Using Psychology to Create Content that Delivers
By Andrew Patricio
April 10, 2017
Teachers & Education
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As a small business, you’re short on time, so you’re likely not fortunate enough to develop all types of content. So take a page from psychology and get a shortcut to content that delivers.
Better Storytelling
A lot is written about the power of storytelling in marketing content. And for good reason; it works! But like a game of “telephone”, the details, and your brand, can get lost in the retelling. In his book, Contagious: Why Things Catch On, Wharton professor, Jonah Berger uses psychological studies to reveal how to influence people better. One such insight is around storytelling. Turns out not all storytelling is valuable for a brand because over time, in the retelling, the minor details get lost. However, psychological research found when your product or company is integral to the story, the brand or product benefits because it’s no longer lost in the retelling.
Color Theory
Color theory may seem a little out there, but for a small business, every edge counts. The psychology of color can’t be applied with broad strokes, it should be tested for your audience and the culture to which you market. But don’t think it doesn’t matter. A simple A/B test of your call to action button will show you that an orange or red button will generally perform better than a blue or purple button. Why? Because red puts the human brain on alert and draws attention. Orange is similar but a little less jolting, happier, like yellow. Now that’s information that is a valuable that you probably didn’t think to even test. As you design your website and business cards, think about your brand and what you want people to do and think after interacting with it, and support that desire with the right color.
The Right Type
Once you have a message to share, you’re faced with how you want to share it; in a whitepaper, or a video or an infographic? Maybe all but how do you know? Humans get most of our information through our eyes, so it’s no wonder that video content outperforms other content on Facebook. And it is why infographics are so popular as well. And, these are terrific for repurposing and sharing across your channels and in advertising so it’s a win-win.
Behavioral psychology is applicable to every aspect of life, but for a small business looking for an edge, it’s a powerful weapon too.
Better Storytelling
A lot is written about the power of storytelling in marketing content. And for good reason; it works! But like a game of “telephone”, the details, and your brand, can get lost in the retelling. In his book, Contagious: Why Things Catch On, Wharton professor, Jonah Berger uses psychological studies to reveal how to influence people better. One such insight is around storytelling. Turns out not all storytelling is valuable for a brand because over time, in the retelling, the minor details get lost. However, psychological research found when your product or company is integral to the story, the brand or product benefits because it’s no longer lost in the retelling.
Color Theory
Color theory may seem a little out there, but for a small business, every edge counts. The psychology of color can’t be applied with broad strokes, it should be tested for your audience and the culture to which you market. But don’t think it doesn’t matter. A simple A/B test of your call to action button will show you that an orange or red button will generally perform better than a blue or purple button. Why? Because red puts the human brain on alert and draws attention. Orange is similar but a little less jolting, happier, like yellow. Now that’s information that is a valuable that you probably didn’t think to even test. As you design your website and business cards, think about your brand and what you want people to do and think after interacting with it, and support that desire with the right color.
The Right Type
Once you have a message to share, you’re faced with how you want to share it; in a whitepaper, or a video or an infographic? Maybe all but how do you know? Humans get most of our information through our eyes, so it’s no wonder that video content outperforms other content on Facebook. And it is why infographics are so popular as well. And, these are terrific for repurposing and sharing across your channels and in advertising so it’s a win-win.
Behavioral psychology is applicable to every aspect of life, but for a small business looking for an edge, it’s a powerful weapon too.