- Geekmaster
- 2021-02-25 11:59:51
- 18 minute(s)
Top Advertising Techniques That Spread Propaganda Like Flu
If you’re new to advertising or are simply looking for ways to mix things up, I’m here to help. In this post, I’ll show you some of the most common advertising techniques that spread propaganda like flu to get your products in front of your target audience. When implemented properly, you’ll see an increase in sales and a boost to your bottom line.
A successful advertisement creates a desire in viewers, listeners or readers.
It also provides information on how to fulfill that desire and makes the potential customer feel good about doing so. With so many products and service providers in the marketplace, using a proven technique in your advertising increases the likelihood that your ad dollars will return value.
What comes to your mind when you think of the word propaganda?
Propaganda is generally viewed as something inherently negative. But in the most neutral sense, it’s simply a method to disseminate or promote particular ideas. Fast forward to today and you’ll find that advertising campaigns are laden with propaganda, too.
Every company now spends a ton of money on advertising their products and services to their target audience.
Some of the main objectives of advertising are to create brand awareness, acquire market value, earn a good reputation, and make more sales. However, these can only be achieved if advertising is done correctly.
Today, it’s nearly impossible to make your advertisement stand out… Unless you have technique.
Below I have listed seven persuasive advertising techniques that will help you gain customers, and grow your business. I’m going to share with you proven advertising techniques that really work. I’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get started.
Technique #1: Beat Repeat
Anyone who has struggled to remember someone’s name at a party knows that repetition is key to information recall. It’s the same with advertising — frequency of messaging is the best way to ensure people remember your brand.
Repetition is a simple yet effective technique used to build identity awareness and customer memory.
Even advertisements using other successful approaches mention the product or company name more than once, particularly in television because its combination of sight and sound, allows the advertiser to disguise the repetition by changing its delivery (from visual to audio).
Repetition works best for new products or new campaigns to raise brand awareness.
And because you are just getting into the market or trying to create awareness, repetition would help convey the message across to your target audience. It’s good to use repetition to get the word out at first, then it can be diminished to avoid boring your customer. Too much repetition can have a negative effect.
Ad nauseam marketing campaigns target audiences at a very high frequency to remain top of mind.
Wix uses this tactic and reportedly has an annual ad budget of more than $100 million. You’ve probably come across several of their commercials while watching videos on YouTube or browsing other social media platforms.
The more people see or hear something, the more they remember it.
Some of the most successful brands — regardless of the quality of the goods — have the most recognizable message. From Coke to Nike to McDonalds, brands more frequently seen and heard become the most successful. As a purely psychological function, familiarity breeds trust in a consumer — even if it is just knowing the name of the product.
Fast moving consumer goods like food, soap, glassware, etc.; benefits from heavy advertising penetration.
People are not involved and don’t care a lot, so heavy exposure helps to convince them. ‘I don’t really care, but wait, this is from those ads I see all the time, ah okay, let’s try it.’ Your brand and product get’s familiar, this process can occur both conscious and unconscious.
Advertising works. If it didn’t, companies wouldn’t invest billions into advertising and marketing.
Humans are very good at spotlight focusing, meaning that they pay a lot of attention to a narrow thing at any given moment, and most of the time ads will fall outside of that spotlight of focus. However, sometimes ads slip into that spotlight, no matter what we do, and if we notice a particular ad enough, it’s been shown over and over again that we’ll think more highly of that product and are more likely to buy it.
Technique #2: Tribe Selling
This type of technique involves convincing the customers to join the group of people who have bought this product and be on the winning side. Other bandwagon advertisements suggest that the customer will be left out if they do not buy what’s being sold.
With persuasive writing and the right wording, a brand will try to convince the consumer that everyone already has the product and that they are missing out.
This technique relies heavily on the psychological tactic called FOMO, or fear of missing out. The art of persuasion is a common creative technique for bandwagon pressuring. Craftily carved slogans are very successful tactics for this technique.
