Ancient Brain Meets Modern Times

Over thousands of years, the fundamental functioning of our brain has hardly changed. Despite the rapid development of our environment, particularly through advances in technology, our brain still operates according to the same principles that already guided the thinking and actions of our ancestors. The once survival-critical automatisms find application for us today in a completely different context: in marketing.

Through understanding and applying psychological principles, brands can communicate more deeply with their target audiences, convey relevant messages, and build lasting connections. From the way we make decisions to our reactions to certain stimuli – knowledge of these psychological effects enables the development of strategic marketing approaches. We present 5 of these mechanisms today.

1. Reciprocity

We all already know the principle of give and take from our own childhood – and the law of reciprocity is basically nothing else. When someone does us a favor, we have the urge to give something back. We've all borrowed sugar from our neighbors or gotten rides from friends somewhere. And wanted to show our appreciation in some way afterward.

In the social context, relationships naturally build on this principle. And in online marketing, this works excellently too. Because where gifts are distributed, a service provider binds the user to them. If you also want to use this psychological trigger for your website, you have several options. Ask yourself how you can give something to your target audience as cost- and resource-efficiently as possible – to then maximally benefit from the user's perceived obligation to reciprocate. Which "sweetener" is best suited can vary depending on the industry and service. We've compiled a few ideas here:

  • Free e-books or whitepapers
  • Webinars or online courses
  • Free one-time consultation
  • Discount codes or vouchers
  • Free product samples

Don't let your investment run into the void: To measure success, you should define clear KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) in advance that reflect the Return on Investment (ROI). Conversion rates, increased customer loyalty, or direct user feedback can provide valuable insights.

Ultimately, the focus should be on sustainability and building long-term relationships. Reciprocity strategies must not be misunderstood as short-term tactics, but as part of a broader effort to foster trust and loyalty.

2. Commitment and Consistency

This has surely happened to you before: You've added new pants to your shopping cart in an online shop and already matching belts are displayed to you. In this moment you realize that you actually need a new belt and therefore continue browsing in the same online shop. Commitment and consistency are based on the fact that people have a deep need to keep their actions and beliefs consistent. Once made, decisions serve as anchor points for future behavior – a phenomenon that occurs in all areas of life. So you certainly have your favorite coffee brand or your favorite shoe brand too. Simply because you're satisfied and the brands are familiar to you, you return to them again and again.

You can easily use this psychological effect for your website. For example, offer a free guide for download. Users who decide to download this guide have already shown an initial commitment. They are now more willing to take further steps that are consistent with this first step, such as signing up for a newsletter or participating in a webinar. To use this principle effectively, you should guide users gradually with small requests or requirements before making larger requests.

Another tip: Use GA4 and other analytics tools to understand how visitors interact with your website. Track the paths they take, especially after downloading your guide or a similar engagement action. Identify where users may hesitate or leave the website, and use these insights to eliminate barriers and improve the user experience.

3. Social proof

Social proof is one of the strongest tools in marketing. It's based on the idea that people use the behavior of others as a guideline for their own behavior in certain situations. An everyday example: You're walking through the pedestrian zone and discover 2 ice cream parlors. At one ice cream parlor, there's not a soul. You could order directly at the counter without waiting. At the other ice cream parlor, there's a long line. Everyone is standing in the blazing sun waiting for their turn. Which ice cream parlor do you choose? According to the psychological principle of social proof, you would have to join the line at the busy ice cream parlor – even though you're accepting a long wait time. Objectively, this makes little sense, yet your decision is based on ancient psychological patterns. Because you conclude from the line of customers at the busy ice cream parlor that the ice cream there is particularly good. Specifically, because you trust and follow the assessment of the large crowd.

This is also why social media advertising with influencers works so well. When trustworthy people in our environment are enthusiastic about a certain product, we're more inclined to buy the same product. By highlighting customer reviews, testimonials, and case studies on your website, you can show potential customers that your product or service has already been successfully used by others. This builds trust and shows that an investment in your company is worthwhile.

4. Scarcity

Scarcity can actually be explained quite well symbolically using natural resources like gold. The fact that it's a rare resource increases the value of gold immensely. That we humans react so strongly to scarcity has, among other things, evolutionary and social-psychological reasons. On one hand, it was vital for our ancestors to react to scarce resources (like water or food) and collect them. Therefore, the need to collect or buy rare things is deeply rooted in us. On the other hand, we have the feeling that products are very scarce due to their popularity. Because when many people buy one and the same product, the stock decreases.

In the marketing context, the perceived scarcity of a product or service can significantly increase its attractiveness. You can apply scarcity on your website in various ways to increase urgency and motivate users to act. A classic example of applying this psychological effect is time-limited offers. By setting up a countdown that shows the remaining time until the offer expires, you can create a sense of urgency. Another method is displaying limited stock to signal that only a few units of a product are still available. These tactics motivate users to make quick purchase decisions to not miss the opportunity.

5. Anchoring Effect

The anchoring effect describes the tendency to unconsciously rely on the first information offered when making decisions. The psychological background can be explained by our natural inclination to reduce complexity and make quick judgments based on available information. The first value we hear or see sets a reference point by which we measure subsequent information. Even if this anchor is possibly arbitrary or irrelevant to the actual decision, it still has a strong influence on our judgment.

An example: Imagine you go to a new restaurant and see a dish on the menu for 50 euros. This high price serves as an anchor. When you then see another dish for 30 euros, it appears much cheaper and more attractive compared to the anchor price of 50 euros, even if 30 euros for a dish can still be expensive. The original anchor price influences your perception of the value and appropriateness of prices for other dishes on the menu.

In e-commerce, this can be utilized through pricing by, for example, displaying the original price next to the reduced price to increase the perceived value of the offer. What's special, however, is that the first-mentioned number doesn't necessarily have to be a price for the effect to occur. So it's already enough if you initially make statements on your website like: "We've already convinced 5000 customers!". This sets the anchor and you can continue and subconsciously put the product price further down the page in relation to it.

Would you also like sales-psychologically optimized content on your website? Our online marketing team understands that every company is unique. We customize our strategies individually to not only attract attention, but to foster genuine engagement and loyalty to your brand. Our expertise in applying the presented psychological principles can help you increase conversion rates, improve customer loyalty, and ultimately increase your revenue.