23 POSSE APPROVED PSYCHOLOGICAL TRIGGERS

My List of 23 Go-To Copywriting Techniques To Create More Influence, Authority & Conversions!

While not exhaustive, these 23 tactics come from books and studies I've read, as well as things I've learned over the last decade of writing copy, Time and time again, I revert to these 23 trusty triggers to make powerful impact and create conversions. I hope you find them useful!

Starting with Dr. Robert B. Cialdini's list of six, from Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion...

Number 1: Reciprocity: 

Ahhh, the power of reciprocity. Humans are complex social creatures and our relationships with others contribute to a feeling of obligation when we are at the receiving end of a nice deed. Be it a “complimentary” 30-minute coaching call, a “free” trial or an unsolicited “gratuitous” knick-knack (like a calendar or pen) sent in the mail from a charity.

Number 2: Commitment/Consistency:

Cialdini describes an active commitment as something that is spoken or written and a public commitment as one involving witnesses, which adds another layer of accountability. In order for commitments to be effective psychological triggers though, they need to be voluntary. Since societal norms generally frown on inconsistency and discourage people from "going back on their word", humans prefer to follow through when they say they are going to do something.

In copy, micro commitments that gradually increase in scale have us participating in quizzes and testimonial-style contests, as well as answering questions that are designed to be met with a resounding ‘yes’ (think questions like, “Are you struggling to lose weight? "Are you having a hard time finding clients?”).

Number 3: Social Proof:

Since humans are social animals, it’s only natural that our peers are important to us. One study demonstrated that 83% of consumers trust product recommendations from their friends and family. When people around us are using or purchasing a product, it acts as a powerful psychological trigger. That's why copy that highlights testimonials and real-life user-submitted proof and advice can do wonders.

Number 4: Authority: 

Experts with credentials (i.e. PhD) or celebrities with cultural and social capital automatically garner more authority and legitimacy. Their words simply hold more weight and credibility. That’s why beauty and pet influencers are so popular and why the “as seen in Forbes” sign automatically conjures up an air of legitimacy.

Science is also a huge commander of authority. Authority can be gained by putting out quality content in your niche and contributing to industry magazines for exposure.

Number 5: Liking/Relevancy:

Obviously, being agreeable and likeable is hugely advantageous, especially when you are selling to someone. In his book, Cialdini states what is pretty intuitive, “most prefer to say yes to the requests of someone we know and like.” (p 167). So that's why finding common ground or similarity and employing the principle of association, which creates positive associations with something that is popular, can be a very powerful psychological trigger. This relies on truly knowing your audience and understanding how to speak to them in a way that makes them like you.

Number 6: Scarcity:

Scarcity, exclusivity, supply and demand! It’s a classic way to pique demand in your customer. That’s probably why our hearts race when we see “only three left at this price…” or a countdown for something.

Number 7: Active Voice: 

Use active voice, rather than passive voice. According to lawrence A. Hosman, active sentences are more persuasive. Sentences using the word You tend to be more simple and increase “processing fluency”. The word YOU also commands attention and is generally considered a power word.

Number 8: Personalization: 

Knowing exactly who you are speaking to, and being able to use their name strategically is a powerful psychological trigger. A study by Laura

Francis Bright found that personalization not only keeps people's attention, but it makes people feel more in control, helping them reduce their perception of information overload. That could be why personalized subject lines have 50% higher open rates and segmented campaigns that are based on behaviour or certain demographics are more successful.

Number 9: Coherence Markers: 

Judith Kamalski investigates this in her study. Using coherence markers like “but, so, … , that’s why” adds clarity and conversational cadence to your copy. They don't create the nicest syntax by academic standards, but they make ideas easier to follow. Remember the average person reads near the grade 7 level.

Number 10: Reason Why: 

There is power in the word ‘because’. Why? Because giving people a reason or justification helps make people believe it. Ellen Langer exemplifies this in her study, of people lining up to use a xerox machine in a busy library. In the example, those who asked to skip the cue by giving a reason AND using the word 'because’ were more successful. Even if the reason was simply “... because I have to make copies”.

