with principles of reliability and validity in all aspects of the research design and its methodological execution. Conversely, in the case of qualitative research, compliance with alternate principles that establish trustworthiness is required. These contrasting ways in which quantitative and qualitative research defines authority highlights the need to research what applies to your field. The medical field is likely to require generalizable evidence with strong statistical results before agreeing to a drug. This is why pharmaceutical drugs, new technologies and so on take considerable time to reach the market.
4. Principles of Commitment & Consistency
This principle relates to the social psychological finding that human beings like to conform or be consistent with something (like a promise, stated attitudes, beliefs, etc) to which they have already committed. Consistency is important to avoid an unpleasant state of cognitive dissonance, ie a mismatch between actions and commitments, which is associated with undesirable moral and intellectual weakness. Consequently, influencers (whether marketers, educators, religions and so on) try to use this principle of influence by encouraging their target to make an insignificant commitment, not only personally but, if appropriate, even publicly. The probability of consistency increases by also having the target even describe past transgressions (or discuss potential consequences in their personal circumstances). Writing the commitment further enhances the consistency factor.
Example. Ask your customers to write out their commitment to a action-driven solution. To enhance the probability of consistency with the commitment, customers may even discuss the commitment, publicly on social media.
Example. To reduce appointment cancelations, service providers often request that their market make a (written) commitment by filling out the details of the agreement themselves (ie rather than have the service provider or representative do it). This has been done for medical appointments cards. I have asked clients to set alarms on their phone and to even call within a given period of time to reconfirm their planned attendance and thereby secure my commitment to them for that appointment. Even asking to commit to calling to cancel has also proven useful.
Example. Provide material for new products and then ask your customers to publicly discuss the reasons they love using your (type of) product. Their reason could relate to one of the motivation factors.
5. Principles of Social Proof & Consensus
When uncertain how to buy, behave or feel, people look for cues from others who are like-minded or otherwise similar to them. This principle relies on the deeply ingrained need for social belonging and conformity. It also relates to the tendency to yielding to peer pressure and desiring harmony through herd behavior, even contrary to one's individual penchant. 'Consensus' refers to the herd agreement while 'social proof' relates to hard evidence or proof that consensus has truly occurred. NB. Customers find social proof more trustworthy because the public disbelieves much of what businesses say. Social proof is therefore a sine qua non for referral marketing. Social proof can take various forms that include celebrity proof, expert proof, customer proof, crowd proof and personal social circle proof. As a slight side note, social proof even enhances search engine optimization / SEO.
As you will see in some examples, since businesses recognize that leads are more likely to convert if they think others are already following the call-to-action (like buying), they may even create the illusion of social proof. In fact, it is highly attractive to businesses because social proof has been shown to be one of if not the single most potent of the 6 principles, especially for people feeling most vulnerable like those feeling unsure of themselves and how to make decisions, lack sense of life direction, are experiencing heightened levels of stress and or can be easily swayed by someone they like. Unfortunately, this can easily be used for nefarious causes as well as good.
Example: Tourists unsure which restaurant is the best often sacrifice their limited vacation time for the establishment with the longest line. They believe that the line is social proof that there consensus that that restaurant is best.
Example. Statistics showed that hotels saw significant towel re-use when they left a card in rooms that said "75% of guests staying in this room reused their towels" along with the suggestion to re-use towels. The significance of this is apparent when that compliance level was contrasted against that of influence attempts accompanied by reasons like saving the environment.
Example: Statistics showed that restaurants say increases of 13% to 20% on specific items when labeling them "most popular dishes". Other similar terms used otherwise include 'fastest growing', 'largest ...' and other terms that use superlatives.
Example: Product reviews by peers, ie others of the target market.
Example: The fable of 'The Emperor's New Clothes' highlights how consensus can lead to conformity, against the obvious and intelligence of individuals. While consensus is often achieved by people of power, the fable shows that it is a double-edged sword as it can also work against people of influence. Specifically, influential people who are surrounded by others that comply with a code of conduct of being agreeable with authority figures, even against their interest or that of others. Solomon Asch's scientific research on the impact of peer or other social pressure shows that conformity is highly probable, up to 75% of the time, even against clearly contradictory evidence. This principle is awesome but soberingly frightening. When considered for its potentially dark side, it is often called 'groupthink' ie a drive to consensus occurs at any cost and suppresses the dissent or appraisal of the alternative. Its influence has caused wars and other significant forms of human suffering. For this reason, formally assigning someone or a group the role of a devil's advocate is essential whenever the culture has a penchant for extreme consensus. Examples of the devil's advocacy role include an opposition political party, an organizational culture that encourages subordinate empowerment.
