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Hey there! It’s Marie and you’re watching MarieTV - business and life advice that works.
Q: And today’s question comes Mara and she writes...
Hi Marie (and company)! That’s you guys.
Hi! Yo! See?
I love Love LOVE what y'all are doing! I've learned so much from reading, watching, listening
and implementing your awesome tips and tricks. Q & A Tuesday is always a little karate chop
of inspiration.
So I see a lot of different approaches employed out there when it comes to marketing. I've
noticed that some of them leave me feeling inspired and others leave me feeling afraid.
It's no secret that instilling fear in customers has been a long used tactic to get people
to buy. But I'm curious, what are the best ways to motivate people to buy without using
fear as the basis?
A: Mara, I’m so pumped that you asked this question because marketing strategies are
one of my favorite topics to talk about. But there’s three important things that I want
to say first.
1. Did ya notice the title of this video?
Will Using Fear Tactics Ruin Your Business?
You clicked on it, right? Yeah, we’re smart like that.
Second, fear tactics, when used with discretion really fall under the umbrella of “compassion
tactics.” You see, great marketing strategies come from understanding what drives your customer.
Is it fear? Maybe. Or maybe it’s pain or frustration.
To be of great service through your business, you must empathize with your customers and
communicate that you get where they’re coming from.
For example, a graphic designer says “hey, I know you feel frustrated that no one has
been able to translate your vision into your website. You’ve spent thousands of dollars
and countless hours trying to find the right graphic designer to really make your brand
come alive. I understand how you feel and I want to help. Here’s how”
That’s using your customer’s pain and frustration in a very positive way to get
the sale.
The third thing is that fear isn’t always bad in marketing. I mean think about it,
the only reason that people buy alarm systems is because they are afraid, right? No one
feels inspired to wanna be safe. No one says, “oooh it’s gonna be so FUN to feel safe?”
They’re already afraid of someone breaking in and taking their shizzel for rizzle. And
remember, marketers can’t instill fear in you. They can make you more aware of fear
that you already have but nobody can “make you” feel something that you don’t already
feel.
So to be clear, using fear in marketing is not always bad, and it’s not always an unethical
move.
Now let’s talk about some marketing strategies that motivate people to buy without using
fear as the basis.
Marketing Strategy #1. Create interest and desire.
You want to get people excited by helping them envision what their life is gonna be
like after they buy your product or service. And you can do this through words and through
pictures. There’s an ad for Hawaiian Air that nails this.
It says “prepare flip flops for landing.” I mean think about that, all you think about
is your little toes in the sand. No fear there.
Marketing Strategy #2. You wanna speak to their fantasy.
Think about financial ads for example. They always show an older couple right in their
early 60s looking really fine and on a yacht. They never show an older couple living on
the street sharing a pair of dentures. hmm Honey, I wanna have some corn can you give
me that denture?
So here the fantasy of being old, rich and comfortable is a much more powerful motivator
than the fear of being old, dirt-poor and not able to eat corn at your leisure.
Marketing Strategy #3. Social proof. Think about it people want to know that your stuff
works! Whether you’re selling a comforter, a doctor’s office or you got a restaurant,
people want to know that other people just like them have had success with your products
or service.
So beef up your social proof. You want to get customer reviews, testimonials, success
stories, case studies, all at yah!
Marketing Strategy #4. Is Exclusivity - get people pumped up to get one of the coveted
seats at your event, limited editions of your book, or maybe a ticket to your concert. This
is an example of using the marketing tactic of scarcity in an honest, positive way.
So Mara those are four killer marketing strategies that are not based in fear.
Now for all of you, I’d love to hear your take on this subject. Have you used or seen
a marketing tactic that was fear based, but it felt totally ethical and on point? Or are
you just really into using everything that’s positive in performing and motivating? Tell
me in the comments below.
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