The 7 Biggest Buyer Motivations

July 1, 2016

money-256314_1280Brands must understand why customers are motivated to buy in order for their products or services to be successful. This understanding will help you develop the product positioning, marketing campaigns and the brand’s image to craft a message that ties into one of these buyer motivations:


Fear


Everyone knows that sex sells, but some marketers believe that fear may actually be a bigger motivator. If you stop to think about it, fear influences a lot of purchasing decisions that you probably never think twice about. Why do people buy car insurance? Because they fear getting into an accident. Why do homeowners invest in a security system? Because they fear home intruders. But, the fear doesn’t have to be this serious. Any degree of fear can influence buyers to start spending money.


Vanity


Beauty supply distributors, cosmetic brands and fitness companies around the world know for a fact that vanity motivates people to buy. Everything from hair styling products to lipstick and cosmetic procedures are purchased because people are concerned with the way that they look.


Profit or Gain


Selling to people who are motivated by financial gain is common in the business-to-business world. If salespeople can prove to their clients that a product or service can increase productivity or reduce loss, the client will be motivated to purchase it to increase their own wealth. Brands who want to use this motivation should focus on a customer’s desire to make as much money as possible.


Acceptance


Sometimes, consumers can be motivated to purchase a product because everyone else has it. Take the Livestrong bracelet that was popular in the early 2000s. As soon as a few powerful sports influencers began to wear this bracelet, fans followed, and then, even people who had no interest in sports or no idea what cause the bracelet stood for began to wear it, too. This is a perfect example of a trend taking off and motivating customers to jump on the bandwagon or feel left out around their peers.


Pleasure


Customers will always be motivated to buy to satisfy their own desires. Do you love interior design and decorating? You may get pleasure out of purchasing new throw pillows or a decorative vase. Do you love to kick back and relax? Pleasure would be the motivator that drives you to book a weekend away at an exotic beach with your family. Brands have to identify their target audiences and determine what their pleasures are before they can decide whether this is one of the motivators that drives customers to purchase their products.


Problems


Customers often times do not think to buy a product or service until a problem occurs in their lives that creates the need for it. For example, customers will rarely consider purchasing new tires until they get a flat tire and have no other choice. If your product or service is designed to satisfy a need of your customers, make this very clear in marketing efforts.


Health


Customers are willing to invest in products that have a clear health benefit. How many people would buy toothpaste if your teeth did not hurt without proper dental hygiene? Advil and Tylenol would not sell millions of bottles if they didn’t relieve pain from headaches and other ailments. Customers need to clearly understand the health benefits that your product offers and see proof that the claims you make have been proven. Remember, today’s shoppers are more skeptical than ever before, so you have to build trust with customers by being transparent and straight forward.


Which of these seven motivators do you think influences your purchase behaviors the most? What about the least? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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