How do you get people to buy your products and services, or vote for your candidate? You need persuasive advertising. This article will teach you how to use the same techniques that companies like Facebook, Google, Coca-Cola and Microsoft use to persuade their customers into buying more of their products or using their services. It’s not about manipulation, it’s about understanding human psychology so you can craft effective ads that get results.
What Is Persuasive Advertising?
Persuasive advertising uses creative and emotional techniques to get customers to buy a product or service.
It can encourage people to buy products and services based on the idea of who they want to become, not just what they want.
Most Persuasive Ads We’ve Ever Seen
Streeteasy: Find your place: There’s something about finding a place to live that makes you feel like Goldilocks. You need it too be just right, but if its not then people don’t want anything at all! The “Find Your Place” campaign is a great way for Streeteasy to advertise their New York real estate app. It’s relatable because everyone has experienced the relief of finding exactly what they were looking for: a new and exciting place to call home.
Curio.io: Most Interesting Person: Curio is an app that condenses the news for you in a fun and interesting way. Listeners can choose from different categories like business, tech, or world affairs to get their daily dose of information on any topic they want!
OTTO Greenpoint: Endless Amenities: OTTO is a new way to find and rent apartments. OTTO is not Streeteasy. OTTP 221’s advertisements feature beautiful rooms and comfortable beds to attract potential tenants, unlike online listings which only show location or number of bedrooms.
Burger King: Shadow Campaign: It’s no surprise that the Burger King has been running a clever Twitter ad campaign, and this time they have enlisted social media users to help them fight against Wendy’s.
Heinz: Ed Sheeran: Apparently, Ed Sheeran is Heinz Ketchup’s biggest fan. This silly commercial was part of the company’s UK ad campaign and it features a song called “I’m On A Mission From God” by Eminem because what better way to sell ketchups than through music?
Benefits of persuasive advertising
Focuses on user-oriented approach
Persuasive advertising is a type of advertising which attempts to convince potential customers that one product or service is superior over others in some way.
Advertising that persuades has always been an integral part of advertising and promotion, whether it was meant for a commercial or a social cause. It is a popular medium for many organizations, and some maintain their marketing budget almost exclusively on persuasive advertising.
The benefits of using persuasive advertising are immense to all types of businesses.
Not only does it help in creating brand awareness and building corporate images, but also helps in gaining more customers through targeting the right demographics, increasing market share and boosting sales through showcasing product features in an engaging manner.
Establishes credibility
Persuasive advertising can establish a company’s credibility in the marketplace. By offering a deal, the consumer knows that the product must be desirable enough to offer such an enticing price cut.
In other words, if a product isn’t worth its list price, it wouldn’t even get marked down 50%. Persuasive advertising is also beneficial because it promotes the idea that a company has faith in its prducts.
For these reasons, persuasive advertising is beneficial for companies. It can increase market share and establish credibility in the eyes of consumers, two things that every company wants to accomplish.
Builds brand loyalty
The benefits of persuasive advertising are endless. Persuasive ads build brand loyalty in the minds of consumers, which maximizes brand awareness and effectively increases revenue. One major benefit of persuasive advertising is that it is built to produce an emotional response in its audience.
With the ability to stir up emotions like fear, anger, sadness, etc., there is no limit to what your persuasive ad could convince a consumer to buy. Another benefit of persuasive advertising is its ability to convey a brand message in a succinct and effective manner.
The moment you think about an advertisement, you can probably remember the product it was trying to sell. Whether we realize it or not, that’s proof that ads work and influence our decisions as consumers.
You might not remember your thoughts or feelings about an ad you’ve seen, but you’ll remember the brand and product the ad was selling. Persuasive ads also improve brand recall for brands, their products, and their competitors.
Disadvantages of persuasive advertising
In today’s information age, persuasive advertising is a necessary for almost all successful businesses. Advertisers can use this form of advertising to generate more sales and increase revenue by convincing potential customers to purchase their product or service. However, there are many disadvantages to using persuasive advertising. After examining the advantages, it is necessary to consider these disadvantages.