If you think of it critically, you will realize that most people will not love to be left behind, so it creates that urgency to take action as soon as possible.
An excellent example of a company that uses this advertising technique is Supreme. Another brand that uses this advertising tactic is Amazon by setting limited sales timeframes.
One approach is to advertise the fact that you have a series of limited items that your audience has to buy right away.
There are the MLM companies and pyramid schemes that utilize this technique on a regular basis when every collaborator will try and persuade a brand new client that they are missing out on the item, and their life will get better, or even that their neighbor is already using it.
The bandwagon phenomenon creates a sense of isolation and triggers FOMO in specific people who long to be part of some desirable group.
Fyre Festival’s marketing campaign shows this technique in action. Billy McFarland, the festival’s founder, got celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Hailey Baldwin to promote the event. Although marketed as an exclusive extravaganza, it ended up being a complete farce.
If everyone is dining at Pizza Hut, it must be great, even if you think they could use more sauce.
Advertisers know that it is human nature to not want to be the one left out. They know that if they convince you that everyone else is buying their product or using their service, you will want to ‘jump on the bandwagon’ too.
One of the most effective ways to leverage the bandwagon effect to boost your sales is by showcasing your numbers.
When you highlight the fact that a certain number of people use your product, you are tacitly establishing that that number of people endorse your product. You can also leverage the bandwagon effect by showing people real-time customer activity on your site; this can be particularly effective if you run an ecommerce site that gets quite a lot of sales. You can show users a notification whenever new users make a purchase.
Technique #3: Feed All The Feels
Emotional appeal is one of the most effective marketing techniques. The target audience is pretty much anyone with feelings. Television advertisements use this tactic quite often.
It wouldn’t be wrong to claim that emotionally charged ads can find a place in your target audience’s heart — because that’s a fact, by the way.
An emotional appeal has proved to be one of the best advertising tactics most advertising gurus use today. Advertisements with an emotional appeal such as fear, surprise, happiness, sadness, or anger do exceptionally well because customers can relate to any of those.
There are a couple of considerations you need to consider before you create emotional ads.
However, the most crucial thing is to research your target audience well so that you can understand their pain points. Knowing your target audience’s pain points is almost a guarantee that you will get their attention emotionally.
Emotional themes in advertisements can be an excellent way to trigger positive (or negative) feelings towards a product or brand.
You know what we’re talking about. The Budweiser Super Bowl commercials with puppies and Clydesdales pull at your heartstrings. Those Snickers advertisements with Betty White are a riot. Amazon’s Alexa commercials where the dad sends his daughter off to college calls for some tissues.
Even when customers look for rational reasons to make purchases, the ability for advertisers to tap into underlying emotions can greatly increase the potential response.
One of the most common adages used in advertising circles is “sex sells.” While this may generalize the point a bit, sensual messages appealing to basic human desires for sexuality, romance and relationships work and are commonly used. Sensual emotional appeals make perfect sense for advertisers of Valentine’s Day festivities or sales and companies like Victoria’s Secret.
Another technique for emotional persuasion is known as slice-of-life advertising.
This is where customers see messages that demonstrate how their lives are better, safer or more comfortable if they use the advertised products. Beer makers often depict their products used in social settings where people are partying and having fun. Along with fun, these ads use adventure, excitement and family bonding as themes.
Emotional appeal is one of the most productive marketing techniques as feelings always come with audiences, stay right beside your audience’s heart.
Consider the emotional needs of your customers. Some common emotional appeals include the need for security, becoming more attractive, changing old habits, gaining acceptance, etc. Some fear-based appeals include the fear of being avoided, getting old, falling ill, death, etc.
Technique #4: Claim Your Reign
Advertising that promotes specific features or makes claims about what a product or service can do for the potential customers provides successful results by informing, educating and developing expectations in the buyer.
Claims can use hype, such as calling one brand of orange juice “the best” when nutritionally it is identical to other brands.
