The 6 Principles of Persuasion come from Influence by Robert Cialdini, which is every marketer’s Holy Grail. Here are 6 tactics to influence your customers:

1. Reciprocity – If a business makes selfless investments in the customer’s joy, the customer is likely to return or reciprocate by making a purchase.

Tip: Offer discounts, free samples, gifts on special occasions, etc.

2. Commitment – If the brand values connect with a person’s self-image, they are more likely to consistently follow and advocate for the brand.

Tip: Create customer personas and use audience insights to target your audience.

3. Social Proof – If a brand is well-accepted and loved in our social circle, we are more likely to be persuaded to make purchases from that brand.

Tip: Prominently place your customer testimonials, and invite user-generated content.

4. Liking – If we like a brand, we are more likely to trust it or find it reliable.

Tip: Consistent experience across channels, creating humorous and emotional content.

5. Authority – The more authority a company seems to have, the more likely people are to buy from them, even if people are not themselves experts in the domain.

Tip: Display awards, patents, certifications, and expert reviews prominently.

6. Scarcity – The rarer a product is, the more a person wants it. People don’t want to miss out on things that are likely to become unavailable.

Tip: Have limited editions or limited-time product drops, inform people that the stock is low or there are only 1-2 items left