Why are you reading this post? (you are reading the post aren’t you?) Is the answer curiosity? If you answered yes, you have just discovered one of the 3 psychological trigger points of good marketing: arousing curiosity.
The human is a curious animal. We want to see the World’s Heaviest Man at 1,200 lbs. and The Wolf Brothers (you clicked the links didn’t you?). These are called psychological triggers. They are used primarily in advertising headlines to attract attention, draw readers into the marketing copy and ultimately sell a product or service. Let’s face it, no matter how convincing your marketing message is, it means didley if no one reads it. So create headlines that arouse curiosity and people will read on.
Another psychological trigger is the question. It seems the brain is more engaged by a question than a statement. The very sight of a question mark makes the reader want to know more. Do you know why? You’re reading this sentence to find the answer aren’t you? Well, the reason may be tied to early learning and kids’ questions (or maybe Socrates). Want to Know The Short Skirt Guide to Blogging? click here. Ready for number 3?
A third psychological trigger is the problem solving headline. The brain seems to enjoy puzzles and finding answers to problems. How to Fix a Leaking Faucet in 5 Minutes Using No Tools. Combine that with a question and you have a double whammy brain trigger: Did You Know You Can Fix a Leaking Faucet in 5 Minutes Using No Tools?
Remember that the curiosity, question and problem solving triggers should address human wants and needs. Some of these include:
- saving money
- making money
- saving time
- making things easier or more efficient
- improving safety, security and health
- improving quality of life and achieving happiness
- self-improvement
- having fun and being entertained
There are other marketing triggers such as the Drop Cap Headline. Make the first letter of the paragraph larger (and bolder) so it drops down one or two lines. Like an image, it jumps out at the reader (h/t jonathan cardella). Seems some smarty pants named David Ogilvy discovered the drop cap headline worked better than other ad copy headlines, increasing readership rates by 13%.
Images are also triggers and, according to working journalists, considered very important to the story. The efficacy of using pretty faces, or other body parts (like the one I chose), is debatable and success depends in large part on the product or service being marketed. (hot coffee?) We do know home searchers love to see lots of pretty photographs of the home and these listings get the most views.
Bonus: The colors red and yellow draw the most attention. Just ask McDonald’s.
Related Posts:
How to Write an Ad That Sells Real Estate
Why 80% Don’t Read Newsletters
Sources and Further reading:
Are Your Headlines Misssing These Precise Pscychological Triggers (Sean D’Souza)
Discover Which Sales Triggers are Most Effective When Mixed with SEO (John Alexander, Search Engine Workshops)
What are 7 Psychological Triggers that Make People Buy (Arina Nikitina)
Top 10 Ideas for Testing Your Headlines (Josh Hay, Future Now)
Online Copywriting 101: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet (GrokDotCom)
Technorati Tags: marketing tips, headlines, sales triggers, advertising, copywriting
