This episode is taken from the third chapter of my book Hardcore Copywriting: 45 Essential Marketing Strategy and Writing Courses (written in Traditional Chinese). The articles in this chapter have not been published online, and I’ll make them podcast episodes for you to enjoy.
All marketing activities can be categorized into four main purposes for engaging customers:
Absorb
Persuade
Convert
Satisfy
Absorption focuses on internalizing a brand's concept without directly pushing sales, often used in markets with high resources, product homogeneity, and brand competition.
Persuasion aims to turn neutrals and opponents into supporters, which can be challenging but crucial for brand growth. I've found that sometimes it's easier to convert opponents than neutrals, as brand-aware customers may be more receptive to marketing efforts.
Conversion techniques are common at the point of sale, utilizing persuasive tactics to encourage immediate purchases.
These methods often rely on addressing customer pain points, offering incentives, and creating a sense of urgency.
Satisfaction, an advanced form of conversion, temporarily alters a customer's mindset to facilitate purchases. This approach taps into aspirational desires, allowing customers to momentarily imagine themselves in idealized scenarios.
When executed well, satisfaction-based marketing can benefit both the brand and the customer, potentially justifying higher price points and building brand loyalty.
In this series:
Four purposes of marketing activities