How to Harness the Power of Cialdini’s “6 Principles of Influence”

Back in the heady neon days of 1984, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini – Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University – wrote a book called Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

Since then, it’s become a marketing classic, widely lauded as the number one book on marketing you’ll ever need to write everything from newsletters to sales pages and opt-ins. It contains pretty solid, evergreen advice, and some fantastic ideas that hold true even in the age of digital marketing.

But arguably the most memorable and significant concept outlined in the book was the 6 Principles of Influence. With his half a dozen Principles, Cialdini gives the reader tools that will help persuade and influence others – and hopefully, get more sales.

So, what are the 6 Principles of Influence, and how can you use them to get more (or better) conversions?

1. Reciprocity – give a little, get a little.

Humans are tribal creatures: and it’s so weird a lot of our marketing harks back to these primal instincts. This principle builds on the fact that humans are wired to return favours and do good deeds for others, in order to foster communal wellbeing.

Reciprocity is the influence principle behind free lead magnets, introductory gifts, and calls to action such as “if you enjoyed this video, like and subscribe”. If you give someone good value for free or cheap, they will want to repay you in some way – by buying something else, or opting in to marketing communications.

Example: Copyblogger offers free ebooks, webinars, podcasts and more to build authority but also reciprocity for their paid services, which include copywriters for hire and workshops.

How to use reciprocity in marketing: Offer a free gift to existing subscribers, or put out incredible value for free and ask for a tiny favour (e.g. liking, subscribing) in return.

2. Commitment – people want to be seen as following through.

This principle states that if we commit to something, we hate to let it slip. Humans have a deep need to be seen as consistent, trustworthy, and true to our word. As such, once we’ve publicly committed to something, we’re much more likely to deliver on that promise.

Basically, people make big promises not according to who they are, but who they’d like to be. We’ve aligned our commitment with our self-image, and with our self-worth.

So by getting site visitors to commit to something relatively small (and usually free), like a PDF or a free trial, it may only be a small pledge of loyalty but one that is meaningful: they are now a user of your service, or a customer of yours, and that change in self identity makes it easier for them to be open to an offer for a paid product or service later on.

Example: Stitch Fix is an online clothing company that lets you try on clothes for free, and only pay for what you want to keep. However, it knows that once you see yourself in your bedroom mirror in your own home wearing the clothes, it’ll be harder to send them back.

How to use commitment in marketing: establishing a firm brand identity, such as Apple, will appeal to “completionists” whose self identity is tied to their brand ecosystem and who will want to own everything you put out. Alternatively, merchandise such as free pens, bumper stickers, or mugs that your customers see every day will allow you to be part of their life with a view to making more sales later on.

3. Social proof – monkey see, monkey do.

Cialdini defined social proof as people doing what they observe other people doing – in other words, safety in numbers. If everyone is queueing in a particular manner, we’ll fall into line. If a new restaurant always looks quiet, we’ll avoid it.

This principle gets even stronger when the people we observe are either very similar to us, or aspirational (e.g. celebrities). Social proof can be seen everywhere from celebrity endorsements to reviews and testimonials.

Example: Online clothing store Modcloth uses social proof to broadcast how much their customers love particular items. Modcloth product pages include not just reviews but also a little counter of hearts that tells visitors how many people have favourited that item.

How to use social proof in marketing: Do you have testimonials, or reviews? Include them on your page, and broadcast them on social media – then check out our post on social proof for more ideas.

4. Authority – we listen to the experts.

“Experts” here is used subjectively: rather, if we think someone is an expert, we’ll listen to them – even disregarding other experts, or those with more objective authority.

Job titles, letters after your name, uniforms and a commanding demeanour all give off air of authority. If you’re marketing to a certain niche or industry, using technical terms and jargon (correctly) reinforce your knowledgeable status.

Example: Apple doesn’t just employ knowledgeable tech people to assist their customers – they give them the title of Apple Genius. This quirky, empowering title gives you a smile, but it also subtly communicates that no one knows Apple products like their own people.

How to use authority in your marketing: Talk about your qualifications and experience, and post authority-building content about the latest developments in your industry.

5. Liking – we buy what we like.

We have to not only find a product that we find useful and functional, we have to like it. Liking is based on sharing a similarity, or finding something more superficial enticing, e.g. a sense of humour or physical attractiveness.

The liking principle is why you’ll never see an average person in a perfume advert, and why millions of dollars are spent making a product look good. It’s also why companies spend time honing their brand voice – it’s all about developing a personal relationship with the customer.

Example: ThinkGeek sells merchandise from games, movies and comic books. Stuff for nerds and geeks, in a nutshell. But their copy and design is packed with obscure references and friendly patter, giving us the feeling that this powerful brand is a group of geeks just like us. For example, in the past couple of years they held a Star Trek design contest – called “Make it Sew”.

How to use liking in your marketing: Create a visually appealing brand, or put the effort into making your product or service deliverables nicer looking. Use attractive people in marketing materials, and speak to your audience on their own level. Use a bit of humour – but don’t go overboard.

6. Scarcity – we stock up for winter.

Scarcity is the perception that products are more attractive when their availability is limited. We hate to miss out – in fact, FOMO is very real, and a very powerful marketing principle.

We’re likelier to purchase something if we’re informed that it’s the “last one” or that a “once in a lifetime” offer will soon expire – or if, for example, a worldwide pandemic threatens our supply of toilet roll.

Example: Booking.com is a master of scarcity marketing. They use phrases like “3 people looking at this hotel right now” and “only 4 rooms left” to make you think everyone has decided to book a holiday at the same time as you, so you’d better be quick snapping up the deals.

How to use scarcity in marketing: Countdown timers are an effective visual reminder of scarcity. In the case of digital products, “limited editions” and “first ten customers only” can help create scarcity when there is no physical product.