The Big Reveal: How to Use Psychology for Effective Marketing

Selling an idea or a product entails studying the mind of your target market. This may seem intimidating at first, but it actually is quite easy to do, even for busy entrepreneurs like you. You don’t even need a degree in psychology to understand the workings of a consumer’s mind, and to use such knowledge to your advantage.

Post that Photo!

There had been many studies made that validate the importance of pleasing photos in influencing positive consumer decisions. One such study pertains to consumers being influenced in their choice of beverage. The research made by Winkielman, Berridge, and Wilbarger (2005) exposed the respondents to two groups of pictures, one being positive while the other being negative, before presenting them the beverage choices available and their corresponding prices.  Results showed that consumers who have been exposed to pleasing, positive images purchased and drank more beverage compared to the other group.

This particular research proved and implicated so many truths about consumer behaviour. However, there is one thing that must be noted by Internet marketers like you: positive, pleasing images do influence consumers to spend more. For this reason, it’s only wise to include photos or images in every article you feature on your site. A gallery of images relevant to your product is also quite necessary to make your website attractive.

Getting the right photos is never a problem with the abundance of royalty free images on the web. If you don’t already know, royalty free images are photos or other forms of graphic representation that are being sold with a one-time fee for an unlimited number of uses. Royalty free images are affordable, costing as low as a dollar per photo. Some photographers or artists even offer a gallery or folder of photos for a very affordable price.

Sites like iStockphoto.com and photodune.com offer high-resolution images that come at an affordable cost. The best thing about purchasing images online is the fact that it’s easy to edit the images. And if you don’t know how to retouch a photo, all you have to do is download free Photoshop retouching videos and you’ll be an expert in no time.

Apart from purchasing royalty free images online, Internet entrepreneurs may also buy royalty free images from artists who sell the photos in hard copy or printout forms.

What’s Your Color?

Another strategy to use in improving the overall appearance of your web page or website is the use of colors. This method is also founded on psychology, as certain colors are believed to influence consumer decisions. Since shoppers or consumers regard the visual appearance and color as their primary gauge in purchasing a product, it’s only logical for you to value the importance of colors, too.

These five (5) colors and their corresponding meanings will surely make you do some changes on your choice of hues in designing your web page or website:

  1. Yellow. This color is used to grab the attention of busy shoppers, those who just browse and skim over the web. This color implies optimism and youthfulness.
  2. Red. This color is used to depict a sense of urgency in consumers. Most often used when advertising bargain or clearance sales, this color is said to increase the heart rate as well as the energy of people.
  3. Pink. This color is often used to market products for women. A romantic color, pink implies the sweet innocence and beauty of women, especially the young.
  4. Orange. This color is used to influence consumers to immediate action. Known as an aggressive hue, orange creates the sense of immediate resolve to buy a product or subscribe to a particular service.
  5. Blue. This color is used by advertisers to create the sense of trust. Often seen on banks and businesses, blue represents financial stability and security.

Using pleasing images and using the right colors to enhance your webpage, website or web article is necessary for you to be able to deepen the interest of your target market, as well as to influence them in making a positive action such as to make a purchase or to sign up for a subscription.

About the Author:

James Martell is an expert in using affiliate marketing podcast as an effective marketing tool. A full-time affiliate marketer since 1999, Martell has established a solid reputation. He is in demand for teaching and speaking in various institutions and engagements to share his knowledge.