From 4c93437e5947266f316bd6354ba7dca11d5b0e4c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Julian lechner Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2026 11:01:54 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] refactor(skills): move marketing-psychology catalogs to references Keep the decision steps in SKILL.md and move catalogs, examples, and checklists verbatim to references/ to reduce the context cost of loading the skill. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 --- shared/skills/marketing-psychology/SKILL.md | 399 +----------------- .../references/buyer-psychology.md | 113 +++++ .../references/design-delivery.md | 53 +++ .../references/growth-scaling.md | 43 ++ .../references/persuasion.md | 68 +++ .../references/pricing-psychology.md | 28 ++ .../references/thinking-models.md | 73 ++++ 7 files changed, 386 insertions(+), 391 deletions(-) create mode 100644 shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/buyer-psychology.md create mode 100644 shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/design-delivery.md create mode 100644 shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/growth-scaling.md create mode 100644 shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/persuasion.md create mode 100644 shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/pricing-psychology.md create mode 100644 shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/thinking-models.md diff --git a/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/SKILL.md b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/SKILL.md index 4b0f3f7..f1120a4 100644 --- a/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/SKILL.md +++ b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/SKILL.md @@ -23,399 +23,16 @@ Mental models are thinking tools that help you make better decisions, understand --- -## Foundational Thinking Models +## Model Categories -These models sharpen your strategy and help you solve the right problems. +Pick the category that matches the challenge, then read only that file for the model explanations and marketing applications: -### First Principles -Break problems down to basic truths and build solutions from there. Instead of copying competitors, ask "why" repeatedly to find root causes. Use the 5 Whys technique to tunnel down to what really matters. - -**Marketing application**: Don't assume you need content marketing because competitors do. Ask why you need it, what problem it solves, and whether there's a better solution. - -### Jobs to Be Done -People don't buy products—they "hire" them to get a job done. Focus on the outcome customers want, not features. - -**Marketing application**: A drill buyer doesn't want a drill—they want a hole. Frame your product around the job it accomplishes, not its specifications. - -### Circle of Competence -Know what you're good at and stay within it. Venture outside only with proper learning or expert help. - -**Marketing application**: Don't chase every channel. Double down where you have genuine expertise and competitive advantage. - -### Inversion -Instead of asking "How do I succeed?", ask "What would guarantee failure?" Then avoid those things. - -**Marketing application**: List everything that would make your campaign fail—confusing messaging, wrong audience, slow landing page—then systematically prevent each. - -### Occam's Razor -The simplest explanation is usually correct. Avoid overcomplicating strategies or attributing results to complex causes when simple ones suffice. - -**Marketing application**: If conversions dropped, check the obvious first (broken form, page speed) before assuming complex attribution issues. - -### Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule) -Roughly 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. Identify and focus on the vital few. - -**Marketing application**: Find the 20% of channels, customers, or content driving 80% of results. Cut or reduce the rest. - -### Local vs. Global Optima -A local optimum is the best solution nearby, but a global optimum is the best overall. Don't get stuck optimizing the wrong thing. - -**Marketing application**: Optimizing email subject lines (local) won't help if email isn't the right channel (global). Zoom out before zooming in. - -### Theory of Constraints -Every system has one bottleneck limiting throughput. Find and fix that constraint before optimizing elsewhere. - -**Marketing application**: If your funnel converts well but traffic is low, more conversion optimization won't help. Fix the traffic bottleneck first. - -### Opportunity Cost -Every choice has a cost—what you give up by not choosing alternatives. Consider what you're saying no to. - -**Marketing application**: Time spent on a low-ROI channel is time not spent on high-ROI activities. Always compare against alternatives. - -### Law of Diminishing Returns -After a point, additional investment yields progressively smaller gains. - -**Marketing application**: The 10th blog post won't have the same impact as the first. Know when to diversify rather than double down. - -### Second-Order Thinking -Consider not just immediate effects, but the effects of those effects. - -**Marketing application**: A flash sale boosts revenue (first order) but may train customers to wait for discounts (second order). - -### Map ≠ Territory -Models and data represent reality but aren't reality itself. Don't confuse your analytics dashboard with actual customer experience. - -**Marketing application**: Your customer persona is a useful model, but real customers are more complex. Stay in touch with actual users. - -### Probabilistic Thinking -Think in probabilities, not certainties. Estimate likelihoods and plan for multiple outcomes. - -**Marketing application**: Don't bet everything on one campaign. Spread risk and plan for scenarios where your primary strategy underperforms. - -### Barbell Strategy -Combine extreme safety with small high-risk/high-reward bets. Avoid the mediocre middle. - -**Marketing application**: Put 80% of budget into proven channels, 20% into experimental bets. Avoid moderate-risk, moderate-reward middle. - ---- - -## Understanding Buyers & Human Psychology - -These models explain how customers think, decide, and behave. - -### Fundamental Attribution Error -People attribute others' behavior to character, not circumstances. "They didn't buy because they're not serious" vs. "The checkout