As a marketer, understanding how the human mind works can be invaluable. It can indicate what inspires the customer to buy from your brand, what helps build trust and more. Data from the 2016 global CEO survey by PwC reveals that 55% of CEOs think a lack of trust threatens their organisation’s growth. We look at the neuroscience of trust and how marketers can use this knowledge to build trust and contribute to the company’s growth. So read on to learn more.
The Neuroscience of Marketing
Research carried out by Paul J. Zak, and his team found that the release of oxytocin in the brain is what causes people to trust easily. After conducting a series of experiments to test this, they also found that oxytocin appeared to reduce the fear of trusting a stranger.
But how can marketers use these insights to build trust with their audience and customers? Let’s look at some ways marketing can induce oxytocin through strong content.
The Neuroscience of Storytelling
According to ‘Neuromarketing for Dummies’ by Stephen J Genco, Andrew P. Pohlmann and Peter Steidl, studies have demonstrated that stories can trigger empathy within us through a system called mirror neurons, enabling us to experience the same emotions as the characters in the story.
As we become engrossed in the narrative, our emotions become intertwined with the story, causing us to lose track of our surroundings and become immersed in the tale. In this state, we can be highly susceptible to persuasion, as our emotional connection to the story suppresses our usual defences against it. Consequently, it becomes easier for us to align our beliefs and opinions with the narrative.
Building Trust Through Content
The content you create for your brand is critical, as this will help you build trust. Here are some different things to keep in mind while creating your content strategy to help you build trust:
Inspires Empathy
By employing powerful storytelling techniques in your marketing, you can inspire empathy in your audience, an emotion associated with oxytocin. Storytelling can help you transform the customer journey and help them create positive experiences related to your brand.
To understand this better, look at the ‘This Little Girl Is Me’ campaign on LinkedIn, started by Inspiring Girls International to inspire the women of the next generation through their stories. These stories engaged the audience and inspired strong emotions, creating brand trust and increasing recognition for Inspiring Girls International.
Aids in Visualisation
Helping your audience visualise with you is another excellent way to build trust, and the best way to do that is by using the right images and videos. This can help stimulate the viewer’s brain and help them form an emotional connection. Videos and images that are appealing and tell a story can have a lasting impact on the audience’s mind, leading to greater brand recall and trust.
Let’s look at the UPS mini-documentary ‘Driver for a day to understand how a brand story can be used with visuals to create a more significant impact. In this viral documentary, a little boy dreamt of being a UPS driver, and the company delivered. The little boy packed up cookies and dog bones and delivered the package to his neighbours in a cute mini UPS truck. The ad’s success resulted in a UPS truck driver training camp for more children to have that experience.
Creates Curiosity
Creating curiosity is another excellent way to get the audience’s attention and connect with them. By adding in an element of surprise, the same bit of information can be transformed into something that is more interesting and demands the audience’s attention.
We have found that starting your video or copy with phrases like ‘did you know or ‘this is literally the only thing you need to know about’ or something similar that builds curiosity has a higher chance of engaging the audience and getting them to hear what you have to say.
Curiosity is powerful and motivating, and by using this tool effectively, you can get the audience’s attention and are more likely to build trust.
Need help creating a content strategy that is engaging and helps build trust? Book a call with our team to learn more.
