content jam 2014 - andy crestodina - brain science and web marketing

Andy Crestodina@crestodina

orbitmedia.com/blog

Brain Science & Web Marketing

Persuasion Research… Social influence Research… Cognitive Bias Research… Social Psychology… Brain Scan Studies… MRI Research… Non-Rational, Unconscious Decision Making… Sociology… Eye-Tracking Studies… Behavioral Economics… Behavioral Science… Brain Science… Social Neuroscience… Neuromarketing!

Which sign will keep him on the path?

"The vast majority of past visitors have stayed on the established paths and trails, helping to preserve the natural state of the Sequoias and vegetation in this park."

"Many past visitors have gone off the established paths and trails, changing the natural state of the Sequoias and vegetation in this park."

"Please stay on the established paths and trails, in order to protect the Sequoias and natural vegetation in this park.”

"Please don't go off the established paths and trails, in order to protect the Sequoias and natural vegetation in this park.”

"The vast majority of past visitors have stayed on the established paths and trails, helping to preserve the natural state of the Sequoias and vegetation in this park."

"Many past visitors have gone off the established paths and trails, changing the natural state of the Sequoias and vegetation in this park."

"Please stay on the established paths and trails, in order to protect the Sequoias and natural vegetation in this park.”

"Please don't go off the established paths and trails, in order to protect the Sequoias and natural vegetation in this park.”

Others’ behavior, Positive

Others’ behavior, Negative

Desired behavior, Positive

Desired behavior, Negative

Which sign worked?

Source: Pat Winter, PhD,

SOCIAL PROOF1

“When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other.”

Eric HofferSocial Philosopher

Endorsement from Influencer

Trust from Awards and Memberships

source: Baymard Site Seal Trust Report

Testimonials = supportive evidence

Never make a testimonials page

Call to Action Conform

Signup Box Best Practices

1.Prominence

2.Promise

3.Proof!

Before…

After…

1900% increase. Not bad!

Everybody’s doing it!

As seen in…

As seen in…

Social Media Widgets

Social Proof Can Backfire!

1. Testimonials2. Endorsements3. Social Media Shares4. Social Media Widgets5. Certifications6. Number of happy customers7. “Our most popular” Best-seller8. Studies and Statistics9. Press Mentions10. Reviews

10 Ways to Offer Proof

“When you say it, it’s marketing…When they say it, it’s social proof.”

PRIMING2

How to double sales…

source: Get closer to your customers by understanding how they make their choices

Priming & Anchoring

More is Less

+ 233% Conversion Rate + 40% Average Order Value + 366% Average Revenue / Click

All varieties…

Top seller only…

source: Adlucent

Don’t give too many options on landing pages!

Too Many Options

source: 5 Easy Tips to Improve Every Blog Design

LOSS AVERSION& SCARCITY3

pain of loss > pleasure of gain

Operators are standing by. Please call now.

Save your data

Tickets available now.

Buy now and save $10.

Language of Scarcity and Loss

If operators are busy, please call again.

Don’t Lose your data.

It sold out last time.

Don’t throw away $10.

1. Rebates2. Trial Periods3. Free Samples4. Early bird registration5. Countdown Clocks6. Limited Supply

6 Ways to Leverage Loss/Safety

Remind readers what they’ll miss, risk or lose by not choosing you.

#FOMO

Contrast

source: Ted.com “Nancy Duarte: The secret structure of great talks”

WRITING TIPS4

List Order: Serial Position EffectReaders have higher attention and retention for items at the beginning and end of lists

Word Choice: Short, Simple

Success rates after rewriting a health care site for an 8th grade level readability…

source: NN Group, Lower-Literacy Users: Writing for a Broad Consumer Audience

Headlines: Emotions Get SharedContent that evokes specific emotions is more likely to be shared…

source: What makes online content go viral?

Format for Readers Scanners

source: 5 Easy Tips to Improve Every Blog Design

VISUAL TIPS5

Use of Images

Are articles by neuroscientistsmore credible when they includeimages of fMRI brain scans?

What if the image is irrelevant?

Yes. Pictures = Persuasion

Source: Neuromarketing, Brain Image Bias

Colors, Trucks and Hegwig Von Restorff

Source: Techwys, Heatmaps for Improved Landing Page Conversion

Action Colors & Conversions

Eye Tracking Studies show…

…you look where they look!

Are you an optimist? Or pessimist?

Baskerville…“If a one kilometer asteroid had approached the Earth on a collision course at any time in human history before the early twenty-first century, it would have killed at least a substantial proportion of all humans.”

“If a one kilometer asteroid had approached the Earth on a collision course at any time in human history before the early twenty-first century, it would have killed at least a substantial proportion of all humans.”

Comic Sans…

Source: New York Times, Hear, All Ye People; Hearken, O Earth.

Baskerville, the most credible font

More Brains…• List of Cognitive Biases (Wikipedia)• Web Design Tips Based on Brain Science• 15 behavioral marketing posts you shouldn’t miss• Stanford Web Credibility Lab• List of 81 Neuromarketing Books

Anything by…• Robert Cialdini• Gregory Ciotti• Derek Halpern

Andy Crestodina@crestodina

orbitmedia.com/blog

Thank you!