Persuasive Marketing
Part 1

Remember your parents' or grandparents' response when you begged for that one “perfect” baseball bat, pair of hip shoes or cool sweater that you HAD to have? You asserted, “I HAVE to have that!” They responded with, “You don’t have to have it, you want it.” Does that conversation seem familiar? What a lesson in persuasive marketing! We can all think of a time when marketing created an urgency of need rather than want by tapping into our emotions.

Effective marketing is ultimately, persuasive marketing. Marketers want to gain your trust, provide you with important information and evoke emotion that motivates you to purchase. The following is the foundation of a marketing program that persuades potential customers to purchase your products or services:

Establish Credibility
The source of information must be above all, credible. Straight forward and clear information from reliable sources establishes credibility and helps readers to believe the marketing message.

Credibility of the source of information is key for persuasive marketing to be successful.

Create Effective Content and Message
The message is based on a positioning statement, planned strategy and evidence to support the message. This is the traditional approach used for marketing writing and communications. The message content and information address the cerebral cortex of the brain to persuade.

A good marketing message provides persuasive data which allows readers to analyze and compare information. Readers usually then determine some decisions or perception (about the product or service), while storing the information.

Appeal to Emotions

Whether it is cultural, psychological, sociological, economical or historical, persuasive marketing must stimulate psychological associations for potential customers. When someone’s emotion is piqued, you have their attention. In the world of marketing, emotions are many times the final decision maker and thus rule purchases.

In order to appeal to a potential customer’s emotion, the marketing message must click with the customer and allow them to create positive associations with your product or service.

This article will be continued in the next edition of the marketing minute, same marketing time, same public relations channel.

StaySTRONG in a Weak Market

News of economic stress has flowed throughout the media yet dare we say the “R” word? Well, it is well known that the business world is carefully watching economics and key trends worldwide. Marketers take note…don’t turn a blind eye…now is the time to stay STRONG!

One person cannot change the economic conditions of the entire world, state, or even a city. But one person can control his or her response to negative economic trends. What can be perceived by many as a time to cut back, an economic downturn can be the perfect time to make a big impact.

Marketing can make a fantastic impact during uncertain times…the key is to keep marketing strong. Contrary to instinct perhaps to “cut” programs, this is the best time to move forward with well planned and purposeful marketing strategies. It is essential to be smart with your marketing dollars and use them to make an impact.

Keep your marketing (and sales) strong for the long haul during unsure times with the following tips:

Strategize and plan marketing carefully.

Take the time to assess the market and be aware of trends. Changes in consumer spending can be just that.. shifts…not all spending stops. What do consumers want? Provide what your customers will buy….follow trends. If people are spending less each time they shop, perhaps repackaging your product in smaller quantities may be helpful for customers. Now is the time to LISTEN to your customers and RESPOND.

Resist the temptation to discount prices unless it is a well thought out strategy designed to drive traffic for a specific event or promotion. Deep discounting is one marketing strategy that can result in a death spiral for business.

Offer something new and different. Appeal to your customer by providing what they want or need. For example, when fuel is expensive consumers will most likely look for fuel-efficient economy cars or when the housing market is falling, consumers may be more inclined to look for ways to fix their homes rather than buy new ones. Or, consider the 1980’s when airlines created miles-based incentives for travel that changed the industry.

No budget cut backs for marketing! Economic slow downs are not the time for a company to stop their marketing or advertising efforts! If a business does not continue with strong marketing, how will they survive the difficult times? How will new customers find them? Customers need to be assured you are the best choice and are in business for the long haul– no matter the economic conditions.

Go for it! A downturn is a great time to take advantage of decreased “noise” or less advertising. Stand out during this time when other less savvy businesses make a knee-jerk reaction and cut back their advertising and marketing. You may get a bigger bang for your buck and get noticed when competition softens.

History reveals that for marketers who dug in and properly strategized, success was their reward. Now is the time to create a stronger future for your business. During the 1980-82 recession CNN and MTV were founded.

Will your marketing be STRONG? Are you ready to succeed?