Persuasive advertising is effective because it tends to create a desire for the product. The main goal of any advertisement is to make people want the advertised item, so persuasive advertising serves this purpose well. However, after seeing an advertisement, the potential customer may still resist buying the advertised product or service, but they are more likely to do so because they are now more familiar with it.
This familiarity with the product is often based on false information. The goal of persuasive advertising is to make people want to purchase the advertised item, so obviously ads will not include information that would deter consumers from buying their product.
However, this can backfire later when customers are disappointed with the product. If they are not familiar with the negative aspects of the product, they may believe that it does not have any flaws and continue to buy products from that company.
Persuasive advertising techniques
The carrot and the stick: The carrot and the stick technique is a communication method that aims to get humans excited about something. An advertisement focused on carrots highlights all of its benefits, enticing consumers who will feel hopeful after seeing this message because they want what’s best for themselves or someone else in their lives too.
The scarcity principle: It’s hard not to want what others have when we think they can’t get any more. This is why marketers use phrases like “limited availability” or an exclusive offer in order for us consumers, believe that there are only a certain number of items available and make them feel powerless by telling us these things will never go away so I’m going after it while my competitors aren’t!
One message per advertisement: The only way to get people’s attention is by using a one-message per advertisement strategy. This allows you do more than just interest the consumer, it also highlights any strong benefits or features of your product which will help them better understand its value and increase their likelihood for purchase!
Second person verbiage: Remember when you were a kid and everything seemed like it would be okay? That feeling is back. The second person verbiage technique focuses on using “you” language to engage your customers, so they’ll feel connected with themselves in the narrative of how their lives will change once we have this new product out!
Audience has a sense of control: The technique of giving your audience a sense of control makes it easier for consumers to buy what you’re selling. To make the decision an informed one without being pressured, this can be done through phrases like “Feel free” or by not putting any pressure on the customer at all.
Call-to-value: This technique showcases the product in the best possible light. Rather than asking for action, this call-to-value advertisement simply calls on consumers’ imagination and visualization skills by making sure that all elements of copy, from imagery down, clearly communicate any benefits.
Bandwagon appeal: The bandwagon technique is a persuasive marketing strategy that uses the popularity and perceived necessity of an item to make consumers feel like they are missing out on something if they don’t buy it. It appeals not only our desire for belonging, but also fear in being different than those around us having “no one else know how good this stuff really works.”
Celebrity testimonial or association: We all know the power of a well-placed celebrity testimonial. They can make your product seem luxurious, desirable and almost worth buying on its own merit! When used strategically they’re an excellent tool for increasing sales, whether you want motivation or association from their fans is up to how creative with marketing strategy that suits your personality best!
Emotional appeal: Emotional advertising can make consumers feel a certain way and cause them to take action, whether that’s buying something or not. Ads try any emotion that might distract people from rational thinking like happiness in order for an advertisement only on how they’re feeling at the moment so these emotional appeals may work better than others depending upon who you are trying reaching with this technique
Humor: Humor is a technique that tries to make audiences laugh. The audience members will think of the product positively after they are done laughing, and in some cases may influence them enough for purchase decisions too! Humorous content can include sketches or cartoons with funny undertones anything at all really as longs as there’s an element comic tone going on somewhere within it.
Anti-bandwagon appeal: The anti-bandwagon appeal technique is an effective marketing strategy because it appeals to a person’s desire to be unique. This may present the product as a way for consumers express their own style and embrace individuality by subscribing with this company that stands out from others in some way, even if its just through colorful packaging or dominant color schemes on products themselves!
Slogan: Slogans are common advertising techniques. A company’s slogan is a tagline or phrase they use in its advertising, and companies often repeat slogans to make sure consumers remember them because these short pieces of text can be powerful tools for attracting new customers with their desire for inspiration.
