Let’s face it: we’re not all neuroscientists. While scientists have made some fantastic advances in understanding how our brains work, what they haven’t quite figured out is how consumers react to marketing messages.
That’s where you come in! As a marketer, you know that your job isn’t just about convincing buyers to buy your product or service, you want them to be happy about doing so.
And that’s why this article exists: we want you to understand how words affect the brain and use this knowledge to craft more effective messages for your audience.
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Neuroimaging reveals subconscious consumer preferences. |
| 2. Understanding brain responses enhances marketing campaigns. |
| 3. Brand engagement benefits from neuroimaging insights. |
| 4. Neuroscience revolutionizes traditional marketing research. |
| 5. Practical applications include product design and ads. |
Avoid Words That Make You Sound Less Trustworthy
Here are some examples of words to avoid using when describing your product:
Free: If something is truly free, then why are you selling it? Chances are, there’s a catch somewhere.
New: There is no such thing as a new idea; everything has been done before. Also, this word implies that there was an old version of whatever you’re selling but what happened to the old version?
And why didn’t anyone ever have it before now? It doesn’t matter how much time and effort went into creating this “new” product; if it isn’t better than what was already out there, then don’t use this word!
Best: You can never be sure which one is best until someone else comes along with an even better one… and guess what?
They’ll probably call theirs the “best” too! If someone asks if your product is the best out there (and they will), just say yes without any qualifiers like “we think so”, “we hope so”, or even worse yet “well…”
Building a successful marketing strategy goes beyond intuition. By leveraging neuroimaging research, you can tap into valuable insights from the human brain to create more effective campaigns.
Use Numbers To Make Your Point
Numbers are very persuasive. The brain is a number-crunching machine, and it processes information far more easily when presented as data.
Numbers are more credible than words. We’re hardwired to believe facts and figures over abstractions or emotions, which is why you should always use numbers in your marketing materials when possible.
Numbers are more memorable than words. Remember the first time you saw a full-page ad in the newspaper that included both images and text? Chances are it was hard to remember all of them because they competed for attention in your mind.
On the other hand, if someone showed you a list of ten numbers on a page (like this one), chances are those numbers would stick with you longer than any image could have ever done on its own!
Numbers are more credible than images: In our brains’ evolutionary past, we needed quick access to numerical data so that we could make fast decisions about whether or not something was dangerous or safe;
However today our instincts still prioritize such input over visual stimuli like photographs.
Or paintings because they carry less emotional baggage (i) which means there’s less chance for misinterpretation between what we see versus what others think they might see based on their own experiences/perspectives rather than factual evidence).
In fact recent studies suggest that human beings tend toward hyperbole when describing feelings while being highly accurate when reporting actual facts.”
Appeal To Their Senses
Appeal to the senses: Sensory words are a great way to make your marketing message more engaging and memorable. They can also help you create an emotional connection with your audience, making them feel like they’re really experiencing what you’re selling.
Think about all five of your senses: What does this product smell like? What does it feel like? How does it sound? How does it taste or look?
Use sensory words in your copy: You can use sensory words in the beginning of sentences (to create interest), in the middle of sentences (to give context), or at the end of sentences (to encourage people).
You can also use them as verbs and adjectives in order to describe things more vividly so that you appeal to all five senses at once!
Understanding the human brain’s decision-making processes is crucial for marketers. Explore the 11 reasons why your brain plays a pivotal role in buyer decisions to enhance your marketing tactics.
Don’t Use Meaningless Points Of Comparison
There are several things to avoid when you’re trying to make comparisons:
Don’t use an irrelevant comparison. For example, if you’re selling a new kind of toothpaste, don’t say that your product has better coverage than Colgate or Crest.
This will only confuse your customers and turn them off from buying it. The comparison must be relevant to your customer’s needs.
So in this case, it would make more sense for you to compare how much calcium your toothpaste has compared with other brands (and not just any brand the ones that sell similar products).
That way, people who care about calcium will be drawn towards buying yours!
Don’t use a comparison that doesn’t exist in reality. If someone says “your product has great coverage,” they may be getting confused by something else: maybe they’re thinking about its thickness?