Example: Restaurants like to purposely leave their tip jars nearly full as 'social proof' that other customers are tipping.
Example: Ghost audience background laughter used in sitcoms prompts the real viewing audience to laugh or at the very least to conform to the idea that the sitcom is funny.
Example: To help children overcome their fear of dogs, they were encouraged to watch videos of dogs at play with other children. Not only was this highly effective in even encouraging the children to seek out opportunities to play with dogs but it was also shown to be even more effective when illustrations featured more individuals playing with dogs, (much like the relative lengths of lines to restaurants as indicators of likability). In short, social proof is useful to actively teach new attitudes and behaviors.
Example: The administration of President Trump invested a lot of time and effort defending their argument that there was a large turn out at the inauguration ceremony. They realized that public reporting of a poor turnout could prove problematic for a new president's ability to lead a nation.
5. Principle of Liking
Your audience is more likely to comply with your requests if they like you. The likeability that humans place on others correlates with several subconscious perceptions like physical attractiveness, similarity to oneself, how much the other party shows appreciation (or offers compliments), familiarity (or frequent contact) and or the use of an 'us against them' approach.
For instance, humans correlate physical attractiveness with talent, kindness, honesty and intelligence. In short, your audience thinks that someone they consider 'good looking' is 'good'. This receptiveness regarding 'similarity' is not only about physical similarity but also in terms of opinion, personality, background and lifestyle. Compliments show appreciation for the other person and therefore enhance the likeability of the influencing party. Oddly, it is said that, even when the insincerity of your compliments are apparent, your audience still responds favorably to them, possibly because of the principle of reciprocity in that a compliment shows the gifting of social effort. I considered this in light of the fact that, its absence will definitely have a negative impact as with one person who is the only one among several who knows that (s)he did not receive the comment 'With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?' However, genuine and heartfelt compliments are known to really convert and are therefore more effective. Positive associations also enhance likeability. For instance, most people most probably like the icecream man who appears with their favorite comfort food shortly after the icecream van music plays nostalgic childhood music through the neighborhood. The power of this is evident by the converse case of metereologists who receive hate mail, even death threats because they are associated with interrupting regular television broadcasts to announce destructive weather. The hatred is even more intense during Christmas or other ocassions associated with positivity.
In short, when using this principle of influence, establish how similar you are before your attempts at influence.
Example: Not surprisingly, global organizations make localized versions of single advertisements by using persons with the demographics and psychographics of the local target market and other relatable sociocultural characteristics.
Example: It is a renowned fact that people tend to subscribe most to channels and news networks that espouse similar political ideologies.
Example: If you encounter a salesperson who realizes that, like him, you are immigrants in a country that discriminates against such immigrants, he is likely to pander to your need for social belonging by making you feel like you and him share special membership by using the 'us against them' technique. He will ask friendly questions about country of origin, family situation and so on until he finds some common ground on which to focus.
Previously, I dedicated an entire post to discuss the persuasive power of scarcity marketing (as well as urgency and exclusivity marketing).
Caveats
You can more likely than not expect certain success when you apply these principles of influence. However, as with any other scientifically tested social theory with highly predictive results, the albeit narrow probability of failure remains. In other words, the application of these principles may not always render immediate success. In fact, in some cases, your attempt to influence can entirely backfire and even make your audience more resistant than previously. This section discusses this type of outcome, why it can occur and how you may work around it.
Can you identify the killer assumptions that rendered the abovementioned principles ineffective in the following.
Case study: Inappropriately applying the abovementioned principles of authority and of likability as it relates to similarity has failed in communities still under imperial rule and or considered 'third world'. When introducing new local management, it was assumed that the locals would naturally like and be easily influenced by someone like themselves. Consequently, the introduction was made just as it was with foreign managers. The previously unexpected reason was the adoption of racist imperial beliefs that had been internalized by the local communities. Communities readily accepted instruction and advice from foreigners than from their own. In fact, even if locals in managerial positions were more qualified and benevolent, they often faced more resistance and even personal sabotage.
Cases like this hopefully reveals that the angle from which you approach your audience is more influential when it is informed by your deep insight into your target market's psyche.
