6 psychological triggers you can add to your copywriting to make it more persuasive

Copywriting is as much a skill in psychology as it is in writing, and perhaps more so. There are many psychological triggers we use as copywriters to make our writing more enticing and persuade the reader to take the action we are driving them to.

In this article, I’m looking at six key psychological triggers you can use – not all at the same time, but knowing that they exist and why, and then using them strategically in your copy will give your sales pitch some added persuasion.

This is a powerful principle that is simply part of human nature. The idea behind reciprocity is that people have a natural inclination to repay a favour or return a kindness when they receive something of value first. This is an excellent trigger to get people to take action.

One of the key ways to use the reciprocity trigger in copywriting is to lead with value. This means that you should start by offering something of value to your target audience, without expecting anything in return. You’ll have seen them all over the Internet when you land on websites and are offered a free download. It could be a free report, a helpful guide, or a valuable resource of some kind. When you see the offer, you are happy to provide your email in exchange for the ability to download the document or free gift because you attribute some kind of value to it. There isn’t any risk in you downloading it and, you never know, it might be just what you need. It seems worth the risk since it’s free.

By providing something of value first, the person or company offering you the download has established a relationship of trust with you, which will make you far more likely to repay the favour in some way down the line.

When you are offering a free download, you don’t have to give away the farm (in fact you shouldn’t!). Your offer doesn’t even have to be anything related to what you are selling, but it can complement what you offer. The key is to create a strong impression that you are providing something valuable, which will trigger the reciprocity principle. For example, if you're selling a fitness programme, you might offer a free healthy meal plan or a workout guide. This will help establish your brand as an authority in the fitness industry and create a positive impression in the minds of your audience.

Your potential buyer is also more likely to think that, if you are offering such value for free, your paid content must be on another level entirely.

Another way to use the reciprocity trigger in copywriting is to appeal to the audience's emotions. People are more likely to repay a favour if they feel a strong emotional connection to the person or organisation that offered it. This is why storytelling can be a powerful tool in copywriting. By sharing a personal story or highlighting a customer testimonial, you can create an emotional connection with your audience that will increase their motivation to repay the favour.

Using commitment in your copywriting means taking advantage of people’s innate need to act in integrity – to follow through on their actions and do what they said they were going to do. Using this well will make for very strong copy.

To play on people’s desire to follow through on what they have committed, you can achieve this in your copywriting by asking potential customers to sign up for a newsletter, make a purchase, or provide their contact information. The act of making a commitment creates a sense of obligation and leads to a higher likelihood of follow-through. They feel the need to be consistent in their thoughts, behaviours and actions. In copywriting, you can leverage this by presenting potential customers with ideas or actions that align with their values and beliefs. This creates a sense of congruity, leading to a higher likelihood of them buying from you. However, a word of caution: use this psychological trigger, as with all of them, ethically and transparently. Build your marketing on trust and you can’t go far wrong.

As we all know too well, in today's fast-paced digital world, we are constantly bombarded with an endless stream of advertisements, promotions and sales pitches. To be heard above the noise, it's vital to understand yet another important psychological trigger that drives consumer behaviour and makes people want to buy from you – social proof.

Social proof refers to the idea that people look to the actions of others to determine what is correct and acceptable in a given situation. They need proof that your offer does what you claim it to do and when they see proof of this, the risk involved in making the purchase reduces considerably. We’ve all avoided entering the restaurant with no customers, thinking there must be a reason people stayed away and, conversely, we’ve all joined the longest queue at the food stall knowing that, with so many people willing to wait, the food must be great.

In the context of online sales, social proof can be leveraged in many ways, including customer reviews, testimonials and ratings. Using social proof in your sales copy helps you to:

Build Trust: When potential customers see that other people have bought from you and had a positive experience, they are more likely to trust you and feel comfortable making a purchase themselves.

Increase Credibility: Social proof can help establish your brand as an authority in your industry, and provide evidence that you offer a high-quality product or service.

Overcome Objections: People often have concerns or doubts about making a purchase online, such as the safety of their personal information, the quality of the product, or the reliability of the company. Social proof can help alleviate these concerns and provide reassurance that others have had positive experiences.

Increase Conversion Rates - You can increase your conversion rates and close more deals simply by including customer reviews, testimonials and other forms of social proof in your copywriting.

When it comes to making a purchase online, customers want to feel confident and secure in their decision. This is where the concept of authority comes into play. By incorporating authority into your online sales process, as with social proof, you can increase trust and credibility with potential customers, ultimately leading to more conversions.