Number 11: Common Enemy/Belonging: 

People want to belong to a side. They want to agree or to disagree with something, so they can belong or benefit from the community this polarity can create. Sociologist Georg Simmel argued that “nothing unites a nation, or any group of people for that matter, quite like having a common enemy.” Research by Professor of Psychology Mark Landau indicates that “people have a basic need for coherence, or for things to make sense. Enemies provide people with this sense of coherence.” That’s why common enemies like diets or 'unnatural' foods (think GMO) are used in copy, and can be incredibly powerful in evoking emotion.

Number 12: Overcoming Objections: 

Addressing common objections to your product or service is a powerful psychological technique. Asking yourself why people would not want to buy your product can help you suss out common concerns. Addressing these common concerns has the potential to persuade customers and build trust. That’s why the FAQ section is a great platform to overcome objections and convert prospects into customers.

Number 13: Pain Is More Motivating Than Pleasure: 

People will do more and act quicker to avoid immediate pain than to gain immediate pleasure. It’s evolutionary.

Humans are hard-wired to address their immediate concerns, in order to protect their survival and wellbeing or security. It's human nature that most people won’t think long- term if there are pressing immediate concerns. Consequently, this means they are more likely to act out of desperation, to bring themselves to a base-line. This is where employing empathy is a powerful tool.

Number 14: Perceived Value:

Emphasizing value, rather than price, can be a powerful psychological trigger. 

Number 15: Decoy Pricing: 

Decoy pricing relies on the attraction effect and the compromise effect. The compromise effect, according to researchers Simonson and Tverskey, means that consumers prefer ‘median’ products. For example, assumptions about a product being poor quality because of low price, renders customers more likely to choose a medium-priced product. 

Decoy pricing plays with perception of value. In his book Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely gives the example of a Realtor first showing a home that needs a new roof then immediately after, strategically showing a house that is pristine and ready to sell.

Number 16: If, then …. Statements: 

Humans have a knack for encoding information in an ‘if X, then Y’ framework. Heidi Grant Halvorson notes how a link is created in your brain between the cue (if) and behaviour (then), consequently guiding human behavior.

By employing this in your copy, you help create links to make you more persuasive.

Number 17: Anchoring & Priming: 

In Cialdini’s second book, Pre-suasion, he talks about “focusing effect and focusing illusion”. In essence, humans have an attention bias that means we systematically rely heavily on the first piece of information we get (a.k.a. the anchor) when we make decisions. He references Naomi Mandel and Eric Johnson’s study, when two different websites for a store selling sofas displayed different backgrounds (fluffy clouds and pennies). The site with the fluffy clouds resulted in consumers more willing to pay for comfort, while the latter, resulted in consumers more likely to pay attention to price.

Number 18: Pricing Juxtaposition:

Playing with the idea of relativity, pricing juxtaposition means you can alter the perception of your product's price. By strategically juxtaposing with a higher price first, you can make it seem not so high after all.

Number 19: Serial Positioning: 

As this article shows, people tend to recall things from the beginning and the end easier than the stuff in the middle. That’s why it's important to END on a strong note. Note that headlines and subject lines are important and “P.S.” lines tend to really stand out.

Number 20: Specificity: 

Using exact numbers can create curiosity as well as build trust. It’s the reason why toting exact statistics like a “73.6 % success rate” is more believable than a “75% success rate” in your copy.

Number 21: Admitting A Flaw: 

Again, in Cialdini’s Pre-suasion, he describes the act of admitting a flaw or something that isn’t perfect about you or your products, as a tactic to increase believability. That could be a reason why the Buckley's Bad Taste Campaign was so popular!

Number 22: Creating Curiosity: 

Creating curiosity not only gains and retains attention, but also showcases creativity. How can you stand out and intrigue your audience? Just check out Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket" campaign for inspiration.

Number 23: Storytelling: 

This is a HUGE trigger. The human mind is hard-wired to pay

attention to and understand stories. So if you can build up a captivating story in your copy, you can really tap into your customer's mind. All the easier to convince and convert. Remember that due to its subjectivity, you can't argue with a story as no story is inherently "wrong".

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