The disrespect shown to the local manager in the case above illustrates that the idea of the loca manager was not introduced to the audience (employees and other stakeholders) in a way that was agreeable. The only way to resolve this problem would be to recognize the key axioms that foreigners are more likeable and worthy of respect because they are inherently superior. Then figure which principle(s) and assumption(s) will be most influential when presenting the idea. For instance, you may consider the principle of 'commitment and consistency' in which you encourage employees to commit to the empowerment of local staff. In the mean time, education and other such measures can help to tackle racial biases as done through public service television announcments in some countries. As mentioned above, 'social proof' can be used to teach new attitudes and behaviors. Those announcements did just that with funny and relateable skits to encourage employees of the hospitality industry to serve locals clientel just as well as they do foreigners. Eventually, the principle of similarity can apply successfully.
Higo Mercier suggests that you conduct research that allows you to step away from the bias of your personal beliefs, trusted sources and core values if necessary to align your argument with those of your audience. This also involves your need to know your audience's objections / counter arguments. Use counter arguments to figure the best way of making your own argument more convincing (ie if it is still worthy after this analysis).
Your audience's prior beliefs regarding what is fact (that relates to the issue at hand)
Your audience's perspective on trustworthiness through a source that is considered the authority
Your audience's core values (often useful when trustworthy authoritative sources of information is not available).
Ensure the type and source of evidence you use is trustworthy to your audience. For instance, if you wish to influence an audience that relies heavily on 'irrefutable statistical evidence' (like the police, courts of law, financial management and medicine), adopting the 'positivist' philosophy that determines arguments truthful and valid if derived from statistics and 'hard irrefutable evidence' is more likely to engender trust. Be careful however. Take heed from the case above of the failed application of the principles that made an incorrect assumption that is commonly accepted. Many people consider 'hard statistical evidence' the ultimate in all cases when, in reality, it is not. You need to adapt and keep asking questions about how your audience perceives information as trustworthy. For instance, some specific problems that involve new, little explored issues, hard nosed evidence can fail because statistics are limited in getting deep exploratory insight into the new area. Consequently, a more qualitative approach will be more trustworthy with stories of different experiences and so on. Such an exploratory approach would be better suited to resolving the case above involving local managers. For instance, employee interviews and focus groups can help to design the plan forward.
Align your argument with the core values of your audience. For instance, if approaching right leaning republicans about easing certain restrictions on immigration, consider that their core values include free market capitalism and restrictions on immigration because they believe that pursuing these core values advance society. Consequently, discuss your argument from the angle of how the particular type of immigrant will help to develop key industries, (ie rather than discuss the opposing value for more relaxed immigration and greater diversity). Equally, if approaching more left leaning democrats about increasing the military budget, consider their core values include egalitarianism. Consequently, you can better influence democrats if you demonstrate how the military budget can create opportunities for education and jobs in a way that includes minority groups of different races, sexual orientations and religious groups.
Here are a few other general tips that may apply and help when applying any form of persuasion psychology.
When making a request, give a reason. Earlier, I showed how 'the reason' can ideally involve a principle of influence like social proof in the case above about the re-use of hotel towels. However, even when there is no foreseeable way of applying a principle in your reasoning, still use one anyway as it makes a difference. Your potential success will be enhanced if you make it as compelling as possible, especially if the request is significant.Example. Some years ago, I had the Heathrow airport and needed to get onto a connection flight whose gate was about to close within under 20 minutes. However, I needed to first go through a long, meandering line at a security checkpoint which was likely to take well beyond 20 minutes. Now I understand why I was able to get onto the flight regardless. Every so often, I stepped out of line at its kinks where I could get the attention of multiple people to whom I explained my predicament. After being allowed ahead, additional people who had already heard often called me forward.
Example. Use 'congruency' techniques. Somewhat like the concept of the 'law of attraction' in which you can encourage people to emotionally connect with a desired outcome before it occurs with hopes that they will subconsciously move towards it.
Example. Salesmen often allow prospective buyers to test drive a car or even overnight in a house.
Example. Since handshaking is often associated with closing a deal, salesmen often shake hands with the prospect while the latter is still trying to consider the sale.
Example. Listen very closely. This tip is somewhat of a repitition of the previous discussion regarding doing primary research. However, the importance of listening can not be overstated. Furthermore, it is wise to listen more and talk less during the exchange. This approach allows you to better understand the perspective of your counterparty and figure potential objections. (Read more about handling sales objections).
