As an award-winning marketing services company, we don’t typically tell you that we use tricks to get the job done. We like to say that we use a lot of market research and experience. But the ugly truth is … can you handle the truth? ... well, the truth is marketing tricks work and you need to be using them.

According to a recent Buzzsumo article where they analyzed 100 million headlines, the number one article headline that drove engagement of some kind included the phrase “will make you.” Number two on the list was “this is why.” What’s most annoying about all the silliest parts of marketing is one little fact.

Can We Guess What That Fact Is?

(“Can we guess” is #3.) The answer is simple: they work.

All the marketing “tricks” you know (and maybe don’t know) actually work. The reason is (#5) unknown.

The whole “will make you” phrase outperforms other headline engagement by double, for instance. Now that you know that, will it keep you from clicking? Not likely. You can tell me you won’t, but MOST people will.

Most people KNOW that $795 is really $800, but we mentally flash-categorize the first number as being much lower than the second.

Marketing Truth #1: We Lie to Ourselves

Most humans overestimate our ability to be immune to marketing tricks. We believe (and “believe” is the core word in all of this data, by the way) -- we believe that we’ve been around and we’ve seen all the tricks and weird marketing silliness so we’re immune. Au contraire, we are maybe even more susceptible because we believe that we can’t fall for it.

Marketing Truth #2: Fear is Our Core Driver and Its Primal

Primal, as in, you can’t change it. Built into your wiring. And fear drives the best marketing methods.

And here’s the most depressing detail: if you don’t use those core marketing methods, you will not do as well. You will lose money. You will hurt your business. Here’s an example:

“This sale ends today.” Who doesn’t use that one? Over 50% of our client sales come from saying that phrase. EVERY TIME.

50%!

Scarcity. It’s so dumb. I say to you: “I’m taking this away.” You say, “Oh no! Wait! I need that.” And you buy. Even if you weren’t going to buy.

Here’s the kicker: if WE DON’T tell you that the sale ends today, we’ll get really upset emails when someone goes to click links on a two week old email and they can’t get the price they saw in the email. (The email that explains explicitly when the sale ends.)

YOU WANT ME TO USE THIS MARKETING DRIVER!

Marketing Truth #3: What You Think Is Better Isn’t

Think vs Data. 

Here’s a quick sampling of phrases that had the worst engagement:

• control of your
• your own business
• work for you
• the introduction of
• what’s new in

There’s no suggestions given as to why those phrases don’t perform well, but when we look at them, THESE feel like someone’s about to market to me. How about you? (Note that I said ‘feel’ thus proving I don’t think like a data person anyway.)

7 True Truths About Marketing

1. List posts quite often earn great engagement
2. If “engagement” equals just clicking the link to a post
3. And I hate (emotional word) list posts
4. But only because “engagement” doesn’t “pay” me “money”
5. Those quotes were for humorous emphasis
6. This isn’t really a list of 7 true things about marketing
7. It’s just 7 things in a list

The truth about marketing that will make you crazy is that it works:

• Scarcity sells
• Numbered posts get clicks, shares, and bookmarks (but not necessarily $)
• Emotional writing sells (especially fear writing)
• YOU (personally) pay more attention to bullets than sentences (hint: we all do)
• If you don’t market these ways, you will make less money

If you're doing this right, then let us make you successful ... and make money. Click below to contact us ... limited time offer!