Glittering generality: When an advertiser is trying to sell a product, they might use the glittering generality technique. This involves filling their ad copy with words that have positive connotations and vague messages in order attract people’s attention or get them on board for what you’re selling.
Product comparison: The product comparison technique is a way to highlight the benefits of choosing your product over competitors. With this technique, an advertisement includes two or more products with detailed specifications about them in order for customers who are shopping around on their next purchase decision-making process and wants know what they’re getting themselves into by picking one particular brand before making that final choice easier by comparing features between all available options.
Repetition: It’s a well-known fact that repetition is the key to making something stick in our brains. Although persuasive advertising can be powerful and effective, there are some drawbacks to using this technique. One such drawback is the risk of losing focus on other things we need or want because all attention is drawn to one particular point, which can cause us not to consider anything else going on around us, whether good or bad.
Weasel words: The weasel words technique is a way to sell your product without explicitly promising results.
These positive-sounding phrases have the potential for good things, but don’t always deliver on them in reality due to being vague about what exactly it means when using this language strategy while advertising products and services online or offline.
Avant-garde: The avant-garde technique appeals to a consumer’s desire for the first one in on something. This type of advertisement suggests that they’re an early adaptor and willing take risks with new technology all qualities people want these days!
Magic ingredients: The magic ingredients technique suggests something about the product makes it unique from its competitors. This may be some kind of seemingly miraculous discovery that creates an exceptionally effective treatment or supplement, but this sort of exaggeration must not involve lying as there is no point in telling a story you know isn’t true just to make your invention sound better than what’s really out there already!
Transfer: Ads that rely on the transfer technique will try to create a positive impression of your product. They may include images or words that are good-looking, but most importantly they’ll rely heavily on connotations, which means what you think about them!
Plain folks: The Plain Folks Technique is all about showing how practical a product really can be. These advertisements show that they are suitable for ordinary people, with an emphasis on making the products seem appealing and like good values in themselves without any special advertising bells or whistles attached to them just plain ol’ honesty from one advertiser telling us what he has at hand!
Snob appeal: The Snob appeal technique is designed to make the buyer feel like they are part of an elite group. They want this so badly, that it’s clear from their ads alluding whatsoever with different lifestyles and appearances as well as suggesting what type of person would have access or purchase these items- someone who already lives a luxurious lifestyle with high status in society.
Bribery: In order to get you on board with their product, companies will offer something extra. This can be anything from free samples or discounts in exchange for signing up and showing how much we care about our customers’ needs, which makes this an incentive technique!
Persuasive Advertising Examples
Nikol: Showing, not telling your audience about the product’s benefits is one of the best ways to capture attention and get an emotional response. In this case, Nikol’s paper towels can’t actually turn grapes into raisins but by highlighting their absorbent powers in such a clever way they didn’t need write any copy at all!
Heinz: When it comes to food, the word “hot” has multiple meanings. Heinz brilliantly used this connotation in their marketing strategy by highlighting how spicy ketchup is and attracting people’s attention with creativity that would make even Steve Jobs proud!
Mondo Pasta: The Mondo Pasta ad is a perfect example of guerrilla marketing with its use of unexpected creativity and literal pictures. Its unique design makes it hard for people’s eyes to look away from this advertisement, which also aligns the copy in line with what they come across when looking at an image like this one without context as well.
Bic: The Bic Company, well known for their unconventional, simple and creative advertising. They take advantage of an unkempt field to highlight the power of a razor in what seems like just another mowing session on some grassland across town!
Siemens: A humorous Siemens ad features a library full of their appliances. It starts with an old-fashioned washer and dryer in the corner, but then it’s revealed that its not alone! There are also refrigerators stocked with food on shelves behind the washer and dryer, so people can grab what they need without raising noise complaints from neighbors, even though these quiet machines have no doorbells or anything other than vague legends about how someday someone might invent something called “a microwave” (which doesn’t exist).