Use the confirmation technique. This applies in different ways that depend on the context. For instance, repeating what the counter party has said in a way that really shows deep understanding shows that you are listening. In other circumstances, often used in courts of law, when trying to convince others (like jury members) of your argument by using aspects of an opponent's comments, practitioners (like lawyers) make a concise deductive statement that supports your core argument and then requests that the original commentator confirm whether you have understood their comment(s) correctly. Example "So you were the only one with the combination to the safe. Correct?"
Make a confident delivery with a more fluent speech style, more assertive phrases and body language. For instance, use more confident phrases like "Project A is better" rather than "I think Project A is better".
Example. Be polite and hospitable. For instance, be sure to use polite language like 'please' and 'thank you' and, if appropriate, offer a warm beverage or meal. Beware however that polite behavior may not be sufficiently powerful alone. However, their exclusion would certainly hurt your chances. Other examples include nodding while your counterparty speaks. (Think Herzberg's research as it relates to 'Hygiene' factors, ie factors that have the effect on human health as hygiene. Specifically, they are can not ensure good health on their own and can therefore not be depended on as a primary motivational factor. However, they should not be excluded because, while they can not cause good health, they may well contribute to bad health).
CONTENT RELATED TO PRINCIPLES OF INFLUENCE / PERSUASION
Read a detailed discussion on scarcity marketing, one of the six principles of influence / persuasion.
When you conduct a strategic job interview to find sales staff, consider the extent to which candidates have the emotional intelligence and agility to execute these principles of influence as needed.
I wrote an earlier post on how to handle sales objections. However, consider how you can also apply persuasion psychology to further improve how you deal with sales objections.
Push versus Pull Marketing aka Outbound versus Inbound Marketing respectively describes a marketer's approach when communicating with the market. Since each approach type is better at helping marketers to meet different aims and objectives, marketers can benefit from evaluating their marketing design plans based on how well the chosen approach meets the desired objective. In short, marketers can use such an assessment as a type of KPI when designing promotions or other forms of communication. This post explains these 2 approaches, gives examples and discusses their ideal application.
If considered in a visual way, the concepts of push and pull occur from the perspective of the marketer at the moment of engagement, where 'engagement' refers to interaction between your brand and customer. Push marketing can be likened to the marketer pushing a message onto the public via a megaphone with the hope of capturing the attention of at least some individuals, ie leadgeneration. The messages are usually general, non-personalized in nature like your business' name, the announcement of a new product launch, the announcement of a store wide sale and so on. Since the public encounters your message when people are likely just getting on with their lives, this form of interaction is somewhat forceful, intrusive and even interruptive. Another analogy is that of a fisherman casting a huge net in search of tuna. However, of the thousand organisms he reaches with his net, he only captures 2 tunas. In short, push marketing provides a relatively low return. This approach to advertising is mostly what large companies used before the age of the internet.
Conversely, pull marketing involves establishing a form of passive and continuous marketing to attract customers to find your brand and initiate the engagement, ie to initiate the interaction with your brand with the use of tools like content marketing with appropriate search engine optimization (SEO) and automatic email nurturing. Quite fittingly, pull marketing is often illustrated as a magnet that is set up beforehand but which exerts a magnetic pull on customers towards itself. This form of engagement allows marketers to demonstrate the brand's expertise which will engender a sense of trust in potential customers. So thanks to the new age of the internet, it is possible to use techniques like search engine optimization to attract customers who already have an interest in finding the solution that your product provides when their search is based on something like "how to treat acne" or "how to unclog pores naturally?". Consequently and in contrast with the more general approach of push marketing, your pull marketing message is related to resolving very specific problems. In many cases, your potential customers no longer need the overly general nature of the push approach. This is because they are already advancing beyond those preliminary stages within their buying decision process / funnel. As a marketer, you only have to 'pull' them (deeper) through your sales funnel (with further engagement). To apply the earlier fishing analogy again; this time, the fishing gear would have a smaller reach of only 30 hooks that are left suspended while the fisherman waits for fish to bite before he attempts to pull up the fish. However, each hook has bait that comprises a favorite food for tunas. In the end, of the 30 bites, 20 are tunas. In contrast to push marketing, pull marketing is so targeted that it generally renders considerably higher conversion rates.
In short, 'push' marketing aims to create demand while 'pull' marketing aims to satisfy that demand.