Claims may mislead through omission or by using what some advertisers and political campaigners call “weasel words.” These are subtle statement modifiers that render the claim meaningless if studied closely. Common weasel words include “helps,” “fights” and “virtually.”
Sometimes, weasel words are used in advertising in order to avoid making a direct statement or promise.
I.e. they are used as a way to say something that legally, or truthfully, cannot be said. They’re also used to make you think you’ve heard something that hasn’t actually been said, to accept as truth something which has only been implied, and believe things that have only been suggested.
At its worst, advertising means gimmicks and impossibly false promises. But at its best, it is so persuasive that we sometimes don’t even realize we’re falling for it.
A company claiming its product is best seems almost meaningless. But when other people back up the same claim — and they’re regular folks with problems like yours — you may be more inclined to believe it.
A testimonial is a formal statement that testifies to someone or something’s qualifications, such as the quality of a product or service.
Buyers look at testimonials (even if the seller already claims they’re “the best on the market”) and often trust them because they come from peers or people with status. Providing buyers with authentic testimonials in your ads will not only save them from the extra hassle of research, but it will also make your brand’s reputation more trustworthy.
In the age of the digital influencer, endorsements are very important.
Look into how you can work with influencers and celebrities to advertise your products by talking about their own experiences with the product on their respective platforms. Using a testimonial from a celebrity within your advertising helps others know that your product/service is “that” important and the fact that other influencers/celebrities find it valuable implies that they will too.
Technique #5: The Reward Steward
If consumers get nothing out of connecting with your brand, why would they even both? Integrate coupons, games, sweepstakes, contests, and free gifts with purchases to get potential customers excited about your brand.
Participation is a major technique for advertising.
For example, promotional advertising involves giving away samples of the product for free to the consumers. The items are offered in the trade fairs, promotional events, and ad campaigns in order to gain the attention of the customers.
The attraction of getting something “free” or earning “rewards” makes promotions successful.
Coupons, sweepstakes, games with prizes and gifts with purchases create excitement, and participation encourages customers to build a relationship with the sponsoring product or service. Limited-time offers and entry deadlines add urgency to this advertising technique’s call to action.
These advertising techniques capitalize on a consumer’s desire to get a good deal.
Promotions that offer consumers free trials, a free product with purchase or a discount on a future purchase can also be highly effective. When consumers feel that they’re getting an excellent price, they might buy more than they otherwise would.
People tend to want things more if they believe that they won’t be able to get them later or that only a select few people can get the item.
For this reason, advertisers frequently use limited-time offers by, for example, saying that only a few items are left or stating that an item can only be purchased for a set period of time. In infomercials, it’s common for the advertiser to use the television screen to display the remaining quantity of an item.
Rewarded advertising, aka incentivized advertising, has been around for a while.
This form of advertising, which rewards users with virtual goods in return for installing or engaging with an app is considered a cost effective way to drive a volume of new installs, and in turn affecting app store rankings and as a result increasing organic traffic as well.
Technique #6: Reality Plunge
Crafting raw and relatable advertisements helps them stand out against the glow of idyllic advertisements. Instead of using actors, use real people. Throw away scripts, put away the makeup, and don’t erase your mistakes.
As we all know, Millennials are the no BS generation.
They want content and communication to be a reflection of real life and as it turns out, perfection is not what they are striving for. Real life is full of tension and conflict and these are the very elements that make consumers want to follow a story and see how it unfolds. An exciting shift to real is on the rise.
Realism can be achieved with the imagery of your advertisement; no airbrushing in this technique.
Realism can also be obtained with copy and the theme of the advertisement. The more real you get, the more of a risk your taking, but the potential reward is greater. Just like authentic reviews, there’s something about honest advertisements that makes a brand feel more real. Say something about your industry that everyone else is too afraid to talk about. If anything, your brand’s reputation will skyrocket.
Among the various types of advertising methods, it’s a great way to reach customers by showcasing the inside of how your company works.
