WHAT IS BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE? AN INTRODUCTION TO BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE IN MARKETING

Imagine your ideal client searching for services on LinkedIn. They see your picture, read your headline, and click to view your profile. 

(You receive a notification)

They quickly scroll through your recent activity, “featured”, and “about you” sections. Then in a flash, they decide to book, or not. This potential client decides not to book with you and continues their search. Soon after, they land on your competitor's profile and book—why? 

Why did they go with your competitor’s service over yours? Was it your pricing? Did you not have the right package? Maybe it was the new profile banner you uploaded…

It couldn’t be your profile picture, right?

Behavioral scientists study questions like these to help us predict human behavior. Continue reading to unlock the mysteries you face while marketing to your clients. 

What Is Behavioral Science? 

Wikipedia’s Article on Behavioral Sciences states: 

“The behavioral sciences explore the cognitive processes within organisms and the behavioral interactions between organisms in the natural world…It attempts to accomplish legitimate, objective conclusions through rigorous formulations and observation.” 

What a mouthful… 

To simplify, behavioral science is the practice of studying human behavior. Scientists observe how we process information and make decisions based on our influences. Not only can we observe the behavior, but we can understand why. 

This leads us to how we can persuade or influence human behavior in marketing. Behavioral science helps you understand why your ideal client booked with your competitor. 

Behavior Science In Marketing 

In marketing, it’s helpful to understand what’s influencing your client's decisions. This allows you to predict (and persuade) their behavior—leading to an advantage over your competitors.

One of the best books on behavioral science is Robert Cialdini’s, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Cialdini devised 7 principles of persuasion. They are scarcity, authority, social proof, sympathy, reciprocity, consistency, and unity.

Let’s explore these principles and the science behind Behavioral Science, in marketing.

Consumer Behavior

First, you must understand what drives your client’s buying behaviors. They’re influenced by three factors — Personal, Psychological, and Social. Research your Market, Competitors, and Ideal Clients to understand their purchasing process better.  

1.Personal 

Your offer targets specific client demographics because you know who your service benefits. These demographics include Age, Background, Culture, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Habits, Influences, and Lifestyle. 

2. Psychological

How your clients feel about you (and the market), influences their decisions. Brand or service exclusivity makes your clients feel “in the know” or high status. They’re also influenced by a desire to have “the best”.  

3. Social

Your client’s social influences are what you’d imagine. They’re influenced by family, friends, work environment, income, and living conditions.   

How To Influence Consumer Behavior 

Those factors influence your client’s behavior. But, how do you leverage them to persuade them to buy? Let’s start with the Customer Journey.

The Customer Journey 

Do you remember the ideal client that booked with your competitor? Let’s talk about them for a moment. They decided to search for services on LinkedIn, services that you offer. From when they saw your profile picture — to when they decided not to book — was their journey with you.

Many areas of your client’s journey trigger behavioral responses. That’s when they either book or bounce.    

Consider the following for your website and social networking profiles:

• UI  

  Think of a profile or website that you enjoy aesthetically. Notice the font, color pallet, imagery, and branding. How is the information organized? What about the menu and flow of the profile? Did the page load quickly? Did the page load correctly?

  This is your customer journey. The same goes for your clients. The less care you put into this area of your business, the higher your bounce rate. Take everything into consideration, and be consistent, this is their first impression. 

• Sales Funnel 

  Sales funnels walk ideal clients through the buying process. Without a proper content strategy, you’ll lose the right clients. For example, your BOFU (bottom of funnel) content should make up 10% of your content strategy. This is social proof like case studies and client stories. If you overplay your hand, you may appear disingenuous or untrustworthy. 

  For more information about sales funnels, I wrote a blog article with an in-depth section about it.

• Safety 

  Your clients must feel safe especially when divulging personal information. If your UI, content, or opt-ins feel “off”, they won’t feel safe. Empathy is key here as it helps to “put yourself into their shoes”. How would you feel if you were your client? Social Proof is important here as well. 

Social Proof

I’m sure you’ve recently shopped for a new product on Amazon. You compared ratings, read Q&As, and counted the number of customer reviews. I know because over 93% of shoppers read reviews before purchasing. Although your funnel doesn't lead with Social Proof, your website and profiles should. 

Examples of social proof are:

• Interviews

• Case Studies

• Client Testimonials

• Spotlighting Popular Services

• Reviews — the more the better, but when it comes to ratings, perfection leads to suspicion. Consumers trust a 4.9 over a 5.0, don’t you?