Example: Your company sells 'natural' cosmetics through several product lines.
Your push advertisements may include paid Facebook ads, posters on the noticeboard of your gym and an ad in the free tourist magazine. Such ads offer limited opportunity for more than a basic and general message. So they mention the name of your company and show before and after images for avatars that represent target customers for each product line.
On the other hand, my pull advertisements may include content marketing with blogs about skin care. One blog may be titled something highly specific like 'All natural solutions for acne'. This post allows you to showcase your business as an industry expert. For instance, you can discuss the structure of the skin and how sulfur dissolves dead skin on the epidermis. You may also mention findings of peer reviewed scientific studies that showed a significant change at the usage rate of 10% and how sulfur offers a gentler, less drying effect than a competing ingredient like salicylic acid. At some point, you can introduce your product which has 10% sulfur, along with other secondary ingredients that together provide an amplified synergistic effect against acne. Your communication need not be such an overt advertisement either. For instance, you may also simply discuss matters that generally keep the attention of your target like how they can correctly identify their skin type, correct techniques for hand washing and so on.
Is one approach better than the other?
Neither approach is inherently better than the other. Rather, one may be better suited than the other for meeting current objectives. Here are some examples.
Objective: brand awareness of a new unknown product or brand; to reach a wide audience.
Approach: Push marketing of a general, non-personalized message that simply allows the public to know that the product exists that helps with leadgeneration. The brand is not yet known like Coca Cola for instance and therefore needs your definite manipulation to get recognition. Examples include the use of billboards, advertisements on the back of buses, radio and television advertisements, curbside store promoters handing out fliers, Point of Purchase (PoP) displays like shelf talkers that say 'New', a social media post that says 'New Line' and so on. NB In addition to applying push marketing, a new product and brand may also need to use pull markering within a single store.
Objective: customer engagement to encourage a long term relationship via continual engagement.
Approach: Examples include the use of shelf talkers that promote specific benefits of individual products, announcements of a limited or special editions whose design is based on the usual theme of the already liked brand, a blog with topics that are relevant to the target market.
Objective: to differentiate your brand in a saturated industry (like clothing).
Approach: Use pull marketing. Examples include celebrity (including influencers) posts showing them using the product.
Objective: A salesman wants his high commission brand to compete favorably with other competing brands in an environment with lots of 'competitive noise'.
Approach: Use push marketing. This approach is far more capable of manipulating the outcome (than pull which allows the customer to take action when or if he wants). However, beware, pushing can force people into sales with which they are dis-satisfied and is less likely to help in building long lasting customer relationships. It is therefore better used for small ticket items that do not require research or any form of due diligence. Examples include the salesman tells customers about the brand he tries to sell them. He does not allow customers to amble through the store alone to allow the shelf talkers to work.
Objective: To sell a high end, high consideration big-ticket product.
Approach: Use pull marketing that is not pushy or manipulative (like push marketing). This approach encourages greater trust. You listen more closely, responding directly to personal concerns. Examples include one-on-one discussions, live chat technology, encourage customers to leave reviews.
CONTENT RELATED TO PUSH AND PULL MARKETING
Tribal marketing relies on pull marketing messages to connect with tribe members.
Research has shown that nearly 50% of all purchase decisions occur at the point of purchase. Many customers enter into stores without knowing specifically what they want and, consequently need help to select the product solution. Despite this, roughly 76% of shoppers never even interact with sales staff. This is where visual merchandising of consumer packaged goods (CPG) comes into play. As their name suggests, shelf talkers are 'Point of Purchase' (POP) message displays in a sales outlet. It is a customer touchpoint that not only brings attention to your product but also, and more importantly, persuades consumers to buy it (because its unique selling pointpositions your brand as the best choice).
These non-human salesmen are usually made of cardboard, plastic and shiny materials and affixed to display shelves where target customers are most likely to see them.
'Pick Me' Messages of point of purchase displays
Their 'pick me' message is most commonly designed for one or more of the following purposes.
Highlight benefits, especially those that appeal to the strongest motivation factors (usually pain points) of your target market, NOT what Herzberg refers to as 'hygiene factors', ie nice to have but not need to have. The buying decision can be made without those 'icing on the top' factors. Example "Acne sufferers are looking to resolve their pain point which involves 4 key points: excessive oil, blocked pores, bacterial infection and inflammation. Consequently, a product that aims to treat acne should speak of how it resolves those 4 pain points. Give priority to discussing these solutions. Conversely, the facts that your product has recycled packaging, nice ingredients and a lovely fragrance are hygiene factors or features that should be given secondary priority".
