Ultimate Guide To The 8 Emotions That Drive Us To Buy What We Want

Emotions are at the root of why people buy many things. A purchase decision for a basic need might be fact-driven, while something we really want – like a shiny new car, the latest iPhone or dream vacation is driven by emotion.

Emotional triggers drive us to react and can lead to action because of that feeling.

For example, you see an item in a store that strongly reminds you of joyful, happy memories from your childhood. You are immediately filled with warmth and nostalgia. Because the item triggered happiness in you, you feel compelled to purchase it.

The item’s designer successfully appealed to your emotions in order to sell their product. The exact same principle can be applied to marketing messages.

How Emotional Advertising Works

The way emotions drive our decisions has roots in our biology. We’re wired to feel before we think. Feeling certain emotions makes us want to do certain things.

When marketing messages trigger our emotions, they motivate us to act in specific ways. This technique is persuasive, which is why it is so reliable. It can convince you to subscribe to an online newsletter, click “Buy Now” from your virtual shopping cart, share a post on social media, or make return visits to a blog.

When emotional advertising is effective, it makes our brains light up and respond in the way marketers desire. When it’s not effective, the message may make you feel sad instead of happy, angry instead of surprised.

Unsurprisingly, there are key emotions involved in purchase-making decisions.

–

Do you know the 8 emotions that drive us to buy what we want?

No? Read to find out!

–

1. HAPPINESS

Happiness is simple when something makes us feel happy, we want that feeling to continue. If the simple act of making a particular purchase is enough to inspire happiness in a consumer, then the brand is doing something right.

Happiness is also tied to instant gratification: It’s that feeling you get when you click “purchase.” That rush of excitement and anticipation that often accompanies buying something shiny and new can be addictive for many people.

2. LOVE

What do your customers love?
Their family, pets, career, hobbies, free time, fellow man, God and country, themselves?

Love is a powerful emotion; people can spend a lifetime and great sums of money pursuing their true love.

–

3. BELONGING

Everyone likes to feel that they belong. In fact, as social creatures, we are hardwired to seek out belonging, avoid loneliness and even distrust loners.

When consumers feel like they belong to a brand, they feel like part of a larger whole.

Cultivate belonging in your customers by engaging with them on social media or creating a community within your brand. You want people to feel that they are part of this community when they use your services or products.

4. TRUST

Trust is essential to any relationship, including one between a business and a consumer. In fact, it might just be the most important aspect.

When a consumer trusts you, they know that you’ll do right by them. You keep your promises, especially the ones you make in your marketing messages. Most of all, you’re sincere — and sincerity can’t be faked.

5. GREED

Some people just want a lot of things. The best, the biggest, the newest.

These are people are among your best prospects. Remember what Gordon Gecko from the movie Wall Street said, “greed is good.”

6. PRIDE

Think back to your childhood…

Remember how you felt when you hit that home run, aced that test or won that award?

Flash forward to when you were older and drove your shiny new car to show off to your mates or collegues.

If pride is a sin, it sure does feels good, doesn’t it?

7. GUILT

If you’re a parent, aunt or uncle, you’ve likely fallen prey to a guilt-trip from a child. They are the masters!

Guilt is easily manipulated through the marketing of expressions of love. But the marketisation of love and guilt has gone much further now. Good mothers buy things for their children.

They make sure that children do not miss out or that they are compensated.

guilt piled on from others

8. FEAR

This may be the most powerful emotion of all.

–

The fear of making the wrong decision, not providing for your family or making a career misstep. So if your product or service can help the prospect overcome this fear, you begin to build trust in the relationship.

Fear is a powerful negative emotion. If triggered in the wrong way, it can scare off customers.

However, there are nuances of fear that can make purchases incredibly tempting.

FOMO, or “fear of missing out” is about dreading being left out because you lack the knowledge or experience that others have had without you.

As it turns out, FOMO can encourage people to buy into almost anything. We’re constantly in a race to keep up with technology, with our peers on social media, or with our coworkers in the office.

So we know the emotions that are at the heart of why we buy.

Learn to Use Emotional Triggers To Enhance Your Marketing Messages

Emotional marketing wins over using logic.

According to Impact, advertisers who used emotional messages to appeal to their target audience reported more success than advertisers who relied on logical ad campaigns.

The proof is in the pudding: Emotion works.

Now how do you utilize emotional triggers to super-charge your ad copy?

We have a few tips for you:

Utilize the word “FREE.”
This word is effective for triggering emotions about value and happiness. Which creates instant gratification from not having to pay anything, e.g. for shipping for instance.
However, “free” in the wrong context could send the wrong message. For example on a luxury clothing website whould cheapen the brand.
Play to those key emotions. Consider playing into happiness, trust, belonging, and fear.
Use short, simple language. Shorter words are better at appealing to emotions.

BONUS TRAINING:

Control Your Prospect’s Mind thru the Deadly Art of Copywriting with this FREE training.

Where “Multi-Million Dollar Copywriter unveils his deadly Copywriting Secrets that will help you print money right before your eyes!”

“Warning: this Seductive, Persuasive Copywriting Training is being removed from the internet TONIGHT, MIDNIGHT EST so WATCH THE VIDEO in it’s entirety now…”

One Must Understand the Power Of Emotional Advertising…

Our emotions are our most powerful motivators. We feel first, think later. As such, this biological emphasis on “gut feelings” is a strong way to pull people to your brand.

Use emotional advertising, and you may find customers who not only connect with your brand, but develop firm loyalty to your business.

What do you stand for and do what you offer?

Talk Soon,

Nicky & Dave