Marketing triggers play a key role in the modern advertising environment, where consumers are exposed to a huge amount of information every day. In the context of a saturated media space and ubiquitous “banner blindness” – a phenomenon in which consumers become immune to traditional advertising techniques – triggers help to attract attention and motivate them to action.
These marketing tools serve as psychological catalysts, stimulating a quick purchase decision and facilitating impulsive transactions. Below, we’ll take a look at the most common types of triggers and explain the mechanisms of their impact on consumers.
Vital point: The main thing is not to oversaturate the audience with triggers, as this can negatively affect the image of your business, reducing the level of loyalty and trust in your brand.
Types of triggers
Scarcity
This method includes promotions that are limited in availability or time. From the point of view of psychology, consumers tend to value those offers that are rare and, therefore, exclusive.
The limited access trigger does not always depend on the cost of the product or the discounts offered. It can also come in the form of time restrictions, for example, with the establishment of deadlines for the offer. The essence of this approach is that the product is not available to everyone, regardless of their willingness to pay. This makes potential buyers speed up the process of making a purchase decision.
Use of stereotypes
In this context, the company positions its product by common stereotypes.
For example: French perfumes are considered to be particularly elegant, goods from China are perceived as affordable, and German appliances are perceived as reliable.
Manufacturers often use such stereotypes to their advantage, for example, by choosing a foreign name for a brand to evoke associations with foreign standards of high quality. For example, Bork’s household appliances create the impression of a German brand, while Carlo Pazolini’s shoes seem to be Italian. This marketing technique plays a significant role in shaping the brand image.
The herd instinct
This mechanism is often activated through authoritative sources – bloggers. Product endorsements by bloggers who are perceived by the audience as experts usually lead to increased sales, especially when it comes to bloggers with active followers.
For example, when launching a new clothing collection, famous stylists are used to not only recommend new items to their followers but also demonstrate them in their stylish looks, which ultimately stimulates purchases.
Warranties
Including a warranty can significantly increase customer confidence by confirming the high quality of the product. Manufacturers often offer different forms of assurance, such as lifetime warranties or refunds in case of unsatisfactory quality of a service or product. These promises are especially valuable where customers may have the greatest concerns.
Seeing that a company offers money-back guarantees in case of failure to meet expectations makes customers feel more confident, perceiving it as a confirmation of the product’s reliability.
To gain a deeper understanding of customer concerns and preferences, it is useful to conduct regular analysis using email surveys, active interaction on social media, and interactive polls on your website. This approach will help not only to identify current consumer problems but also to determine what tasks your product should solve.
Social proof
This marketing mechanism is presented in the form of user reviews on web pages, visual comparisons of the results of using the product before and after, ratings, and user photos.
Social proof elements serve to strengthen consumers’ confidence in the high quality of goods or services by increasing their trust through real-life examples of positive experiences of other people.
There must be a real person behind each review. Fake reviews are easy to recognize, especially if the avatar is a generic stock image.
This tool proves to be effective as it helps to form an emotional and trusting connection between the buyer and the brand.
Authority
The effectiveness of using influencers in marketing is undeniable. When potential customers find out that well-known companies, successful entrepreneurs, recognized experts in their field, or even prestigious award winners choose a certain product or service, it greatly increases their trust. People perceive that figures with a high social status will not choose low-quality goods.
This mechanism is especially active in the information business sector, where experts often recommend courses they have taken and invite their followers to join the training.
The key to the success of this marketing approach is that the influencer has real achievements and recognition in the professional environment.
Acknowledgments
This marketing method is based on the principle of reciprocity, when in response to a user performing a specific action (subscription, purchase, etc.), he or she is given a bonus. This approach stimulates a sense of gratitude in the consumer and strengthens their loyalty to the brand through gifts.
Gifts can include product samples, informational materials such as checklists or guides, as well as discounts or promotional codes for future purchases or deliveries.
This strategy can further motivate a customer to purchase a full-size product based on a positive experience with the trial version.
Shared values
This marketing approach strengthens the connection between a brand and its audience through the sharing of common beliefs. This interaction helps to increase trust and brand loyalty. Examples include:
- The brand demonstrates care for the environment, which helps to bring the target audience closer to it through shared responsibility for nature;
- Promotion of beauty and health preservation, which calls for the appreciation and care of oneself;
- Proceeds from sales, which are directed to charitable purposes.
By developing and promoting shared values around its products or services, a brand attracts customers who share those values and want to support the brand by purchasing its products.
Opportunity to save money
This trigger works because of a person’s desire to purchase for less. This is the principle behind holiday sales such as Black Friday or personalized birthday discounts. When potential buyers see a financial benefit, they are incentivized to purchase the product. In such cases, it is advisable to express the discount as a percentage. For more affordable goods, discounts in absolute monetary terms are suitable, while for more significant purchases (for example, real estate, cars, household appliances, and medical services) it is better to indicate percentages.
Keynote: discounts should not be permanent. They should be associated with a limited offer, otherwise, customers may get used to the constantly available benefits from your brand and postpone purchases until the next sale.
Conclusion
If the results of your ad campaign are below expectations, don’t rush to revise the entire strategy or try complex experiments. Instead, focus on using marketing triggers. These simple but effective methods can significantly improve conversion to sales or inquiries. They work on a psychological level, attracting the buyer’s attention, which is especially valuable in an increasingly competitive environment. Although we haven’t described all possible triggers, we’ve shared those that we consider the most effective.
