We’re playing catchup after a rare vacation, so here’s the best of the best for the last couple of weeks!
Who doesn’t want to be James Bond, at least when he isn’t being tortured by a sadistic villain? I’m sure some 007 movie buff will provide a counter-example, but I don’t recall the fictional secret agent ever giving a public speech. Nevertheless, Nick Morgan (@DrNickMorgan) tells you Why Public Speakers Need To Copy James Bond. Be like Bond!
Customer personas are a hot buzzword these days, but all too often these personas are developed in the imagination of a product manager or marketer. We like imagination, but hard data may be a better approach. Peep Laja (@peeplaja) explains how to add some science to persona develpment in How To Create Customer Personas With Actual, Real Life Data.
We’re (obviously!) big fans of applying psychology and neuroscience to improving web conversion, so we were happy to find Psychological Principles of High Converting Websites (+ 20 Case Studies) at Kiss Metrics (@KISSmetrics). And, it’s not just theory – they provide real world examples of what works.
Are you plagued by apparent failures of willpower? Do you often choose short-term gratification over a choice that would be clearly better in the long run? In Increased self control without increased willpower, Deric Bownds (@DericBownds) cites interesting research that shows simply rephrasing the way the choice is presented can guide people to the better long-term decision. If you are marketing a product that involves short-term sacrifice for long-term gains (say, retirement plans), this may help you write more persuasive copy.
We were happy to see that Neuromarketing was included in the list of 25 Marketing Blogs You Should Be Following at Referral Candy. You probably subscribe to many of these already, but give it a quick check for new ideas.
Want to add persuasion power to your website? Jeremy Smith (@jeremysaid) shows how to use Robert Cialdini’s principles in practical ways. Check How to Apply Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Influence to Your Website for practical tips on applying these classic rules.
My Stuff
Do phone leads work better for you than web form leads? In a recent interview with conversion expert Brian Massey (see below), he revealed an unexpected and counterintuitive discovery. Find out what it was in A Totally Bizarre Way to To Get More Phone Leads, and watch your phones ring off the hook!
When someone asks me which version of a headline will work better, or which of several images to use on a landing page, my comment is just about always, “You should test that.” I may have a good instinct for what will work, but I’m not right all the time. My friend Chris Goward (@chrisgoward) used that phrase as a title for his excellent book on conversion optimization. Get tips on testing, optimizing your website, and a lot more in my podcast interview, Ep #13: Conversion Optimization with Chris Goward. (Audio+transcript.)
Few people have a better perspective on the global state of neuromarketing than Carla Nagel (@La_Nagel). She’s founder of the Neuromarketing Science and Business Association, a group which has representatives on every continent. Except, perhaps, Antarctica. In Ep #15: The Future of Neuromarketing with Carla Nagel, we discuss the growing evidence for neuromarketing technology, the state of consumer fear of neuromarketing, and more.(Audio+transcript.)
Another conversion expert and friend is fellow Austinite Brian Massey (@bmassey). In Ep #14: Conversion Science with Brian Massey, you’ll find out why he (almost) always wears a lab coat, how to get more phone leads by tweaking your landing page, and lots more.
Are you near Sydney, Australia, or Stockholm, Sweden? I’ve got upcoming gigs in both cities. Find out more about the Creative Fuel Conference and Conversion Jam #4 in Neuromarketing, From Sydney to Stockholm Say hello if you get to either one!
Feel free to add your own best content find of the week in a comment!
