Advertising is a powerful form of communication, capable of influencing consumer behaviour. In this blog post we’ll explore the various ways that advertisers attempt to influence their customers and what they can do in order to avoid falling into these traps.
Do you remember the first time you were exposed to advertising? What about the last time? It’s likely that even if it was decades ago, your brain can still recall how it made you feel and what thoughts ran through your head.
How does advertising affect consumer behaviour? This question is one of the most debated topics in marketing. There are two schools of thought on this topic. 1) that advertising doesn’t work, and 2) that it works very well. The first school of thought believes that consumers are too smart to be manipulated by ads, while the second believes that the ads do not create real effects but rather change our perceptions or attitudes about a product.
The truth is somewhere in between these two ideas as advertising can have different effects on consumers’ behaviours, depending on what it’s trying to achieve with the ad campaigns.
This blog post will explore some key insights on advertising’s effect on consumer behaviour. It will specifically explore how it affects persuasion levels among consumers. We will also examine why this is important for marketers who want to understand how to attract customers through various types of advertisements.
What is consumer behaviour
Consumer behaviour is the study of how consumers act in marketing situations. Understanding consumer behaviour is crucial for marketers, as it can help them devise effective strategies to build and maintain customer relationships.
Consumer behaviour has been studied extensively by academics and professionals alike. The goal is to understand what motivates people to buy certain products or services, when they are most likely to purchase a product or service and which factors influence their decision-making process.
How advertising influence consumer behaviour
The concept of “advertising” is well-known, and we all know that it exists. What you may not know is how advertising affects consumer behaviour. Advertising has been found to change the way people think about themselves, their relationships with others, and what they believe in. When done correctly, advertising can create a positive self image for an individual. That image will then influence their purchases and other decisions they make in life.
Companies spend billions of dollars per year on consumer research in order to better understand how they can target their advertising efforts. For example, advertisers try to identify both positive and negative emotions that are tied with products or services. If a consumer is feeling bad, it’s likely that the product will appear more appealing since it provides an escape route from whatever they’re feeling at that moment.
Advertisers bombard us daily with messages imploring us to change our attitudes and buy new products. These persuasion attempts can range from logical arguments to graphic images. Let’s dive in on some of the factors that make marketing communications so effective.
1. Reciprocity
In simple terms, reciprocity refers to giving something with the expectation that something will be given back. It’s an exchange where both parties feel like they’ve received value – which is why it often feels like such a “fair” trade or deal. As marketers, we can leverage reciprocity by providing our audience with content they want before asking them for anything in return.
2. Scarcity
“Hurry and get this offer before it expires!”. “Only until midnight tonight.”. “Time is running out!”. These phrases are so common in today’s society, but what exactly does scarcity mean? In marketing, scarcity means limiting the availability of something to create a sense of urgency. It can be used as a valuable tool for marketers to increase their conversion rates.
3. Authority
Authority is something that’s earned over time by consistently delivering quality content and establishing yourself as an expert in your field. It applies to someone who people turn to for guidance on how to do things better. It’s important because when you have authority within your industry or niche, you become valuable as a resource for those looking for direction on how to proceed with their business plans and marketing campaigns. This explains why the U.S. public’s opinion on an issue can shift by 2 percent when the New York Times runs an article about it.
4. Consistency
The idea of consistency is often thrown around in marketing. But what does it mean? Consistency is the ability to maintain a message with your audience. You need to stay true to the tone you set, be consistent with your messaging. Most importantly, you need to remain consistent on how you are expressing yourself online. If you are not being authentic with your content then it will come across dishonest, which will lead to negative results for your brand.
5. Liking
We tend to agree with those we like or admire. In marketing, it’s important for consumers to feel positively about your company before they buy anything from you. A good way to do this is by providing information about yourself or your products without sounding salesy or pushy. One way you can do this on your website is by improving customer reviews on your product pages or adding testimonials to your website.
Consumer motivation
Consumer motivation is a key driver of marketing. It is the tension that causes an individual to buy a product or service, and it can be increased through advertising campaigns.
When marketers advertise their products they are attempting to increase customer motivation by reducing that tension and showing how the product will improve their lives in some way. In order for this strategy to work, marketers must understand what motivates consumers and use that knowledge when designing ads.
Consumer decision-making process
Marketers and advertisers know that the consumer decision-making process is a complex one. They also know that ads influence the consumer decision-making process. That’s why companies all over the world spend tons of money on advertisements.
With these ads, advertisers hope to intervene in one of the decision-making stages the consumer goes through. These stages are: problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, product choice and finally, the outcome – buying the product.
The psychology of buyers and decision-makers is a complicated topic. Even the most seasoned marketers may not be able to answer some questions without further research and thought on their own part, so don’t feel bad if you’re stumped by something.
However, there are many aspects that affect consumer behaviour in various ways. That can help you understand your customers better, as well as what motivates them to make purchases or take certain actions online.
Check out our article “What Is Consumer Behavior?” for more information about this important subject! Which aspect do you think has the biggest effect on people’s buying habits?
