Reciprocity – People tend to return a favor, thus the pervasiveness of free samples in marketing. In his conferences, he often uses the example of Ethiopia providing thousands of dollars in humanitarian aid to Mexico just after the 1985 earthquake, despite Ethiopia suffering from a crippling famine and civil war at the time. Ethiopia had been reciprocating for the diplomatic support Mexico provided when Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935. The good cop/bad cop strategy is also based on this principle.
Commitment and consistency – If people commit, orally or in writing, to an idea or goal, they are more likely to honor that commitment because of establishing that idea or goal as being congruent with their self-image. Even if the original incentive or motivation is removed after they have already agreed, they will continue to honor the agreement. Cialdini notes Chinese brainwashing of American prisoners of war to rewrite their self-image and gain automatic unenforced compliance. Another example is children being made to repeat the Pledge of Allegiance each morning and why marketers make you close popups by saying “I’ll sign up later” or “No thanks, I prefer not making money”.
Social proof – People will do things that they see other people are doing. For example, in one experiment, one or more confederates would look up into the sky; bystanders would then look up into the sky to see what they were seeing. At one point this experiment aborted, as so many people were looking up that they stopped traffic. See conformity, and the Asch conformity experiments.
Authority – People will tend to obey authority figures, even if they are asked to perform objectionable acts. Cialdini cites incidents such as the Milgram experiments in the early 1960s and the My Lai massacre.
Liking – People are easily persuaded by other people that they like. Cialdini cites the marketing of Tupperware in what might now be called viral marketing. People were more likely to buy if they liked the person selling it to them. Some of the many biases favoring more attractive people are discussed. See physical attractiveness stereotype.
Scarcity – Perceived scarcity will generate demand. For example, saying offers are available for a “limited time only” encourages sales.
"Write a marketing campaign outline using the '**Reciprocity Bias**' framework to create a sense of obligation in [ideal customer persona] to try our [product/service]. Include value-adds or bonuses, and encourage reciprocity by asking for a favor or action in return."
"Using the '**Attribution Bias**' framework, please write a marketing campaign outline that attributes the successes or failures of our [product/service] to internal factors. Emphasize the internal qualities of our product and how it can help [ideal customer persona] achieve their goals."
"Write a marketing campaign outline using the '**Anchoring Bias**' framework to shape the perceptions of [ideal customer persona] about our [product/service]. Highlight the most important or relevant information first, and use this information as an anchor to influence their decisions."
"Using the '**Self-Handicapping'** framework, please write a marketing campaign outline that addresses potential obstacles or doubts [ideal customer persona] may have about using our [product/service]. Offer support and resources to help them overcome these challenges, and emphasize the internal qualities of our product that can help them achieve their goals."
"Write a marketing campaign outline using the '**Confirmation Bias**' framework to appeal to the [ideal customer persona]'s preexisting beliefs about [subject]. Present information in a way that supports their views and aligns with their values, and use [persuasion technique] to encourage them to take action and try our [product/service]."
"Write a marketing campaign outline using the '**Self-Serve Bias**' framework to highlight the successes people can achieve with our [product/service] and downplay the role of external factors in the outcomes. Explain how our product can help [ideal customer persona] reach their [goal] and present testimonials from satisfied customers."
"Using the '**Social Comparison**' framework, please write a marketing campaign outline that highlights the successes of others using our [product/service] and how it can help [ideal customer persona] achieve similar results. Present testimonials from satisfied customers and explain how our product can help them reach their [goal]."
"Write a marketing campaign outline using the '**Social Learning**' framework to showcase the successes and benefits of using our [product/service] for [ideal customer persona]. Describe the positive outcomes others have experienced with our product, and provide incentives for the reader to try it themselves."
"Using the '**Self-Fulfilling Prophecy**' framework, please write a marketing campaign outline that highlights the potential outcomes of using our [product/service] for [ideal customer persona]. Explain how our product can help them achieve their [goal] and present testimonials from satisfied customers to illustrate the positive impact it has had on others."
"Using the '**Self-Efficacy**' Theory, please write a marketing campaign outline that builds confidence in [ideal customer persona] and helps them feel capable of achieving their goals with our [product/service]. Highlight the successes of others using our product and provide resources and support to help them feel equipped to take action."