What are they and how to use them in everyday life

Mental triggers are psychological stimuli used by marketing to arouse a predictable response in the target audience. It is a more efficient way to encourage a purchase than creating, for example, an appealing campaign, with imperative verbs, like “buy this”, “use that”.

We call copywriting the strategy of writing in a way that attracts the reader's attention to induce the desired action.

Everything written in a commercial context can be considered copy. After all, even if the person writing does not know the powerful copywriting techniques, what that person writes has a clear purpose: to boost sales.

Suppose you are overweight and looking for a prescription medicine that will help you with your goal of losing weight. Which type of ad would catch your attention the most?

I) Learn how to lose weight quickly

II) Discover the method that helped 10,234 people reduce their fat percentage in just 3 weeks

Both imply practically the same message, indicating that they can help you lose a few pounds quickly. However, the way to convey the message is different. The second title is more convincing than the first.

The philosophy behind the main mental triggers

If marketing could choose a super power, it would definitely be reading people's minds. As this is not yet possible, copywriting proposes to incorporate concepts from psychology to dialogue with the voids, desires, fears and frustrations that lead a consumer to make a purchase.

Check out some infallible triggers below:

1. Reciprocity

This trigger works according to the maxim “kindness generates kindness”. It takes advantage of the natural tendency that most of us have to want to reciprocate, in an attentive way, a courteous gesture or attitude.

In other words, it consists of generating value for those who generate (or tend to generate) value for the company.

The simplest concrete example of activating this trigger is through offering bonuses or distributing free samples. Thiago Nigro, “O Primo Rico”, is an influencer in the area of ​​financial education who uses this tactic to promote ticket sales for his lecture.

In the call for enrollment, he offers, as a bonus, mentoring in a Facebook group and a book of his own, among other gifts.

This makes the person looking for a financial education course more likely to choose those who give them advantages.

Practical examples of reciprocity being used in everyday life:

“Secure your place by March 24th and have access to our exclusive WhatsApp group”

“Subscribe to our newsletter to receive exclusive tips and materials, which we do not publish on our website”

“Share this post and win a pair of tickets to the Raimundos show”

2. Authority

According to studies in the field of social psychology, Yale Attitude Change attributed the persuasive conversion of customers to the credibility of a character. This tactic attempts to “piggyback” on the notoriety of a figure who has some trait related to the values ​​one wishes to convey.

While your company does not have an advertising budget to cover the fee of a global actor or actress, invest in cheaper ways to prove your good reputation.

How about publishing testimonials from real customers who were satisfied with your product or service?

Practical examples of authority being used in everyday life:

“We are recognized by Revista Época as the best company to work for in the technology sector”

“More than 2 thousand customers served and satisfied in our applied management consultancy”

“We are the pioneering company in combustion technologies in Latin America”

3. New

Human beings tend to appreciate what is new. Novelty triggers the release of dopamine in the brain. This reaction is linked to the feeling of pleasure.

In the world we live in, no one wants to be outdated. The iPhone X may be in perfect condition and serve the public very well, but when Apple announces a new release, many people will replace the “old” device with the latest generation.

This reasoning applies to digital marketing as a whole. If your potential client is frequently impacted by the same ad, after the first contact, it is no longer interesting. The same goes for a regular customer who receives the same thank you message with each new purchase.

At first, the novelty instigates and captivates, but, after a while, these messages no longer have an effect, or they can even have the opposite effect and characterize your brand in a negative way, due to their repetitiveness.

Therefore, it's a good tip: regularly update your copywriting script on landing pages, automatic email responses, welcome pop-ups and ads on Instagram and/or Facebook. This is a great way to stay interesting to repeat visitors or customers.

Practical examples of the new product being used in everyday life:

“Exclusive methodology for students of our online course”

“Get access to exclusive agribusiness data and analysis”

“New Instagram feature allows you to monetize business profiles, find out more in our blogpost that just came out of the oven”

4. Taking responsibility for negative experiences

Recognizing and apologizing for the error is a great strategy for reversing a possible bad impression caused by an unforeseen situation. By publicly admitting a failure, the brand raises awareness by showing itself humanized and concerned about improving.

This is what the Reserva brand did in June 2018, to try to contain the negative repercussions generated by the controversial Valentine's Day campaign. After a barrage of negative comments criticizing the advertising, the brand took a position signaling a “pause” to reflect the effects caused by the campaign.

Soon after, he made his apology official, admitting that he had “made a bad mistake”. The stance was well accepted and valued by followers.

Mental triggers are pure psychology

Since it is not possible to read your audience's mind, use psychology to your advantage to write in a way that speaks to your persona's sensations, experiences and needs. And mental triggers are nothing more than that: understanding the best ways to impact your audience.

To this end, always focus on honest communication, as a two-way street. No company positions itself well when only it speaks. Listen to your audience and gradually improve your perception of the points that are capable of impacting you most eagerly.

If you are interested in learning more about copywriting as a tool for marketing triggers, click here and read our review of the book “Copywriting – The most coveted century-old writing method in the American market”, by Paulo Maccedo.