As I mentioned in a prior post about writing effective web content, this fall I attended Bend Webcam 2013 where I heard , Dr. Susan Weinschenk, author of How to Get People to Do Stuff, speak. She offered so many interesting insights that I couldn’t include them all in a single post. Correct that. I could have, but since she pointed out that people only remember three to four things at a time I limited myself to five. Go figure!
This time around, I’ll actually follow her advice more closely and only offer up three more of her marketing tips and tricks.
Testimonials and Reviews in Websites and Brochures
These are some of the most effective marketing tools around because they provide social validation. We’re all very affected by what others do and say, especially if we think those people are like us. Interestingly, this means that testimonials and reviews from ordinary people are even more effective than celebrity endorsements. (Isn’t that good news!) The more information you provide about the person behind the testimonial or review, the more powerful it will be. If at all possible, include their full name and occupation, the city and state they live in, and a photo.
Nouns vs. Verbs
I’ve spent my writing coach career convincing writers to use active verbs. And I’ll keep doing that, except when it comes to getting prospects to take action. It turns out that when you give people a sense that they will become part of a group, their need to belong drives their behavior. It pains me to say this, but by asking people to Be a Voter, Be a Donor or Be a Member (instead of Vote, Donate or Join), you tap into one of the most powerful behavior motivators available.
Desire for Mastery
Tom Sawyer knew how to tap into and use people’s desire for mastery to his advantage. “It takes special skills to paint a fence,” he would basically tell young passers-by. Of course, they all wanted to prove that they possessed the know-how to paint a fence. Bingo! One fence painted without Tom having to do much more than observe. How does this translate to writing? You can prompt certain behaviors by making the point in your marketing content that what you want people to do requires skill and special knowledge.
Let me know if you try any of these and how they work for you!
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