Internet Marketing - Matt Bailey [107]
Figure 10-4: Sylvan’s proof by comparison
Sylvan makes a claim that its prep course will reduce your anxiety and increase your test score. It backs up this claim by bulleting how this will happen and then presenting a chart showing the advantages of the Sylvan system compared to the other test prep providers. By making the claim and backing up that claim on the same page, Sylvan has established a logical proof, which will enhance its credibility.
Tuesday: Use Emotion to Convince the Reader
Of all the tools available to the persuader, none is more effective than the use of emotion. Aristotle thought much of the use of emotion, but he warned against its overuse in persuasion, especially at the expense of credibility or logic, because, eventually, people will tire and will not respond favorably over time.
In Greek Rhetoric and Literary Criticism (Longmans, Green, 1928), W. Rhys Roberts summarizes the topics in Book II of Aristotle’s Rhetoric as follows: “Study human nature. Observe the characters and emotions of your audience, as well as your own character and emotions.” Book II is a fascinating exposition of the many emotions that can be used for persuasion. Aristotle explains groups of emotions and also addresses how to use the emotional proof differently with each type of audience, such as young men vs. older men.
Chapter 7 introduced the sales technique of building “a need beyond the need.” This is most effective when the “need beyond the need” is an emotional need. Selling to the emotions and creating the emotional need are critical parts of developing a connection and getting a more immediate conversion. Your search visitors are searching to satisfy a need, so by meeting that need logically and then creating an emotional need that can be satisfied with your product, service, or content, you strengthen the persuasive abilities of your marketing to gain a faster conversion. When researching your audience, one of the most critical activities is to build the psychographic understanding of the character of your audience. By understanding the needs and roles that are important to this audience and tapping into this need, your product goes beyond a commodity and into a valued part of life.
By associating strong emotions with the goal, it actually makes the sales process deeper. Well-established brands and companies can sell solely on the basis of emotion, because they are so tied to an emotion, and the product sale is secondary. When you can turn the decision to purchase or use your company to an emotional satisfaction, you can then build that into a long-term relationship with a customer (so long as you deliver what you promise). Let’s take a look at some companies that are using emotion to great effect in their marketing.
Western Governors University: Offering Self-Improvement
To start off, let’s compare two websites selling the same thing: online degree completion programs (Figures 10-5 and 10-6).
Figure 10-5: Western Governors University uses the emotional draw effectively.
Figure 10-6: EarnMyDegree.com does not use an emotional association.
The website for Western Governors University develops a message of “becoming more” and uses images of nontraditional students graduating and receiving degrees. The visual emotion is built by connecting with people in similar life situations and the desire to “become more.” “Becoming more” is a powerful concept, because it is developed in large part by the receiver of this message. The advertisement simply plants the seed of “become more,” and the more the receiver hears and dwells on that message, whether it is simply completing the degree, getting a new job, starting over in life, or starting a business, the “more” is defined by the customer, not the company. The open-ended message is designed to put the onus of the emotional proof into the mind of the visitor.
EarnMyDegree.com simply offers a how-to message. There is no emotional plea and no sense of satisfaction or accomplishment communicated. As a result,