Or maybe they think there are simply more colors available? Whatever their reason may be for feeling like there is coverage involved here when there isn’t one it doesn’t matter; what does matter is whether or not this person sees value in what comes next: “It’s so thick!” or
“There are lots of colors.” Make sure these qualities have actual substance before making claims about them; otherwise people might feel misled after reading about something completely wrong!
Don’t Overstate The Benefits Of Your Product Or Service
In the world of marketing, it can be tempting to use hyperbole and superlatives to try and make your product seem more appealing than it actually is. But if you want to avoid being misleading, don’t overstate the benefits of your product or service. For example:
Don’t exaggerate the benefits of your product or service. This includes using words that are too strong, making claims that are too good to be true (like “faster weight loss”), and using words that are too extreme (“best”).
Don’t use vague language. Vague words like “great” or “better” don’t give customers enough information about what makes a product better than other similar products on the market.
So they’re unlikely to trust any claims you make about it! Words like “trendy” also leave things open-ended; people might think they mean something different by trendy than what you mean!
Position Your Product As The Hero Of The Story
Consider how you can use words to make your product sounds like a hero, or at least part of a heroic narrative. For example, if you’re selling an app that helps people lose weight, tell them about how it will help them live better lives and be more healthy.
You should also try to emphasize how your product is the solution to some kind of problem. If people don’t know what their problems are in relation to your product, then they may not understand its value and might not buy it from you (or even consider buying it).
You’ll want to make sure that whatever problems are being solved by using your products are something that everyone wants to be solved.
For example: if someone has trouble sleeping through the night because they’re worried about getting up early tomorrow morning for work then maybe they would really appreciate using an app that guides them through meditation techniques so they can sleep better tonight!
Even if you think your product isn’t top-notch, science can help you sell it effectively. Learn how science can empower your marketing strategies and turn potential drawbacks into strengths.
Put Yourself In The Consumer’s Shoes
As a marketer, you should also keep in mind that people are not just rational. We are emotional creatures who make decisions based on how we feel. So, when writing copy for ads and landing pages, consider how your audience will react to the words you’re using.
Ask yourself: What do they want to buy? What do they need? What are they afraid of? How can I help them? If you really want to get inside the minds of your consumers and understand what makes them tick, there is no better way than by doing some brain imaging research!
Don’t Be Afraid To Use Repetition And Long Copy
A repetition is a powerful tool in advertising. When you repeat your message, it helps your customers remember that message. Customers need to hear the same message multiple times before they can process it and put it into action.
This is why repetition works so well in advertising: you want to get the same message across many times to make sure you’re getting through to your audience.
Long copy also works really well because it gives people time to process what you’re saying and think about whether or not they agree with what’s being said!
If someone reads short copy, the only thing they’ll remember from the ad is how long or short each piece of text was! You don’t want this;
Instead, focus on creating longer pieces of text so that people have time to read them carefully and think about what they mean for themselves before moving onto something else (like an image).
Keep It Simple And Clear, But Not Too Simple
One of the most important principles of communication is this: don’t oversimplify. When you’re trying to get a message across to your audience, don’t use jargon or technical terms that they may not understand.
Don’t go so far in the opposite direction and make things so easy that they become boring or meaningless (for example, “The new model of our product has more features”).
Also avoid using words that are too generic (“Our product can help you save money” vs “The new model of our product will save you time”).
And finally, steer clear of words that are too specific (“The new model has been tested on a scale from 0–10”) because they don’t give any context or meaning; instead just say what you mean clearly and simply: “Our new version is faster.”
Know How Your Brain Works, So You Understand How It Responds To Different Words, Emotions, And Suggestions In Your Marketing Messages
Your brain is the most complex organ in your body. It has billions of neurons (nerve cells) that communicate with each other through a series of electrical impulses. When these neurons fire in response to stimuli from the environment, they can create emotions, memories and thoughts.
The brain is made up of three main parts: the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem. The cerebrum makes up about 85 percent of your total brain mass and contains two hemispheres (left and right).
Each hemisphere controls certain functions related to personality traits such as language or math ability.
The left side controls speech production; whereas the right side controls object recognition abilities like facial recognition or finger pointing movements when trying to show someone where something is located without saying anything verbally first!
Enticing consumers to want your products requires a deep understanding of psychology. Discover the secrets behind tricking consumers into wanting your products and harness psychological insights to boost your sales.
