How to get into the minds of your target customers?

Do you want to get more out of your social media marketing? Then you’ll need to familiarise yourself with the psychology of your users. Keep reading for a quick rundown.

Social Media can be a great source of information for marketers and business owners. If you’re not already, it’s time to start getting into the minds of your target customers and figure out what they want and need from you. Here are some tips that will help you understand your audience better.

The term Neuromarketing is used to describe the psychology behind human behaviour when it comes to making purchases.

Social Media allows us to tap into our target audience and increase engagement because it’s all about interaction.

Social Media is an excellent source of information for marketers and business owners alike, but it has a largely untapped use within understanding your customer’s and how they are thinking.

So what is actually going on inside out users brains?

When you’re online, your brain releases three key chemicals: oxytocin, dopamine, and cortisol. These compounds are all linked to our emotions. They have an impact on the region of the brain that controls motivated behaviour — the centre of what we do and why we do it.

Let’s go through what each of these chemicals does in a little more detail.

Dopamine

The biology of desire and our behavioural pattern. Dopamine is involved with pleasure, mood, and impulsivity. The “I want it” chemical can be triggered by a wide range of things such as gambling, sex, drugs and even social media use.

Cortisol

This neurotransmitter has many effects on our minds and body. Its release is triggered by stressors such as fear, anger, injury or illness. Cortisol increases the blood sugar levels in the body, helping us think if we are under duress. And it has also been linked to higher memory retention even when we are emotionally involved in the experience.

Oxytocin

Responsible for bringing a parent and child together. The love drug, or sometimes oxytocin, is a term used to describe this process. Oxytocin is involved in empathy and trust development. It has been proven to lower cortisol and anxiousness caused by social tension. Jealousy, bragging, and prejudice against people who are not part of our in-group all increase oxytocin.

The impact of our social media usage

When we use social media, we send positive signals to our brains that tell us that a certain behaviour has a reward. We show our friends and family how good we look, who we’re hanging out with, what we’re doing, and this reinforces their opinions of us. Social media has become a significant part of our daily lives.

Social media usage triggers the same pleasure chemicals as eating food, having sex, and doing drugs like cocaine — leading to addiction. Our brains release dopamine into our bodies every time we get a Facebook notification, which is why we keep coming back for more.

The future of Neuroscience and social media marketing

Neuroscience has been exploring the impact of Social Media on our brains for some time now. But what’s next? The future is going to see a more in-depth understanding of how our behaviour can be changed on Social Media and marketers will take advantage of this, which means more data and better results. First we need to understand the neuroscience behind how our brains work, and then we can use that knowledge to increase engagement.

Psychographics And Neuromarketing are terms that are used to describe parts of our psychology as they apply marketing. Understanding these terms means we can move past features and benefits and towards creating engaging content that really drives your user’s internal decision-making process- “Know like Trust” Is a term used in business. You often hear that clients will buy from you if they know like trust.

This is why it’s essential to understand these three simple things.

1. Know: Buying a product or service isn’t the end game for your audience; they really want success or betterment by using them.

2. Like: Your audience will not do business with you if they don’t like what you have to offer or can’t relate to who you are or how you communicate.

3. Trust: Getting your users to trust you is just as important as getting them to know and like you because it builds respect, honesty, reliability and most of all, authenticity.

To get your audience to “know, like and trust” you, you will need to use the psychology of social proof. There are several forms of social proof that can be used in different ways.

1. Word of mouth (WOM) is a potent form of social proof because it’s authentic and genuine, two traits that people take seriously.
2. Using testimonials or case studies can be very effective social proof too. This type of social proof is advantageous if you want to humanise your brand, let people know who’s behind your brand and what it takes to get there.
3. Social Media makes it easy for us to “do” social proof. If you want to inspire trust in your audience, make sure to use a lot of photos and images on your website and reach out to influencers within your industry.
4. Testimonials aren’t the only form of social media that can be used for social proof. We all know how much influence our friends have over our purchasing decisions, so posting or reposting your friends’ posts about you can be a great way to get WOM.
5. “Organic reach” on Social Media is declining, and getting engagement and traffic from Social Media isn’t as easy as it used to be. If you want more likes, shares and followers, make sure to use advanced social media marketing tactics to get your message across.

How do you figure out your audience’s psychology?

