Your weekend reading list for all things brain and marketing-related…
My Stuff
Jeremy Smith (@jeremysaid) is back with another great CRO post. His article, 4 Facts About Decision Making That Will Improve Conversion Rate Optimization delves into the psychology of human decision making to provide practical advice on building pages that convert better.
Planning on launching a book? Or any new product? You need to know about crowdlaunching. It’s a bit like crowdfunding, but with a focus on jump-starting sales and buzz for new products that are already funded. Moses Ma (@mosesma) explains how he is demonstrating the concept with his new Wiley book about innovation. Get the details in Crowdlaunching Books and More with Moses Ma, the latest Brainfluence Podcast. Listen to the audio, or read the full transcript.
Last week’s picks included an explanation for why Starbucks screws up your name, how stuff you don’t see still affects your behavior, the “marshmallow test” for adults, and more in Starbucks Name-Botching, 10 Conversion Psych Resources, More… Roger’s Picks.
Best From Around the Web
Want to persuade like a con-artists, but keep your white hat? Chris Kubbernus (@chriskubbernus), guest posting at Nathalie Nahai‘s (@TheWebPsych) excellent blog, tells us how in How to use con-artist tactics in marketing to persuade ethically. One highlight of this post is comparing the familiar sales funnel to the “confidence trick funnel.”
There’s no more controversial application of neuromarketing than politics. It’s one thing to persuade someone to buy a brand of toothpaste, but do we want to influence our leadership choices that way? The Battle for your Brain is an in-depth article by Brian Resnick (@B_resnick) that doesn’t focus on selling candidates, but rather on exploring how politics affects the brain. Brian asks, “Is the human political brain broken?” and, in his quest for an answer, gets his brain scanned. Scary findings include our tendency to “dehumanize” those people who are different from us.
Want a slightly skeptical view of neuromarketing and behavioral economics? Marketing (@MarketingMag, Australia) gives us one in What every marketer really needs to know about neuromarketing and behavioural economics. The article underscores a point that I’ve been making for years: often, research using neuroscience and behavioral techniques often “discovers” what savvy marketers already knew. (But, I would add, the research often helps answer the “why” and “how” questions.)
My recent podcast with Anna Simpson focused on the topic of consumer “desire” and branding. Aaron Beashel (@aaronbeashel) takes a different approach to the topic in How to Increase Landing Page Conversions With the Psychology of Desire. Aaron offers up some very practical tips on matching landing page content to the customer’s deeply rooted wants and needs.
This post is a double whammy. Like the last post, it’s also focused on better landing page conversion. And, it’s by Jeremy Smith (@jeremysaid), also featured above in another great guest post here at Neuromarketing. It’s time to check your websites for the Four Psychological Triggers on Your Landing Pages That Are Turning Customers Away!
Neuromarketing techniques are most commonly applied to answer specific marketing questions, like “which version of this ad is most engaging?” Douglas Van Praet (@DouglasVanPraet) says that’s not enough. In Neuromarketing- You’re doing it wrong. Look for Human insights, not magic tactics, Douglas makes a point for seeking deeper understanding. (I agree, and I expect to see more of this as serious academics study neuromarketing and consumer behavior.)
You probably know at least a little about body language… crossed arms means a closed mind, for example. But what about “eye language?” David DiSalvo (@Neuronarrative) tells us How Your Eyes Give You Away, citing new research about pupil dilation can signal what’s going on inside us.
Productivity is all in your mind, or at least how your mind views your activities and makes decisions. Do you feel unproductive because you are crazy-busy all the time? Vivian Gang (@vivian_giang) explains How Everything We Tell Ourselves About How Busy We Are Is a Lie.
Keeping with the life management theme, the always-interesting Eric Barker (@bakadesuyo) gives us 10 ways to gain real superpowers that will change your life. Up, up, and away!