Shout buzz words (ie fashionable jargon or catch phrases) that are particularly attractive to your target market. Marketers should research their industry's current buzz words. They may involve revered features, super-food ingredients, production processes and so on often based on recent research and even popular shows like the Dr Oz show. “100% Natural”, "small batches", "20% More ...”, “Sulfate Free!” "Sustainable", "personalized," "illuminating," "brightening," "shampoo bars," "scalp care," "lip hydration," "beard care," "bakuchiol", "you asked, we listened!", "zero-waste', "stimulates collagen production", "Plastic free" and anything "CBD".
Announce the launch of new product variations (like colors, flavors and so on)
Boast awards or other forms of recognition that the target is likely to trust. Examples include 'dermatologist approved', 'best seller since 2020', 'used by Oprah'.
STEPS FOR PLANNING THE BEST SHELF TALKER OR OTHER POINT OF PURCHASE (POP) DISPLAY.
Have a compelling message. See the most common 'pick me' messages above.
Be concise. POP displays are NOT suitable for fine print and details.
Use power words. Research shows that power words are effective purchase triggers. Consider those that are brand-appropriate. Common ones include exclusivity marketing and other forms of emotional marketing. Examples inlcude "extra", "exclusive", "premium", "#1", "new", "free".
Make it legible. For instance, use bold, clear and well distanced letters.
Use graphics to complement your message. Function before form! Never allow graphics to compete or overshadow your message.
Know the retail environment and select a printing medium accordingly. Consider the retail environment and the most suitable medium. What is your packaging like and how will your product be displayed in the retail environment? What are the associated costs for your options? Are there glass counters and at what distant from customers, table top displays, shelves with 1.25" price strips, garment racks, grid walls, peg boards, gondola shelves (ie 2-sided displays that are in the middle of a walking space), etc? Or is there sufficient space and budget for your own specialty floor display (ie customized product displays, often with life- or over- sized images that has its own floor space and shelving)? Consider associated costs, especially as it relates to floor displays because some retailers charge manufacturers for floor space and even all of the shipping and handling of the display materials. Besides, retailers will afford this privilege to only well established brands and almost never to new ones. In addition to shelf talkers, you can also use 'tags' (that include 'bottle neckers'), 'case cards', 'brochure holders', 'floor stickers', 'table tents', metal displays (because of their shiny and therefore eye catching quality), illuminated signs, and so on. Here are examples of common designs of shelf talker, strips.
a. The simplest form is creased without adhesion. b. differs from a only in terms of having adhesion. c. Unlike the previous 2 that can be stuck anywhere, this option actually snaps into the standard 1.25" price rail without the need for adhesives. The slits might help in preventing shoppers from accidentally dislodging the structure if they bump into it. f. and g. are called 'wobblers' because they move with the air currents of passing shoppers and are therefore very eye-catching. They usually snap into the 1.25" price rail.
Tags. Tags are a form of individual unit signage. They include hanging tags like the one pictured immediately above and bottle neckers (that resemble door knob hangers whose hold goes over the neck of a bottle). Tags are so simple but can easily create a sense of prestige. Table tents.
Tags. Tags are a form of individual unit signage. They include hanging tags like the one pictured immediately above and bottle neckers (that resemble door knob hangers whose hold goes over the neck of a bottle). Tags are so simple but can easily create a sense of prestige. Table tents.
Survey. Just as you would do with the label of a product, survey your idea to see whether it meets its objective or needs improvement.
CONTENT RELATED TO SHELF TALKERS & OTHER FORMS OF POINT OF PURCHASE (POP) DISPLAYS.
I did not mention posters because they are NOT effective POP displays for drawing attention, especially for new products. Posters are most effective when used outside a store to attract customers with prior knowledge. It is best to not invest in them as retailers are renowned for throwing them away, often even without using them.
Multilingual labeling for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPGs). It may be worth having multilingual POP displays.
Craigslist is a classified ads website. It has developed into the most popular classified ads website worldwide with sites in different locales. It features several categories that include listings for sale items and jobs. Furthermore, it is a free option for reaching your target market. However, given its free-for-all nature, ads by many others like you compete to be seen. Consequently, depending on the competitiveness of your niche, your ad may be visible for only a limited period. This post may be most suitable for persons who post multiple ads habitually, possibly while traveling, for and from different IP addresses.
