There are different systems for how people absorb a message. Successful marketing communication is based on working with one system at a time. Erik Modig, author and researcher at the Center for Consumer Marketing at the Stockholm School of Economics, explains the secret behind The Influence Matrix.
The matrix is a tool that can be used by everyone who works with marketing communication in some way.
- When we want to influence a person, there are different systems we can use, as people process information in different ways. There are three categories: low attention, high attention, and emotion-driven people. First we have to decide which of these we want to work with, and then plan our communication, he says.
When it comes to high attention people, they are driven by arguments and facts, while low attention people want quick and clear solutions. Emotion-driven people are mostly affected by the emotions conveyed in e.g. images or films, and preferably by other people.
Show your most important arguments in an extremely clear way.
- We often think that people are rational, but we underestimate their lack of interest. As a starting point, always assume that people are disinterested. You'll be starting from minus, and therefore you need to show your most important arguments in an extremely clear way. Often, companies want to convey a lot of information at once, and so they squeeze everything into the same message. But in doing so, they are targeting several systems and it falls flat. It’s better to create more than one message, Erik advises.
According to Erik Modig, in addition to producing good content, it is important to have detailed knowledge of the digital tools and channels you use, combined with a long-term strategic mindset.
- Some are merely tactical with a lot of content at the right time, while others think strategically about what they want to convey. Those who succeed have both, he says.
Building credibility into the wording of your message is important, as we humans are constantly looking for signals that make us believe what we see or read.
- This may involve highlighting recommendations, but also seals and certifications, collaboration partners, or that something has been developed based on research. It can also involve different symbols or imagery, or how a page is structured, subtle signals that you can recognise. But it’s important to be genuine. It’s never possible to fool people’s gut feeling. Often we can sense a false facade, says Erik Modig.
Another way is to do more than you promise.
- If you can under-promise and over-deliver, instead of vice versa, you set a positive intention for customers, says Erik Modig, who, in addition to his research, runs the company Marketing Levels, which deals with digital training in marketing and shares inspiring content, especially on LinkedIn.
- At Marketing Levels, we send a book and a handwritten card to everyone who buys a course. This is not evident when you register, but instead appears as a pleasant surprise in your letterbox a few days later. And we have noticed that this is something that many people appreciate. For us, it’s about setting a positive tone during the onboarding process by adding something a little bit extra, as it can sometimes take some time between registration and the course starting. But of course it’s important that the gift is relevant to the target group, and that you understand what they actually want. Sending just anything can have the opposite effect, he says.