Use Words That Are Congruent With Facts, Truthful Claims, And Images, Then Reinforce Them By Appealing To All Three Systems Simultaneously
You should use words that are congruent with the facts, truthful claims, and images you show.
In other words, if you promise something in your ad but don’t follow through on it like saying a product will make you lose weight when it makes you gain weight you’re going to come across as insincere and untrustworthy.
And when consumers can sense that a brand isn’t being honest or genuine about its products or services, they’ll avoid doing business with that company.
To reinforce your message so it sticks in people’s minds, appeal to each of their three systems at once: visual (i.e., what they see), auditory (what they hear) and kinesthetic (how they feel).
This can be accomplished by using words that activate multiple senses simultaneously (for example “taste,” since it combines visual and auditory components) or by repeating key concepts multiple times throughout an ad.
Involve The Audience In Meaningful Ways
It’s not enough to simply show an ad on TV or scroll through a banner ad online; you have to involve your audience in the experience by making them feel something.
So, if you can embed meaning into your messaging and make it relate to your audience’s own experiences, it will be more effective than simply throwing out facts or recommendations until they throw up their hands in frustration.
Incorporate congruence between what you say and what you show.
Just as people respond better when there’s congruence between words and images, so do they respond better when there’s congruence between claims made about products or services (e.g., “best tasting ice cream”) versus how those products were actually tested (e.g., taste tests).
This is because our brains are wired for consistency; we want everything we see or hear from marketers related to truthfulness and factual evidence rather than just being told what we should want if we’re going to be persuaded into buying anything at all for ourselves or our families.
Especially since so many ads these days try appealing solely through emotion rather than reason-based arguments based on facts!
Use Only One Emotion For Each Message
The single most important thing to keep in mind is that it’s better to use one emotion for each message. Too many emotions will confuse your target audience and make them less likely to convert.
A good place to start is by choosing a mix of positive and negative emotions, so you can appeal to people’s natural desire for happiness, without ignoring their need for security.
For example, if you’re trying to sell something that comes with an inherent risk (like investing in stocks), you may want to use fear as a motivator but not so much that your customers feel paralyzed by it! You could also try using guilt:
“Remember how sad and lonely you were when your last relationship ended? That doesn’t have to happen again…with the right partner this time.”
Unleash the power of neuroscience to enhance your sales efforts. Dive into how understanding the human brain can lead to better marketing strategies and drive increased customer engagement.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has given you some insight into how to improve your marketing and make it more effective. Well, not just better for you but also for your customers.
To end off our series on misleading words in advertising, I want to leave you with a few parting thoughts:
Be clear about the benefits of your product or service. Don’t rely on buzzwords alone; use facts and testimonials instead!
Further Reading
Explore more about the intersection of neuroimaging, marketing, and consumer behavior with these resources:
Neuroimaging Insights on Consumer Behavior – Delve into a comprehensive study on how neuroimaging techniques provide valuable insights into understanding consumer preferences and decision-making processes.
The Role of Neuroscience in Marketing – Discover the pivotal role neuroscience plays in shaping marketing strategies and its impact on consumer behavior and brand engagement.
Transformative Power of Neuroscience in Marketing Research – Read how neuroscience is revolutionizing marketing research methodologies, allowing businesses to gain a deeper understanding of customer motivations and responses.
FAQs
How does neuroimaging contribute to understanding consumer preferences?
Neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI provide insights into brain activity related to consumer preferences, revealing subconscious reactions to different stimuli.
Can neuroscience help in creating more effective marketing campaigns?
Absolutely. By understanding how the brain processes information and makes decisions, marketers can tailor campaigns to align with consumer psychology, increasing their effectiveness.
What role does neuroimaging play in brand engagement?
Neuroimaging helps uncover how specific elements in branding, such as logos and colors, impact brain responses, leading to insights that enhance brand engagement.
How is neuroscience transforming traditional marketing research?
Neuroscience introduces objective measures of consumer responses that go beyond traditional surveys, enabling researchers to uncover hidden insights and optimize strategies accordingly.
Are there practical applications of neuroscience in real-world marketing scenarios?
Yes, businesses can utilize neuroscience findings to design products, packaging, and advertisements that trigger desired emotional responses and improve customer engagement.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.