Persuasion is hard.
Just try to convince your friends to buy a new video game and see how many of them will follow suit. Most probably, you’ll hear excuses such as “I don’t have time for video games,” “It’s not my type of game,” or “Let me check it, and I’ll get back to you.”
Now, imagine that you must convince a bunch of strangers to purchase your products or services. The challenge becomes increasingly difficult as numerous studies show that consumers rarely trust strangers and tend to be overly cynical about hyped benefits most likely written by web content writers.
But, if you want to grow your business, then persuasion is a crucial skill. So, how can you get your prospects to change their behavior, engage with your website content, and convert?
Here are a few tricks that can come in handy.
1 – Know Your Audience
Just because you think a topic is interesting, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your readers will agree. Understanding your audience and knowing what they want is the first and most important step in creating persuasive content. So, try to get in their shoes and present a problem from their point of view if you want to get their attention.
2 – Give Them Great Incentives, and Stick to Them
A great way to get your audience engaged and encourage them to convert is to provide an incentive. Whether it’s free samples, discounts, or limited offers, these perks will make them more sensitive to what you have to offer. Moreover, incentives can also make prospects more likely to look around and learn more about your business.
However, make sure to deliver on your promises as empty claims can ruin your online reputation.
3 – Play with the “Exclusive” Factor
Another excellent way to persuade prospects is to tackle their fear of being left out. Let them know that your offer is limited, and they will miss out on a great opportunity if they’re not taking action now. For example, if you’re promoting a webinar, then you could persuade prospects by telling them that there are only ten more seats left. Or you could encourage them to buy a ticket by offering an exclusive discount to early bidders.
Of course, you probably have more than ten seats left, but without this notion of urgency, prospects may postpone taking a decision. Take that away from them, and will see a significant increase in sales, as most people don’t want to miss special offers or exclusive items.
4 – Bring an Endorser
Most prospects will ignore your sales pitch and arguments. And, why would they listen to what you have to offer when so many other businesses fight for their attention? But, bring someone they look up to into the equation, and you are sure to grab their attention.
Reach out to a thought leader in your niche and ask them to endorse your products or services. Whether it’s a local celebrity, sports figure, or an online influencer, an endorser can help you boost your brand’s image, gain the trust of your audience, and persuade them to convert.
5 – Become an Authority
Claiming that your products or services are the best isn’t enough. Everyone markets themselves as “the best,” “the only,” and “the most,” so much so that these buzzwords have lost all meaning.
So, before you make any bold claims in your website content, try to prove that you are, in fact, an expert in your niche. Create quality content that helps your audience solve their problems and adds value to their lives. Engage them in thoughtful conversations and show them that you have a real interest in helping them. Built your image as an authority figure and conversions will follow soon.
Conclusion
One important distinction to make is that persuading your audience doesn’t mean that you must be dishonest with them. Quite the opposite. However, these tricks can give your marketing efforts a nudge and help you outsmart your competition. It won’t happen overnight, but these strategies can prove to be more effective than the standard promotional strategies.