Likeability And Authority

Having a consistent Brand Voice helps your ideal clients like and trust you. Build Likeability with:

• Unity

• Honesty

• Sincerity

• Sympathy

• Authenticity

• Compassion

• Transparency

• Active Listening

Your clients like you, what you say, and how you say it. They anticipate your response to things and look to you as the authority on the subject. They trust you because they feel like they know you.

Consistent likeability with customer satisfaction is the recipe for loyal customers. These clients should receive special treatment and privileges. Discounts and rewards go a long way with this group — and it’s easier to do so since loyal clients are cheaper to retain.  

Building on likeability, authority comes in the form of status and network. You see this on LinkedIn with how they display a profile's number of followers (or connections). 

Credentials, endorsements, case studies, interviews, and collaborations, all help boost authority. 

Reciprocity

It’s in our nature to reciprocate kindness and good deeds. When someone pays it forward, you pay it back, why? Because most people prefer to settle their debts, not leave them open. 

Is Costco giving away free samples because you’re a member? Or because they’re persuading you to make a buying decision?

Here are some ways to use reciprocity in your business:

• Discounts

  Opt-ins help you acquire personal information. They receive 5% off of their first purchase, but only if they give you their email address. 

• Freebies

  Sometimes these opt-ins are books or masterclasses. Providing lots of value upfront, makes your ideal client want to return the favor.

• Appreciation

  Simply not rushing into a sale is effective. Spend time connecting and appreciating your ideal client. You’ll make them feel appreciated and ready to buy. Throw in a discount and it’s a sure thing.

• Expertise   

  Share your expertise, for free. This is something I use on my LinkedIn profile. I offer tips and content like this, to help my ideal clients. This is free of charge and builds reciprocity while demonstrating my expertise. 

Scarcity

Scarcity triggers FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Use it well and it will help you leverage sales and direction through persuasion. 

• Inventory
  “Only 1 spot left to book!”

• Cart Timer 

  “We’ll hold your spot in line for 5 minutes…”

• Pricing 

  “Your 10% discount expires in 3 days!”

• Early Access 

  “Pre-order and book yours, before everyone else does.”

• High-Demand Services

  “Book our most popular session now!”

Foot-In-The-Door Technique 

Wikipedia defines the Foot-In-The-Door Technique as, “a compliance tactic that aims at getting a person to agree to a large request by having them agree to a modest request first. 

This technique works by creating a connection between the person asking for a request and the person that is being asked. If a smaller request is granted, then the person who is agreeing feels like they are obligated to keep agreeing to larger requests to stay consistent with the original decision of agreeing.”

Building a connection is the aim here, not manipulation. When you receive an initial “yes” from your ideal client, it sets the tone (and pace) of the conversation. They’re ready to listen and consider what you have to say, without dismissal.  

Try to find common ground and build on it.

Nudge Theory 

Odds are you get nudged, a lot. That’s because the Nudge Theory is in almost every environment. It’s so common that we’re usually unaware of it. The theory is that you can influence a subject’s decision by making changes to their environment. 

A great example is the towel policy in modern hotels. The hotel industry found a way to cut cleaning costs by persuading guests to reuse towels. They accomplished this by leaving small notes in their guest's rooms. The notes ask the guests to do so, citing water conservation as the motivator. Of course, leaving out the cost savings benefit, as most guests wouldn’t find this motivating.

You’ll notice “nudge management” in production facilities promoting a “zero accident culture”. Even the hospitality industry uses it with hand hygiene.  

When used ethically, the Nudge Theory can help you persuade your clients to do the “right thing”.

Level Up Your Marketing Strategy With Behavioral Science 

How is your current strategy working? Is your content getting you the results you desire? 

Are you attracting your ideal clients? Or are you attracting someone not interested in your service? Are you walking clients through your sales funnel? Or are you losing clients somewhere in the process?

If you’re experiencing the latter, try walking yourself through the process, backward. Backtrack to see how your clients go from B to A. This will open up areas in your strategy to use behavioral science.   

Showcase your thought leadership through your content. Use authority, likeability, trust, and unity to build your voice. Boost sales (and repeat business) with scarcity, reciprocity, consistency, and social proof. 

Do you need help with your content? 

Comment below, use my Contact Form, email waylan@waylanwebb.com, or schedule a FREE audit with me.

I’m here to help. 

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