Thanks to social media, a brand new can bring to its users and followers creative behind-the-scenes images and videos easier than ever. By publishing behind the scenes, you can make your audience feel more connected to your brand with the photos and videos, and your customers will be likely to appreciate the hard work that went behind a campaign.
🔈 Someone has said
Following the social realism trend allows brands to implement human attributes, thus, becoming a human brand.
As a result, consumers feel less marketed towards and create their own value through the brand giving up control and imbuing symbolic characteristics, which are attractive to consumers as they seek for self-construction.
For brand authenticity, it needs to be perceived as reliable, respectful, and real.
We feel inspired by authentic brands and emotionally invested in their success. So we buy their products even when there might be less expensive alternatives. Companies perceived to be authentic build brand loyalty and tend to be more profitable.
Technique #7: Facts Tell, Stories Sell
The utilization of facts and statistics is a common technique used in promotion. When they can be persuasive by calling out the logical part of the human brain. This tactic can go well with selling cosmetics or house cleaning items.
Advertisers are critical in building trust based on truth and facts. If you can’t do it, don’t say it.
They do so by ensuring what is said by the company is factual and will be delivered to the customer. This all begins with a unwavering commitment to using truth and facts in all communication types and across all mediums. Say what you do and do what you say, without exception.
Facts are hardened by evidence. They are proof points that should easily define your products and services.
Advertisers often site facts that are obtained through customer experiences or results of use. Product tests, trials, use cases, satisfaction surveys, ratings and performance metrics are good mechanisms to produce data for fact-based marketing.
Evidence-based marketing is based on useful and relevant information, rather than just a good story.
Simply telling a customer that a product has more than 90 percent satisfied users does not mean that people will be lining up at the door looking to purchase the products or services. Customers may have a hard time separating fact from fiction in a marketing campaign, and the company’s credibility and honesty may be questioned if the information is not clear.
🔈 Someone has said
Nonetheless, storytelling has been used in traditional media for generations and is one you’ve likely seen time and time again. It’s a tried and tested technique.
An ad campaign needs to evoke not only a feeling of need for the product, but also tell a story that consumers can relate to. In technical terms, storytelling relies on many of the other advertising techniques mentioned in this article.
Most people put a high priority on being logical about the decisions they make.
However, unless you’re actually a computer, the simple fact of the matter is: every human decision is influenced by emotion. This is why stories sell. Stories communicate messages in highly specific and emotionally impactful ways. They’re memorable, and they give us something to identify with and hold on to.
Statistics tell us what the reality is — stories tell us why it matters and why we need to care.
If you’re like 99.999% of people, the story is what will resonate with you most. This is why brand storytelling matters so much: statistics validate your point, but the story is the point. Telling the story of your brand will immediately help set you apart from your competition. Your story is what makes you different and it can help potential customers trust and become invested in you.
Wrapping Up
Whether an advertiser makes use of propaganda commercials or digital ad among other things, they are using some sort of advertising techniques to manipulate you and influence your buying decisions. This fact remains the same, no matter which propaganda types they use.
Nonetheless, the world we are living in is fast-paced, and advertisers have to follow the race to keep up with consumer behavior as well as trends.
That’s why more and more tactics are invented by promoters to boost the effectiveness of advertising. When you utilize specific advertising techniques, you can combine multiple components to fulfill the results that are not only easy on the eye but also appealing to target audiences.
Advertising is the most creative part of marketing; take advantage of it.
Knowing your audience, what they want to see, and even what they haven’t, are all the keys you need to make your advertisement stand out from the competition.
As long as you keep an eye on your target audience, determining the best techniques to draw their attention would be an achievable goal.
So, you should never stop experimenting with multiple approaches, and ensure that you are doing your best to keep potential customers interested in promoting your items.
Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. That’s it.
Feel free to try any of the above techniques to maximize your campaign results; after all, it’s a free world. Did you find some excellent use cases for our list of advertising techniques? Tell us in the comments below what specific techniques resonated with you.
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