Why You Buy: 3 Marketing Psychology Tricks That Work

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Trick the human brain into making a purchase

I’m a huge marketing nerd. Marketing psychology tricks and strategies were borne out of our understanding of the human brain. I love how scientists have just come to understand our brains so much that almost anyone could hack them.

It’s true what they say: knowledge is power.

So, if you’re a business owner looking for ways to create clients, a marketer looking to generate more revenue, or just someone interested in learning about how businesses get you to buy — and maybe break that spell — please read on.

Marketing Psychology and How It Works

You’ve seen marketing tactics been used before – whether you know it or not. Arm yourself to the teeth with these marketing tricks.

Random Rewards

Think about slot machines in a casino. People pay to play the game in anticipation of randomly winning a reward. They may get dismayed when the machines run a little dry, but “no, the win always comes”, they say.

And when it does — because it always does — the machine showers the player with gifts, rewards, and a whole lot of dopamine.

The player tries repeatedly, maybe winning one or two more times, but ultimately just chasing the adrenaline rush of the random reward.

Random rewards work because they trigger your brain’s dopamine rewards system — making you feel good and happy while you keep pulling the handle at the slots machine.

In the context of marketing, retailers could offer variable discounts or create events that encourage engagement and on-the-spot rewards.

Using social media as an example, the algorithm rewards you with good content the more you use the platform.

Content creators and growth marketers are just people addicted to the thrill of having someone seemingly random like your photo. There’s tension, anticipation, and reward.

It’s the perfect recipe for building an addicted following.

Loss Aversion / Foot-in-the-door

Loss aversion is the cognitive bias principle that surmises that humans experience losses more severely than equivalent gains.

Think about it; it hurts more to lose $100 than to find $100 on the street. People are naturally resistant to change, and we tend to be risk-averse. In effect, we focus more on what we might lose rather than what we might get.

In marketing, a retailer might use this trick to upsell users on their offerings — because it hurts a buyer to lose something they already have.

This is why free trials work so well in converting SaaS businesses.

It hurts to have to give up access to a service, so you’re willing to do whatever it takes (even pay a hefty sum) to keep that subscription.

Wait… is that how Netflix upped its subscribers this quarter?

Color Psychology

Color Psychology is the process of using color and light to influence an individual’s perception of a brand. Up to 90% of people decide their first impression of a brand based on the color of their logo.

This means the possibility of someone buying from you is affected within the first 5 seconds a buyer sees you.

Here’s how each color affects customer perception:

Blue: trust, loyal, dependable

Purple: wisdom, wealth, regality
Orange: courage, confidence, energy
Red: power, passion, fearlessness

Green: hope, nature, prosperity
Yellow: optimistic, warm, happy
Black: sleek, powerful, sophisticated

White: clean, pure, pristine

As 93% of consumers make purchasing decisions based on visuals and how they feel, you’ll begin to understand the value of color psychology.

McDonald’s does a great job of capitalizing on color psychology. Think about its colors: red and yellow. Seeing red can make people feel hungry, causing them to buy.

If that doesn’t work, then the yellow overtones of McDonald’s invoke the feeling of happiness and warmth — fostering a positive relationship between you and the brand.