The most significant aspect of this tome was the highlighting of Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Influence, which were reciprocity, commitment/consistency, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity.
In the almost three decades since the book’s publication, its six principles have been adapted to Internet marketing, too, especially the business of conversion rates. This makes all the sense in the world when you think about it because conversions are all about persuasions. The next time a browser merely visits your website, you want to turn him into a shopper and then a definite buyer.
In the world of conversions, every little bit of persuasion counts. Here’s how you can use Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Persuasion to boost conversions.
Reciprocity: Give a Little Something to Get a Little Something in Return
Cialdini’s first principle of persuasion states that we human beings are wired to basically want to return favors and pay back our debts. In short… to treat others as they’ve treated us.
The idea of reciprocity says that people by nature feel obliged to provide either discounts or concessions to others if they’ve received favors from those others. Psychology explains this by stressing that we humans simply hate to feel indebted to other people!
Let’s say that you’re running a popular blog that offers its readers highly actionable and practical information that makes their lives better. Of course, all of this information is offered for free; they just have to visit your site and absorb all of the details. Based on the idea of reciprocity, your site visitors would be more likely to feel obligated to buy something from your website, providing you with an eventual conversion.
Example of Execution
One of the