5 Psych Principles to Attract and Grow Your Audience.

While content marketing tactics and times change, one thing remains constant – people and their behavior. That’s why psychology triggers are invaluable. They get into the essence of unchanging human behavior. By anchoring your B2B strategy on human psychology, you will attract and convert more members of your audience. Here 5 B2B lead-generation psychology principles to follow. Principle 1: Reciprocity One good turn deserves another. You’ve heard this adage. It stems from a deeply entrenched human inclination to respond to a positive action with another positive action. When someone does something nice for you, you feel obliged to return the favor. • Produce free stellar content: Generously give prospective customers free ungated content with no strings attached. Make sure the content is valuable and entertaining. The more you give, the more they will feel indebted to your brand. By the time you offer them gated content, they won’t hesitate to give you their details because you’ve front-loaded the relationship with generosity. Principle 2: Scarcity Fear of missing out or FOMO is one of the oldest marketing psychology principles. Nobody wants to miss out. It’s a bitter sinking feeling people avoid at all costs. That’s one reason purchases skyrocket when their cart is about to close. Customers just can’t help themselves when a deal is about to disappear. • Run limited-time offers: Open-ended campaigns don’t compel prospects to act. But when people know the offer isn’t forever, they are more likely to act immediately. • Display a countdown timer: It’s one thing to be told the time an offer ends, but it’s another to see the clock ticking. It can create a physical reaction. Prospects act instinctively to grab the offer. Principle 3: Authority Another psychological trigger you can leverage is authority. Authority is the tendency for people to respect and follow the recommendations of experts or people more knowledgeable than them. • Certifications: On your landing page, display any certifications your brand has earned. Elevating your company in the eyes of prospects makes them more likely to complete the requested conversion – download a report, book an appointment, ask for a product demonstration, etc. • Influencer endorsements: If you’ve worked with industry leaders, ask them to endorse your brand. Showcase their seal of approval on your site or other marketing materials. • Experience: Got vast experience in your field? Don’t let it go to waste. Infuse your veteran credentials into your content. Experience and longevity prove your authority in your space. Prospects are likely to take your word more seriously. Principle 4: Novelty Let’s admit it. We hate being stuck in the same ol’, same ol’. Something in our psyche salivates when something new hits the market. People want to dump the old and drape the new. Everybody loves to keep up with the latest trends in town. • Improve your products: Don’t let product design stagnate. Improve your products. Once you do, make noise about it in your landing pages and email campaigns. Expressions like “new and improved,” “announcing,” or “give our new product a try” come in handy when crafting lead-gen copy. • Invent trailblazer lead magnets: If you promote the same lead-gen resources your competitors use, prospects ignore you. To stand out, chart a new trail. Walk where nobody in your space has ever walked. It’s not as difficult as you think. Experiment and develop a fresh way of doing a task your prospects struggle with. Or find a faster way to do something. Then package your solution as a lead magnet. Principle 5: Liking • The concept of liking in marketing revolves around people swayed by people they like or who have traits they admire. Here’s how to massage the liking principle into your lead generation campaigns. • Tap into influencer marketing: Partner with influencers who are admired or loved by your target audience.