Your leads (ie your potential customers) on Craigslist will be able to do the following.
contact you directly via email and or telephone, whichever means you provide publicly. As pictured below, as the seller, your email address is masked with an automatically generated craigslist email address. When your lead uses that Craigslist email, the Craigslist server will re-direct his email to your normal email address to protect your privacy.
use keywords to refine their search to find products whose description and or text content has the keyword(s). Remember that Craigslist is a search engine.
view your ad free of cost
read your product description
view multiple product images
Depending on your niche and the level of competition in your area, Craigslist ads may get pushed off the page within a short period of time, as little as a few hours or a day. Consequently, consider the guidelines regarding the number of postings you create within a specified time frame to avoid being flagged or even banned.
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How to post ads on Craigslist
Before you can advertise on Craigslist, you will need to create an account. You must have a different email address and phone verified account (PVA) number for each account. A unique IP address. VPNs will not work as they change with every new use. Ideally, the email addresses should not look similar like johngdoe1@tmail.com, johngdoe2@tmail.com, johngdoe3@tmail.com and so on. Unfortunately, this may require you to have (Google or Excel) spreadsheets to manage all of these details. In addition, you need a browser, preferably Chrome or Firefox because they both have incognito aka private windows from which you can prevent cookie storage while posting to Craigslist. If you will ads from different accounts, get software to clear the cache, cookies and local data on your computer.
If you used Craigslist before and wish to use a new IP address and email address, clear your cookies, cache and local data (on your computer). Free software is available for these purposes. For instance Ccleaner clears cookes. Google Chrome's Click&Clean is another example. This step is necessary because Craigslist will recognize that you are the same person in spite of the new IP address and email address.
If you posted other Craigslist ads, honor the rest period (usually 48 hours) between posting new ads for a single IP address
Open your browser and select the incognito browsing option
For Google Chrome;
As pictured immediately below, click on the 3 vertical dots in the top right corner of window. Then choose the 'new incongito window' option. This helps to prevent being flagged by Craigslist.
For Firefox;
As shown immediately below, make the following selections to open a private window to avoid being flagged by Craigslist. 'File', 'New private window'
Note the Craigslist website that is closest to your current log in IP address. Since Craigslist servers automatically direct you to the one nearest to your current IP address, do the following.
Search for craigslist.org (in Google)
Search for and note the zip code of that nearest craigslist. You can use the ZipCode.org search page for this purpose. If you like, you can even look through demographic details (population size, income, age profile, ethnicity profile and so on) for the zipcode options. This is useful in terms of noting whether they relate to your target market.
Go to the Craigslist website
Click the 'post to classifieds' link in the top left corner. No need to log in as yet. In fact, some people believe that posting without first logging in might be easier to avoid being flagged by Craigslist.
Make category and other relevant selections. When prompted, enter details like the 'posting title', your email address, zipcode, product description (named 'posting body' by Craigslist), images and so on. Pay special attention to using keywords in the posting title and body because your leads can refine their Craigslist searches with keywords. BTW, although most postings are free, the few paid sections include vehicles sold by dealers, real estate in New York and jobs. If you can sell as the owner when such an option exists for free, consider it.
The 'posting title' should include
a geographic location keyword
a descriptive keyword. Use long tail keywords for search engine optimization / SEO.
urgency, if applicable. Example 'motivated seller', 'must sell now', 'limited stock'
'Posting body' aka product description should include
concise, keyword-rich bullet points (rather than wordy paragraphs)
keywords throughout. At the bottom of the ad, you can include a block of keywords separated by a comma. Do not be shy as Craigslist does not discriminate against keyword stuffing (like Google). Remember that long tail keywords contribute to search engine optimization / SEO. Some people create a heading like 'Keywords related to product X'.
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create content blocks of information that can be shifted around so that the same ad can be duplicated without technically being flagged as a duplicate. Content blocks include contact details, unique selling point, testimonials and keywords.
contact details. Even though a small 'reply' button accompanies all ads in the top left corner, include the details within the ad. Depending on your niche, ideal details may include telephone number (and whether to call and or text), email address, unique URL for 'more info re x, y, z benefits' (see precaution re using your main domain on this page), your name and, if applicable, company name. Explain what will happen if you do not answer. For instance, 'I will return your call within 6 hours on Monday to Friday GUARANTEED', etc. Craigslist ads will allow live links only to the details that you included in your contact information fields.
