In the past, we’ve covered how persuasion in copywriting is a powerful tool. But if a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how strong videos can be. There’s no question that video has changed the digital marketing game. So how do you use that to your advantage? With video marketing, tapping into persuasion can be harder than it is with copy. That being said, it is possible and it’s very powerful.
Why Persuasion?
Persuasion helps you stand out among a crowded room of your competition. When a user floods through as many ads as they have to in today’s age, persuasion is what leads them to make the purchase. Some ways that you can influence and persuade people are likeability, authority, and social proof. These tools, covered in the book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” are only a few of the keys to persuading people. But how do you use these in videos?
Translating Onto Video
Likeability is an easy one to portray through videos. Maybe you do this with compliments to the viewer, or maybe you do this by showing your initiatives. Whatever it is, people who like you are more likely to buy from you. So use these tools (or others) to show that likeability through your videos to make powerful content.
Authority can be harder to get right, but it’s incredibly useful. Since society has taught us to respect authority figures, people will automatically trust them. This builds credibility which is almost always crucial in persuading an audience. Getting someone in a position of authority to speak on your video is a great way to stand out.
Social proof – what exactly is social proof? Social proof is what happens when something is popular, or people hear about it from people they trust. While it’s similar to the authority tactic, you don’t necessarily need to have the title of firefighter, principal, etc. You just need to use popularity to your advantage.
These are only a select few of the many different ways you can use persuasion. But when they’re used in video marketing, they can change the way a consumer thinks of your ad and, with that, your brand.