When conducting this study, keep in mind that your target market’s psychology is related to your product or service. Your goal is to get your users to buy more of what you have to offer, so concentrate on their psychology regarding what you’re offering.

When you’re doing your investigation and analysis, keep in mind that this is how their psychology works for your product or service. Your objective is to get users to buy more from you, so concentrate on what they think about what you do.

What are your user’s goals?

Knowing what your audience wants to achieve is an excellent way to get insight into their psychographics. You can ask questions about what they wish to or have already achieved, as well as where you think they are now and how you’d like them to be in the future (which relates back to goal setting and achieving).

What kind of obstacles might this group face?

This insight helps create content that will help your audience overcome those obstacles. You can not only learn more about their psychology but also come up with solutions to what they’re facing, too.

What’s the best way to communicate with this group?

You might think you know how your target market communicates and what they like and dislike, but the only way to really get inside their heads is to ask them.

Someone who wants to get more out of social media should also look at the psychology behind Twitter and Facebook marketing.

How does this group think?

This may sound like something you’d find in a book on psychic readings, but there’s actually a scientific basis for this. The basic idea that we have a “left brain” and a “right-brain” is actually true — or at least it’s what neuroscientists believe.

The left hemisphere of your brain is the seat of reason; it processes information logically, analytically and systematically.

What are your user’s values?

You’re probably wondering what the difference is between a value and a belief. They’re widely acknowledged, so our lived experiences have little impact on them. Consider honesty, integrity, trust, bravery, and family.

Is timeliness, honesty, quality, family, and family important to your brand, product, or service in the eyes of your audience? Is integrity important to them? There are numerous other values.

So, how do you figure out your prospects’ values when it comes to what you do? They’ll subtly tell you, much as beliefs would. You might ask them about the importance of your organisation and observe their reactions.

Try making a poll for your users to engage with?

What are your user’s needs?

This is where features and benefits traditionally “fade,” but it goes deeper than that. I prefer Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: safety, physiological, love/belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualisation (to be all you can be). I employ it because it’s a big umbrella under which a lot of people fall.

Using these broader needs doesn’t discredit features and benefits in marketing; it means that you’re able to show your audience that you understand their broader needs, and they no longer have to guess if you will meet them.

What are your user’s fears?

Understanding what scares the people, you’re targeting allows you to help them overcome those fears. It also helps inform how you might message or product design.

For instance, some users may be so afraid of being “ripped off” on a purchase they don’t know much about that they avoid making one altogether. Here, the fear is that they will end up with the wrong product; you might consider making guarantees or offering education to help your users overcome this particular fear.

What are your user’s greatest dislikes?

This goes hand-in-hand with fears and what scares them — well, actually, it plays right into those fears. If you can offer something that alleviates the fear, you’re well on your way to turning them into a customer (or member or follower or whatever you’re trying to achieve).

What are your user’s desires?

This is where features and benefits come back in. Once you’ve identified what drives your audience, it’s time to determine what they want or need that will help them overcome their obstacles and achieve their goals.

What is your user’s ideology?

This is where you should be figuring out how to align yourself with those beliefs and values. Positioning, branding, and messaging all tie in here — and not just for your brand but also the customer side of things.

How does your organisation think? You might like to check out the article “What is right-brain vs left-brain thinking?”

Yours might be close to this example: “We want things quickly, easily, and with as little effort as possible.” Here’s some food for thought! Remember that you’re not going to get something for nothing; everything’s got to be seen in terms of value, even if it’s framed as “time-saving”.

So now you know what is happening inside your users’ heads — here are some ways you can use this information to your advantage.

• Build a sense of community around your brand or company with giveaways.
• Create content that focuses on the emotions of your audience.
• Add a personal touch to your social media posts with pictures and videos that provide a sense of recognition when viewed by your audience.
• And if you’re not doing it already — add an instant chat function so people can talk directly to you instantly.
• Be personal in the content you post across your social media platforms (don’t let the account managers do all of this for you), and make sure it’s genuine.

There you have it; now you know exactly how to get into the minds of your target customers.

By using social proof, testimonials, and case studies in marketing campaigns, prospects can more easily trust products or services.

Keep this knowledge in mind when creating a digital marketing strategy for your business; it may help take things to the next level with less effort.

Please let me know if these strategies prove to be helpful in the comments below👇. And thank you for taking the time to read my work. It means so much to me 🙏

Good luck, and don’t forget to stay true to your authentic self!