Consumer Psychology: How to Sell Like Taylor Swift
Quick question: how many Taylor Swift-related things have you seen on social media lately?
Whether you’re a fan of Taylor or not, we can all agree: she’s always in the spotlight. And there’s a reason Tay Tay can successfully sell 4 versions of the same album.
No, it’s not because “well, she’s Taylor Swift. Duh.” It’s her marketing strategy– she knows exactly who her consumer is.
She uses that knowledge to create her marketing strategy, not just who they are but what they want, what they care about, and their priorities.
It’s a technique called consumer psychology, a powerful tool you can use in your business.
What is consumer psychology?
In short, it’s how and why we buy things. In copywriting, we use consumer psychology to create convincing sales copy.
It’s easy to sound like a robot when trying to sell, even if everything you say is true. Consumers today are savvy—78% can tell when a brand is advertising to them.
The era of the surprise pitch is over. Now more than ever, consumers want to feel understood before they buy.
Isn’t that sales psychology?
Yes and no—I’m going to get annoyingly technical here. Sales psychology is the use of consumer psychology in marketing and sales.
So yes, they’re basically the same thing. Consumer psychology focuses on the consumer, and sales psychology focuses on marketing to the consumer.
Now, let me be clear: consumer psychology is NOT about manipulating people.
Making people feel bad is not going to get them to buy. So leave that icky bro marketing at the door, and let’s get into some science-backed, ethical ways to build hype for your offer.
3 consumer psychology techniques you should be using every day
You can use consumer psychology in many ways, but these are my favorites.
Scarcity
What is scarcity?
Scarcity establishes a feeling of urgency or uniqueness to convince consumers to buy.
Taylor uses scarcity all. the. time. Here are just a few ways:
Limited # of tickets available
Merch only available for the next 48 hours
Special editions available only in certain stores
If Taylor’s special-edition Target vinyl were sold everywhere, they wouldn’t be as valuable because the supply would meet the demand. However, making them available only in Target limits the supply, which usually increases demand.
FOMO
What is FOMO?
FOMO is the fear of missing out. In marketing, you can use it to create even more demand for a product because, as humans, we like to feel like we’re part of a group, especially if that group is exclusive.
A great example of this is the presales for the Eras Tour. Everyone wanted to be chosen for the verified fan presale—even people who didn’t have Ticketmaster accounts registered for this event.
Once verified fans were chosen, people who didn’t get picked were even more invested in getting tickets because the presale made them feel like they were being left out.
She also used specific ticket release days to motivate fans to act fast so they wouldn’t miss the opportunity to purchase tickets.
Social Proof
What is social proof?
Social proof is proof of the offer’s reliability, quality, and results. Think client reviews, screenshots of positive outcomes, and charts and data.
According to TINT, 75% of consumers are likely to search for reviews and testimonials before purchasing.
Let’s examine the consumer psychology of luxury brands. Take this 2016 Prada ad campaign. To the untrained fashion eye, it looks super weird. The models are walking in space? Why?
Most consumers wouldn't get it if your Average Joe clothing brand did this exact campaign. But because it’s Prada, consumers went from “what the heck” to “what’s the intention?” in minutes.
Consumers reacted to the ad campaign differently than if it had been from Forever 21 because of Prada’s established authority as a luxury brand. Their reputation is so high-end that it MUST have some deeper meaning.
These discussions online were examples of user-generated content (UGC). Thousands of conversations, articles, and videos discussed the ad campaign, and Prada had nothing to do with them.
Taylor uses this exact strategy to build hype for new releases and events.
When the Eras Tour was announced, people started posting photos of themselves at Taylor’s past concerts. Communicating through these memories created a familial sense of nostalgia and drove even more people to get excited about the Era Tour.
If you’re a fan of Taylor, you’ve seen this in action. Ever noticed how 99% of your feed is people reacting to what Taylor posts? The content coming directly from Taylor and her team is minuscule compared to the content fans create.
Even her haters are helping her with marketing– their content creates emotional responses, too.
How to use these 3 consumer psychology techniques in your wedding business
Scarcity
Limited # of weddings per year
Limited-time offers or sales (countdown timers are great for this)
Specific periods where couples can book
Special add-ons for clients who______ (book engagement and wedding photography in one package, choose a specific venue, are on your email list… anything you can think of that applies to a specific group of people.)
FOMO
Hosting or participating in live events (in person or virtual)
Using a waitlist to build hype for your offer
Exclusive discounts for returning clients or referrals
Collaborations with other businesses
Social Proof
Client reviews
Photos of your work
Real Wedding blogs
Publications in popular magazines
Comments and DMs
Footage from weddings you’ve worked
Scarcity, FOMO, and social proof are my favorite consumer psychology techniques for wedding pros because they’re pretty easy to use (you may already be using some and didn’t realize it!).
Like anything in business, what works for someone else might not work for you, and that’s okay. Experiment with different consumer psychology techniques until you find the ones that really resonate with your audience.
My biggest advice? Start paying attention to consumer psychology around you—on billboards, magazines, and social media ads. The more you recognize consumer psychology in action, the easier it will be to use it in your own business. Plus, if you see something you like, you can use it in your own business.
If you want to learn more about sales, copywriting, and SEO specifically tailored to the wedding industry, you’re in the right place. I specialize in writing copy that actually sounds like you and helps you rank on Google.
Now go update the reviews on your website, plan a flash sale, or start a waitlist. If Taylor can use consumer psychology to become a billionaire, you can book some weddings.
