Marketing to Reach the Subconscious Mind of the Consumer

To tap into the subconscious mind of the consumer with your marketing activities, businesses need to understand how the brain works. The human brain is constantly taking in information and sorting it into different categories.

The subconscious mind is responsible for storing information that is not immediately needed but may be important later on. This is why advertisers use techniques like repetitive messaging and subliminal messages to reach the subconscious mind – they know that if they can get their message into the subconscious, it will eventually be sorted into the “important” category and influence purchasing decisions.

In this post, we’ll explore how you can reach the subconscious mind of the consumer through your marketing activities and why it’s so important to do so. We’ll also look at some of the techniques that are most effective in reaching the subconscious.

What is the subconscious mind?

The subconscious mind is the part of the mind that controls our automatic or involuntary actions and behaviors. It is responsible for things like our heartbeat, breathing, digesting food, and other basic functions. The subconscious mind is also responsible for our habits, thoughts, and emotions.

You could say that the subconscious mind is like a computer and it can be programmed to do certain things. For example, if you want to quit smoking, you can program your subconscious mind to help you achieve that goal. Or, if you want to lose weight, you can program your subconscious mind to help you make healthier choices.

The subconscious mind is very powerful and it’s important to understand how it works if you want to be able to influence it.

How does the subconscious mind influence consumer behavior?

There are many ways that the subconscious mind can influence consumer behavior. Here are a few examples it can impact what we buy:

1. Decision making

Let’s say that you’re trying to decide between two different brands of toothpaste. The subconscious mind may start to think about which brand is more popular or which brand is more expensive.

2. Emotions

If you see a commercial that makes you feel happy, your subconscious mind may start to associate that product with happiness.

3. Thoughts

This means that if we see a commercial for a new product, our subconscious mind may start to think about how that product can help us in our daily lives.

4. Behavior

For example, if we see an ad for a new car, we may start to act on that impulse and go to the dealership to buy the car.

These are just a few examples of how the subconscious mind works when making purchasing decisions. Now let’s see how we can reach the subconscious mind of the consumer.

Ways to reach the subconscious mind of the consumer

The examples in the previous section are from a consumer point of view, but how can a business reach the subconscious mind of its potential customers with their marketing?

Let’s take a look at some techniques:

1. Advertising

Advertising works by creating an emotional response in the viewer. The emotional response can be positive or negative, but it needs to be strong enough to influence the subconscious mind.

Some techniques that are often used in advertising are fear and humor. These techniques work by creating an emotional response that is then associated with the product.

If you want to sell a service that is boring or mundane, like insurance, you can use fear to reach the subconscious mind. For example, you might show a commercial of a family that is struggling financially after a car accident. The commercial would then explain how the family could have avoided this financial hardship if they had only had insurance.

2. Market research

Market research is another way to reach the subconscious mind of the consumer. This technique involves observing consumers and understanding their behavior.

Through market research, you can understand what motivates consumers and what they are looking for in a product. This information can then be used to create marketing campaigns that appeal to the subconscious mind.

For example, if you want to sell a digital product, you might use market research to understand what type of content is most popular with your target audience. You might find that they are looking for information that is easy to digest and that is relevant to their lives.

Armed with this information, you can create a marketing campaign that focuses on the benefits of your product. If someone sees your ads, they might be thinking about how your product can help them in their daily lives. And, this thinking happens on a subconscious level.

3. Branding

Another approach to impact the consumer’s subconscious mind is through successful branding. This technique involves creating a strong association between a product and a certain emotion.

For example, Nike is a company that has successfully used branding to reach the subconscious mind of consumers. Nike’s ads often feature athletes who have overcome adversity to achieve success.

This type of ad creates an emotional response in the viewer. The viewer may feel inspired by the story and start to associate Nike with inspiration.

Of course, different companies have different strategies for marketing and advertising. But, if you want to reach the subconscious mind of the consumer, these are some techniques that you can use.

4. Content marketing

To reach the subconscious mind using content marketing, learn what your audience is looking for. If you are trying to attract buyers to your business:

• Make your writing more effective with short, straight-forward messages that get right to the point.
• Use phrases that trigger emotional responses by the consumer such as limited time only, free shipping and free returns.
• Include a persuasive call to action, especially if your website is an ecommerce site.
• Incorporate powerful visual content to have a greater impact on the viewer.

Why is it important to reach the subconscious mind of the consumer?

The subconscious mind of the consumer, in which most purchase decisions are made, is where you should operate.

Many times, people take action based on their emotions, not on logic. This means that if you can create an emotional response in a potential customer, you are more likely to influence their purchasing decisions.

Think about the last time your business made a sale.

Was it because the customer logically reasoned that your product was the best option? Or, was it because they had an emotional reaction to your product or service?

Either way, you likely reached the customer’s subconscious mind. Maybe they were thinking about how your product made them feel, or maybe they were thinking about how your product would make their life better.

Conclusion

If you want to make the most of your marketing campaigns, you need to understand how to reach the subconscious mind of the consumer. When a person doesn’t realize they are being marketed to, they are more likely to make a purchase based on emotion.

Many industries are so competitive that the tiniest advantage can mean the difference between success and failure. There is a noticeable difference between brands who implement marketing activities that tap into the subconscious mind and their success. If you can find a way to tap into the emotions of your target market, you’ll be one step ahead.

Brainstorm some ways how you can make the impact you want, and then take action to implement those ideas!