Allow the blue link to stand out by typing the contact information in precisely the same format as it exists in your contact details section. Once posted, the link will appear automatically. This only works with your telephone number and email address (and not URLs, even short versions).
Since Craigslist is known to attract scammers. Inspire trustworthiness whenever possible to hopefully set you apart by using
words like 'reliable', 'honest' and so on. You may qualify this with illustrative details
testimonials
competitive advantage statements if you do not have testimonials. Essentially explain what your customers say. Example; customers have told me that they appreciate that, while other companies do x, y, z [undesirable things], I do a, b, c [desirable things]
'Posting body' aka product description should NOT include
the price because you want to encourage the lead to contact you
content that is a duplicate of another ad. Ads that appear so similar that they can be considered duplicates. For instance, do not duplicate the titles, images and or text.
To re-use the same image, you will need to change details like the file size, color and name.
To re-use the same text, you will need to change especially the first and last few lines. A workaround is to swap paragraphs.
Do NOT use the same domain name within the body of your text. This will make it too easy for Craiglist and or competitors to find, target and blacklist all of your listings.
Avoid blacklisted keywords. Although it may be difficult to determine what they are, avoid words that can potentially upset the community.
requests for too much personal information that exceeds what is absolutely necessary. This is important to avoid turning people off in fear of being scammed.
Click 'Publish'. If you had not begun this process by first logging in, Craigslist will send you an automatic email requiring you to confirm that you have in fact posted the ad. After you have confirmed the ad, the ad will go through the Craigslist ad evaluation process.
If you want to post multiple ads, finish working within the current account and remember the rules regarding maximum postings per category, ie 1 ad per category and 2 ads per session within 48 hours. So at this point, you can post in a different category. See a Craigslist coach's diagram below. Be consistent with each IP address and associated email addresses. Although inconsistencies may be tolerated for a while, your accounts may be flagged eventually.
Renew ads after the initial 48 hour period has expired. When you do this, renewed ads will not count towards your daily quota.
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DOs
Craigslist visitors are often wary of potential fraud and other crimes, including attempts to farm email addresses and other contact details. Since the site is a free for all, Craigslist is also known to be used by unreliable and unscrupulous persons. Consequently, for greater success, consider easing the mind of your leads by demonstrating how you are a trustworthy source and setting ground rules. For instance, if you will exchange goods and cash, agree to meet at a public place that is well frequented and equipped with security cameras. Mall with banking facilities and police stations are a good idea. Using places with banking facilities so that you do not need to walk around with cash that a stranger knows about. Do not meet at the home of a stranger.
Avoid having un-posted or flagged ads. Craigslist may evaluate an ad before allowing it to go live. The ad evaluation process includes checking for blacklisted keywords, whether the new proposed ad is a duplicate of a pre-existing ad, the ratio of your live versus flagged ads, your IP address, the number of ads you have already posted for the day and so on. Craigslist has a flagging system in which either Craigslist or another user flags inappropriate ads (that latter case in which you will receive an email notification). Getting to many flagged ads can lead to being eventually banned and is therefore undesirable.
Diagram by Craigslist coach Aaron Facciolini to illustrate Craigslist's guidelines. You can post up to 10 ads every 48 hours without having trouble like having your IP address flagged or, worse yet, blocked. This is a safe way of advertising on Craigslist.
Guidelines in summary
Open up to 5 accounts from a single IP address
Post up to 2 ads for any single account within 48 hours.
Post up to 1 ad within a relevant category.
Post within the local area of the IP address from which you are logging in. You may extend the local area only slightly by selecting a 'right column' of nearby location options (pictured immediately below). Craigslist uses complex tracking systems that include cookies to note your IP address. You are likely to raise red flags if you do not post in your local area. Your IP address can also be flagged when you are using a VPN
If you need to meet the counter party in person, pre-bundle cash with rubber bands and post it notes with the amount written.
Avoid mass flagging the ads of the competition. You will eventually be banned.
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CONTENT RELATED TO ADVERTISING ON CRAIGSLIST
Google PLAs. Although a different system, steal these Google PLA tips to beat the competition in Craigslist
Craigslist is not popular in a few countries in part because of an already well developed online classified ads market place. You may need to consider using those other options. Some examples include the following.