Authority refers to the perception of expertise, competence and trustworthiness in a particular subject or field. It can come in several forms including:

Expertise: This type of authority is based on the individual's knowledge and experience in a particular subject. For example, a doctor or a lawyer would be considered an expert in their field.

Celebrity Endorsements: This type of authority is based on the recognition and influence of a celebrity or public figure. If a well-known person endorses a product or service, you are tapping on their vast following to increase the perceived value of your product or service.

Professional Accreditations: This type of authority is based on professional recognition and qualifications, such as a certification or diploma.

By incorporating these different types of authority into your online sales process, you can increase trust and credibility with potential customers. Simply include testimonials from customers or industry experts, display professional accreditations, or mention any celebrity endorsements you have received. By doing so, you are tapping into the psychological trigger of authority and giving potential customers the confidence they need to make a purchase.

One of the most important aspects of copywriting is finding common ground with your reader. Common ground refers to the shared experiences, values, beliefs, or interests that you have with your reader. When you find common ground, you are able to create a deeper connection with your buyer, making it easier for you to influence their thoughts and actions.

As we have seen in this article, the key to writing successful copy is gaining the trust of the reader. Finding common ground is one more tool you can use to do this. When a reader feels that you understand them, they are more likely to trust you and your message. With common ground established, it is also easier for you to establish empathy with the reader. This means that they feel that you understand their point of view and their pain points. Everybody wants to feel understood and have their feelings validated. Empathy is a powerful tool in copywriting, as when the reader feels that you understand them and their needs, they are more likely to be influenced by your message and take the desired action.

When you find common ground with your reader, you have the added benefit of being able to differentiate yourself from your competitors. By connecting with your audience on a personal level, you create a unique connection that sets you apart from others in your industry. So it is worth spending the time in research to understand your potential buyers’ values, concerns and pain points. Using customer feedback, surveys and even reviews on Amazon of similar products or services can provide valuable information about what is important to your audience so that you can use these insights in your copy.

Scarcity is a powerful psychological trigger that has been used in sales and marketing for decades. The idea behind it is simple: people are more likely to take action when they believe that a product or opportunity is limited in availability.

Scarcity plays into our very real fear of missing out (FOMO). When people feel that a product is running low or that a limited time offer is about to expire, they become motivated to act quickly. This is because they believe that if they don't take advantage of the opportunity now, they may never have the chance again.

To provide scarcity in your copy, you can consider using the following:

Limited Time Offers: Creating a sense of urgency by offering a product or service at a discounted price for a limited time can be a highly effective way to drive sales. By creating a sense of scarcity, people are more likely to act quickly and make a purchase before the price goes up. For example, you can offer an introductory course at a lower price then close the doors to the offer at a certain date and advise your potential buyers that when you run the course again, the price will be considerably more.

Limited Stock: Telling customers that a product is in high demand and running low on stock can create a sense of scarcity and urgency. People are more likely to make a purchase if they believe that they may miss out on the opportunity if they don't act quickly.

Exclusive Access: Using the word “exclusive” is very powerful. People like to feel that they are part of an elite set. Offering exclusive access to a product or service, such as early bird access to a new product launch, can create a sense of scarcity and exclusivity. People are more likely to take action when they feel that they are part of a VIP group of individuals who have access to something special.

Scarcity works because it taps into our emotional responses. When we feel that a product or opportunity is limited, our brains are wired to respond with urgency and a desire to act quickly. This is because scarcity triggers a primal response to protect ourselves from losing out on something valuable.

Incorporating scarcity into your sales pitch is a powerful way to motivate people to take action and a guaranteed way to boost conversions. By creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity, you can increase the perceived value of your product or service, and drive more sales. So, the next time you're creating a sales pitch, consider how you can incorporate scarcity to make it even more effective. But make sure the scarcity is genuine. If you say you will increase the price, it must be increased. Likewise, the scarcity must be realistic and believable. Telling people you have limited seats on a recurring webinar is hardly believable. However, advising that your webinar plan is limited to 100 live visitors at a time is believable when they understand there is a real chance of being locked out of the event if they don’t get in on time.

Incorporating some of these psychological triggers in your copywriting will go a long way to making your copy much more persuasive, as long as you do so with integrity and transparency. No one likes to feel they are being sold to, but everyone loves to buy, as long as they feel good about it. Your job as a copywriter is to drive them to the sale but leave them feeling they’ve made a great move.