Marketing Psychology
Purpose
This is a KNOWLEDGE skill. It does not produce standalone deliverables. Instead, it enhances any marketing asset — landing pages, emails, ads, CTAs, pricing pages, onboarding flows — by applying behavioral psychology principles that increase persuasion and conversion.
When another skill produces copy or UX, this skill provides the psychological layer: why certain framings work, which biases to apply, and specific before/after rewrites grounded in research.
No Reads/Writes
This skill is pure reference. It reads no brand files and writes no outputs. It is applied ON TOP of other skills' work.
Brand Context Enhancement
While this skill reads no files itself, the calling skill should provide brand context when available:
- audience.md -> Knowing the audience helps select the right social proof type (peer testimonials for B2B, user statistics for consumer), the right authority signals (industry certifications for enterprise, founder story for indie), and the right scarcity framing (launch pricing for startups, seat limits for teams).
- voice-profile.md -> Brand voice affects HOW principles are applied. A playful brand uses conversational loss aversion ("Don't miss out on..."). A professional brand uses data-driven framing ("Companies without X lose an average of...").
- positioning.md -> Premium positioning supports authority and anchoring. Challenger positioning supports liking and social proof from peers.
When calling this skill, pass relevant brand context so principles are applied in voice, not generically.
Workflow
Step 1: Identify the Asset Type
Determine what marketing asset is being optimized:
- Landing page (hero, body, CTA)
- Email (subject, body, CTA)
- Ad copy (headline, description, creative)
- Pricing page (tiers, anchoring, CTA)
- Onboarding flow (screens, copy, nudges)
- Social post (hook, body, CTA)
- Cancel flow (retention, objection handling)
- Sales page (long-form persuasion)
Step 2: Select Applicable Principles
Not every principle applies to every asset. Match principles to context. Use the Application Matrix below for quick selection.
Step 3: Consider B2B vs B2C Differences
| Principle | B2B Emphasis | B2C Emphasis | |-----------|-------------|-------------| | Social proof | Case studies, logos, ROI metrics | User counts, ratings, peer testimonials | | Authority | Industry certifications, compliance | Celebrity endorsements, media features | | Scarcity | Limited pilot spots, implementation slots | Limited stock, countdown timers | | Loss aversion | Revenue at risk, competitive disadvantage | Missing out on experiences, wasted time | | Anchoring | ROI comparison, cost of inaction | Was/now pricing, competitor comparison |
For real-world case studies of each principle in action: See [references/case-studies.md](references/case-studies.md) — 11 examples from companies like HubSpot, Netflix, Stripe, Duolingo, and Superhuman showing how principles translate to specific implementations.
How to Use This Skill
This is a knowledge skill — it enhances other skills' output rather than producing standalone deliverables.
Invocation pattern: When another skill produces copy or UX, ask: "Apply marketing psychology principles to this asset." This skill audits the output and suggests principle-specific rewrites.
Example: After /direct-response-copy produces a landing page, apply this skill to audit the hero for anchoring, the CTA for scarcity, and the testimonials for social proof.
Cialdini's 6 Principles of Persuasion
1. Reciprocity
People feel obligated to return favors. Give value first, ask second.
Application:
- Free tools, templates, guides before asking for signup
- Free trial with no credit card (gift, not trap)
- Personalized recommendations or audit before pitching
Before: "Sign up for our product" After: "Here's a free audit of your [X]. Want to fix these issues automatically? [Start free trial]"
Why this works: Giving value before asking creates an obligation loop — the free checklist makes the paid product feel like a natural next step, not a cold ask.
Where it works best: Lead magnets, free tools, onboarding emails, content marketing
2. Commitment and Consistency
People who take small steps continue in the same direction. Micro-commitments build toward conversion.
Application:
- "Yes ladder" — series of small agreements before the big ask
- Interactive tools that invest the user's time (endowment effect crossover)
- Public commitments: sharing goals, publishing results
- Progressive profiling: ask for email first, details later
Before: "Buy our annual plan for $299/year" After: "Start your free project -> See your first results -> Upgrade when you're ready"
Why this works: Each small yes builds psychological momentum — once someone has invested time and seen results, saying yes to payment feels consistent with their prior actions.
Where it works best: Signup flows, onboarding, pricing pages, email sequences
3. Social Proof
People follow the actions of others, especially similar others.
Types of social proof (ordered by persuasion strength):
| Type | Example | Strength | |------|---------|----------| | Expert endorsement | "[Industry expert] recommends [Product]" | Highest | | Celebrity/Influencer | "[Known figure] uses [Product]" | High | | User statistics | "12,847 teams use [Product]" | High | | Peer testimonial | "[Same role/industry] saw [specific result]" | High | | Certification/Award | "G2 Leader, 4.8/5 stars" | Medium | | Wisdom of crowds | "Most popular plan" badge | Medium | | Friend referral | "[Name] invited you" | Highest (context-dependent) |
Before: "Our product is great" After: "12,847 marketing teams use [Product] to save 10+ hours/week. Here's what [Similar Company] achieved in 30 days."
Why this works: Humans use others' behavior as a decision shortcut — specific numbers and named peers eliminate the need to evaluate the product independently.
Where it works best: Every asset. No exceptions. Always include social proof.
4. Authority
People defer to experts and credible sources.
Authority signals:
- Founder credentials and expertise
- Media logos ("As seen in TechCrunch, Forbes")
- Data and research citations
- Industry certifications and compliance badges
- Published content demonstrating expertise
- Years in business, customers served
Before: "We help with email marketing" After: "Built by the team that scaled [Company]'s email list from 0 to 500K subscribers"
Why this works: Concrete credentials transfer trust instantly — the reader borrows confidence from the known achievement rather than evaluating your claim from scratch.
Where it works best: Landing pages, about pages, sales emails, B2B proposals
5. Liking
People buy from people (and brands) they like. Similarity, compliments, and cooperation build liking.
Application:
- Use customer's language, not corporate jargon
- Show the team (real photos, real names)
- Mirror the audience's values and frustrations
- Conversational tone > formal tone
- "We built this because we had this problem too"
Before: "Our enterprise-grade solution leverages AI-powered analytics" After: "We were tired of staring at spreadsheets too. So we built [Product]."
Why this works: Mirroring the audience's frustration signals "we're one of you" — people trust and buy from those who understand their lived experience.
Where it works best: Brand voice, about pages, founder stories, email tone
6. Scarcity
People value what's limited. Real scarcity drives action; manufactured scarcity destroys trust.
Legitimate scarcity patterns:
- Limited beta access (real capacity constraint)
- Expiring discounts tied to events (launch pricing, annual sale)
- Feature limits on free tier (natural product boundary)
- Seats or usage limits (infrast