Marketing Psychology: Definition and 8 Psychology Principles

Marketing psychology, also known as neuromarketing, is the application of psychological principles to a marketing strategy. To employ marketing psychology is to take advantage of some of the known constants of human behavior to shape your marketing efforts and influence people’s purchasing decisions.

Marketing psychology uses the more studied aspects of the decision-making process to dictate a given customer journey. By considering how people regularly behave—their cognitive biases, desires, and fears—you can tailor your customer experience to reach new audiences for the first time.

The range of marketing psychology principles is vast and ever-growing, but here are some of the more common ideas marketers use to draw people in and speak to potential customers:

1. 1. Action paralysis: Action paralysis fits into a larger category of principles stipulating that people want their decisions to be as easy as possible. People are less likely to make decisions if they can’t immediately see their effects. The solution is to create marketing campaigns that clearly and simply show why someone can feel okay about deciding to buy, often by appealing to concerns about health, safety, and well-being.
2. 2. Decoy effect: This phenomenon describes when a nonviable (or less desirable) option appears alongside more desirable alternatives, creating a sense of higher value. For example, option A and option B are roughly the same price, but option B has more bells and whistles. Seeing the two products side by side may encourage a customer to purchase option B, even if it is slightly more expensive.
3. 3. Familiarity: Consumers are more likely to patronize a brand they’ve seen in the past, even if they don’t have a particularly positive impression of it. (Learn more about brand awareness.) Similarly, if you can create the sense that you’re on the same page as a potential customer or have a shared goal, you will make a bond that increases your odds of making them a regular. Writing a mission statement can show potential customers how your values align.
4. 4. Impulsivity: Everyone leads an emotional life, and if you can make the most of sudden swells of emotion or desire, you can gain new customers. For example, selling small “impulse buys” near the checkout area banks on people’s natural impulsivity, as do limited-time offers. Creating a sense of urgency and then making the most of people’s FOMO—fear of missing out—in the moment can lead to a sale.
5. 5. Loss aversion: In his research, psychologist and economist Daniel Kahneman found that people strongly resist losing what they already have. From a marketing perspective, if you give a new customer something for free (or at a reduced price) for a limited time, they may be willing to pay more for it later to avoid losing it.
6. 6. Reciprocity and foot-in-the-door psychology: Most famously studied by psychologist Robert Cialdini, the reciprocity principle states that people will be more willing to give you something if you provide them with something first. That “thing” can be a complimentary service like a free trial or a tangible good like a T-shirt. On a related note, persuading people to engage with your brand in a small capacity early on can increase your conversion rate when you’re trying to turn those people into repeat customers. Establishing a relationship—even a superficial one—can drastically improve a consumer’s tie to your business.
7. 7. Social proof: Social proof refers to people’s drive toward conformity. If you can make it seem like everyone else is doing something, other people will likely be more willing to do it, too. This principle can be instrumental in social and digital marketing since you can prominently display how many people engage with your company or a specific campaign. Bandwagon advertising is another way to take advantage of social proof.
8. 8. Visual cues and color psychology: Small adjustments to how your brand presents itself to consumers can alter how they view your business. For example, changing the color of your landing page to a brighter hue can lead to more positive associations. Learn more about the psychology of color.

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