Don’t limit yourself to your knowledge of online marketing to improve your online business. Many theories and models from the field of communication science can be similarly useful.
In my previous post, I wrote about the idea of using the priming effect to increase conversions on websites, using an online bookshop as an example. Here’s a reminder of what the priming effect is and how it and related theories work:
✔ Our brain stores information as “nodes” or concepts. Each node represents an idea, like “Personal Success”.
✔ These nodes are connected to each other, and the distance between them shows how closely related they are.
When one node is triggered, like seeing a happy, successful person in a fancy suit, the activation can spread to other related nodes, such as “Business” and “Career”.
✔ This helps those nodes become more easily accessible in our memory, ready to be used in response to other stimuli.
✅ This process is called “priming”.
Additionally, there are two important approaches that can support the effect of priming and increase your conversions as well:
➕ Framing
➕ Agenda Setting
These theories originated from the political sphere and were used long before the development of the internet as we know it. The main idea of Agenda Setting is reflected in the following quote: “The press may not be successful much of the time in telling its readers what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling them what to think about” (Cohen, 1063, p.13).
In other words, the theory involves shaping the topics and issues that people talk about. When applied to today’s media landscape, the effect can be quite significant, given the numerous media outlets that influence what people discuss.
Meanwhile, agenda setting is achieved by creating informational posts not only in the public media such as TV but also in a company’s blogs, social media, and news pages on its website. While priming and framing are often used together.
❕ Priming Theory suggests that exposing someone to a stimulus can influence their response to a subsequent stimulus. In the context of conversions, priming can be used to influence a user’s behavior by exposing them to related cues before presenting an offer or call-to-action. For example, an e-commerce website may prime users to make a purchase by showcasing product reviews or ratings before showing the “buy now” button.
❕ Framing Theory suggests that how information is presented can influence how it is perceived and interpreted. In the context of conversions, framing can be used to present information in a way that emphasizes the benefits and value of a product or service. For example, the website may highlight how reading can expand one’s knowledge, improve empathy, or reduce stress.
Thank you for your attention! Please feel free to share your own experiences!
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