Pepsi: “More Than OK” poked fun at how Pepsi usually takes a back seat to Coke, especially when it comes time for the check. And by featuring a star-studded cast that included Steve Carell and Cardi B (who hilariously backed up their claim) they were able to get people laughing before calling them out about all of these assumptions made against them in regards with soft drinks like “Pepsi.”
Match.com:The year 2020 was a challenging one, and people felt it. Match.com channeled this collective feeling with an ad depicting Satan meeting his perfect match. The coming new era of change: A woman wearing devil horns while sitting at the table which represents power in Christianity symbolism (signifying rulership over believers).
Informative Advertising
Informative advertising is a form of product placement where advertisers pay for their products and services to be used in shows with existing, large audiences. This placement can come in several forms, including mention of a product or service by name.
This type of advertising is popular with both the advertisers and the television show’s networks. The advertisers get the largest audience possible for their investment, while the networks are able to secure additional revenue without having to create new programming.
Informative Advertising Examples
Miller Lite: After Bud Light took some jabs at Miller Lite for using corn syrup in their beer during the Super Bowl 53 ads, it was Miller lite’s turn to throw a few punches back. The company revealed on Twitter that their product has fewer calories and carbs than Bud Light, and may even be healthier to drink.
Siskiyou Eye Center: Carrots may not be able to improve your eyesight, but this ad is still relying on the facts that Siskiyou Eye Center provides quality treatment for all types of vision problems.
Burger King: In 2020, Burger King announced that they will be removing artificial ingredients from their products in order to make them more appetizing. The goal of this ad was not only announce the company’s new direction but also show how much time has passed since everyone started eating these modified sandwiches!
Calm: By sponsoring CNN’s coverage of the 2020 US Presidential Campaign, popular meditation app Calm was positioned as helpful resource ready to educate on mindfulness during a turbulent time. This clever marketing strategy increased downloads by 40%.
Dove: In the new Dove reverse selfie campaign, the ad encourages social media users to take a look at themselves in front of an audience. The ad depicts how being constantly exposed online and having devices constantly monitoring what we do or say about ourselves through text messages could potentially affect self-esteem and body image issues that young people may have.
Google: Last year, Google released a Black History Month ad called “The Most Searched.” The video highlighted the most important moments in African-American history by showing clips of famous figures who made an impact on our world and gave viewers insight into what they were doing at that time. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech during civil rights movement coverage. Barack Obama celebrated his election victory as president after race relations were finally healed. Isabelle Gerson was born three months before women’s suffrage.
Persuasive advertising vs. informative advertising: which one is better?
Persuasive advertising, which is used to convince an audience of something they don’t want or need.
Informative ads aim to provide knowledge and information for those seeking it. Both strategies try their hardest not just to make you think about the message but also to evoke feelings in order to make you take action.
Whether that means buying a product from our competitor’s store instead, signing up as soon as possible with this particular email list!
Why is advertising persuasive?
Persuasive advertising is used to convince an audience of something they don’t want or need. The most persuasive advertisements are those that are either entertaining or informative, but not both at the same time.
Without advertising, companies would have no way of persuading their customers on why they should buy their product instead of another company’s product.
What are persuasive advertising techniques?
Persuasive advertising techniques promote or advertise a product, service, idea, or event in order to convince the consumer that it is good and that they should purchase it.
Persuasive advertising is most effective when an advertisement appeals to human emotions rather than intellect, therefore the advertiser uses techniques including slogans, jingles, testimonials, and imagery to create positive feelings towards the product.
What is the difference between persuasive and informative advertising?
A “persuasive” message tries to convince the consumer that buying the product is beneficial while an “informative” message tries to teach the consumer about a product.
Persuasive messages are generally ads that show people using the product or features of them, whereas informative messages talk more about what goes into making them or how they work.
Conclusion
Persuasive advertising is a form of marketing that highlights the benefits or features of a product to entice customers. It has been around for centuries and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon because it works!
The persuasive techniques used can influence consumers’ decision-making process so you need to be aware of how they work in order to protect your brand against unwanted negative sentiment
