Drastically Improving an Ad Using Psychology & Marketing Expertise
Applying 8+ Psychological Principles to Analyze & Improve a B2B Facebook Ad
We've all created social media ads that flopped. You try so hard to figure out what happened, but sometimes you don't know why it failed.
Don't worry. If you keep reading MarketSike, we will show you how to apply the principles of psychology and consumer behavior to all your marketing. That way, you can make small changes that produce a considerable impact.
In this newsletter, we will analyze a Facebook ad from ChildcareCRM. And then apply psychology and marketing expertise to improve the ad.
Along the way, you'll learn concepts to use for all marketing activities.
Disclosure: We don't know ChildcareCRM. We also don't know the details behind their B2B campaign on Facebook. Therefore, we've made some assumptions.
This analysis is only an example of what we can do based on those assumptions.
Let's jump in!
Where the Ad Is Good
1) The use of trust and outcome language
I suspect ChildcareCRM is applying a bit of the Authority Principle. It seems they are using language patterns to build trust and credibility. It is not a perfect application of the Authority Principle, but the goal is to build trust.
When we use outcome words, we're helping our prospects visualize and feel a future state. Imagining a future state is widely used in the psychological community to help people make a change.
If we can get our prospects to envision how using our product improved their lives, then we're that much closer to getting them to buy.
So, consider A/B testing trust and outcome words to improve conversions.
2) First-person immersion
ChildcareCRM shows you a computer screen simulation of what a prospect could experience using their product.
You can increase the chance of someone purchasing a product if they can imagine using it. First-person simulations help your prospect envision using your product.
If you want to create an ad that connects to your target market, immerse them in the experience.
Xu, A. J., & Wyer Jr, R. S. (2007). The effect of mind-sets on consumer decision strategies. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(4), 556-566.
Xu, A. J., & Wyer Jr, R. S. (2008). The comparative mind-set: From animal comparisons to increased purchase intentions. Psychological Science, 19(9), 859-864.
3) The subconscious message of the model's smile
Seeing how other people benefit from using a product helps increase our value perception of the product.
The model's smile subconsciously communicates a positive outcome and experience using ChildcareCRM.
Berg, Soderland, and Lindstrom labeled this the smile appeal, referring to a smile as the dominant facial expression on a human model in visual marketing.
When people feel good, it impacts their information processing and decision-making as consumers.
The model's smile generates a positive attitude towards the product. In other words, a smile spills over to the advertised brand.
4) Image on the left, text on the right
Your brain processes stimuli on the left of an advertisement differently than on the right.
Stimuli on the left of an advertisement are analyzed by our brain's right hemisphere (RH). The RH is best suited to process images.
Stimuli on the right side of the advertisement are analyzed by the left hemisphere (LH). The LH is more logical and best suited for textual content (Bourne, 2006, p. 374).
By placing the image on the left and text on the right, you can enhance the processing of your advertisement (Grobelny & Michalski, 2015, p. 87).
When creating visual content, remember that images go on the left, and the text goes on the right. There can be exceptions, but you can't go wrong if you follow this rule.
Where the Ad Has Opportunities
1) The description at the bottom of the advertisement is cut off.
The ad cuts off the statement, "Fill out the form and one of our highly trained..." If used correctly, the ellipses (...) and cutting off sentences can cause curiosity.
For example, one of the tactics to switch free newsletter subscribers to paid subscribers is providing a free preview, then cutting it off...