was confusing." - -**Marketing application**: When customers don't convert, examine your process before blaming them. The problem is usually situational, not personal. - -### Mere Exposure Effect -People prefer things they've seen before. Familiarity breeds liking. - -**Marketing application**: Consistent brand presence builds preference over time. Repetition across channels creates comfort and trust. - -### Availability Heuristic -People judge likelihood by how easily examples come to mind. Recent or vivid events seem more common. - -**Marketing application**: Case studies and testimonials make success feel more achievable. Make positive outcomes easy to imagine. - -### Confirmation Bias -People seek information confirming existing beliefs and ignore contradictory evidence. - -**Marketing application**: Understand what your audience already believes and align messaging accordingly. Fighting beliefs head-on rarely works. - -### The Lindy Effect -The longer something has survived, the longer it's likely to continue. Old ideas often outlast new ones. - -**Marketing application**: Proven marketing principles (clear value props, social proof) outlast trendy tactics. Don't abandon fundamentals for fads. - -### Mimetic Desire -People want things because others want them. Desire is socially contagious. - -**Marketing application**: Show that desirable people want your product. Waitlists, exclusivity, and social proof trigger mimetic desire. - -### Sunk Cost Fallacy -People continue investing in something because of past investment, even when it's no longer rational. - -**Marketing application**: Know when to kill underperforming campaigns. Past spend shouldn't justify future spend if results aren't there. - -### Endowment Effect -People value things more once they own them. - -**Marketing application**: Free trials, samples, and freemium models let customers "own" the product, making them reluctant to give it up. - -### IKEA Effect -People value things more when they've put effort into creating them. - -**Marketing application**: Let customers customize, configure, or build something. Their investment increases perceived value and commitment. - -### Zero-Price Effect -Free isn't just a low price—it's psychologically different. "Free" triggers irrational preference. - -**Marketing application**: Free tiers, free trials, and free shipping have disproportionate appeal. The jump from $1 to $0 is bigger than $2 to $1. - -### Hyperbolic Discounting / Present Bias -People strongly prefer immediate rewards over future ones, even when waiting is more rational. - -**Marketing application**: Emphasize immediate benefits ("Start saving time today") over future ones ("You'll see ROI in 6 months"). - -### Status-Quo Bias -People prefer the current state of affairs. Change requires effort and feels risky. - -**Marketing application**: Reduce friction to switch. Make the transition feel safe and easy. "Import your data in one click." - -### Default Effect -People tend to accept pre-selected options. Defaults are powerful. - -**Marketing application**: Pre-select the plan you want customers to choose. Opt-out beats opt-in for subscriptions (ethically applied). - -### Paradox of Choice -Too many options overwhelm and paralyze. Fewer choices often lead to more decisions. - -**Marketing application**: Limit options. Three pricing tiers beat seven. Recommend a single "best for most" option. - -### Goal-Gradient Effect -People accelerate effort as they approach a goal. Progress visualization motivates action. - -**Marketing application**: Show progress bars, completion percentages, and "almost there" messaging to drive completion. - -### Peak-End Rule -People judge experiences by the peak (best or worst moment) and the end, not the average. - -**Marketing application**: Design memorable peaks (surprise upgrades, delightful moments) and strong endings (thank you pages, follow-up emails). - -### Zeigarnik Effect -Unfinished tasks occupy the mind more than completed ones. Open loops create tension. - -**Marketing application**: "You're 80% done" creates pull to finish. Incomplete profiles, abandoned carts, and cliffhangers leverage this. - -### Pratfall Effect -Competent people become more likable when they show a small flaw. Perfection is less relatable. - -**Marketing application**: Admitting a weakness ("We're not the cheapest, but...") can increase trust and differentiation. - -### Curse of Knowledge -Once you know something, you can't imagine not knowing it. Experts struggle to explain simply. - -**Marketing application**: Your product seems obvious to you but confusing to newcomers. Test copy with people unfamiliar with your space. - -### Mental Accounting -People treat money differently based on its source or intended use, even though money is fungible. - -**Marketing application**: Frame costs in favorable mental accounts. "$3/day" feels different than "$90/month" even though it's the same. - -### Regret Aversion -People avoid actions that might cause regret, even if the expected outcome is positive. - -**Marketing application**: Address regret directly. Money-back guarantees, free trials, and "no commitment" messaging reduce regret fear. - -### Bandwagon Effect / Social Proof -People follow what others are doing. Popularity signals quality and safety. - -**Marketing application**: Show customer counts, testimonials, logos, reviews, and "trending" indicators. Numbers create confidence. - ---- - -## Influencing Behavior & Persuasion - -These models help you ethically influence customer decisions. - -### Reciprocity Principle -People feel obligated to return favors. Give first, and people want to give back. - -**Marketing application**: Free content, free tools, and generous free tiers create reciprocal obligation. Give value before asking for anything. - -### Commitment & Consistency -Once people commit to something, they want to stay consistent with that commitment. - -**Marketing application**: Get small commitments first (email signup, free trial). People who've taken one step are more likely to take the next. - -### Authority Bias -People defer to experts and authority figures. Credentials and expertise create trust. - -**Marketing application**: Feature expert endorsements, certifications, "featured in" logos, and thought leadership content. - -### Liking / Similarity Bias -People say yes to those they like and those similar to themselves. - -**Marketing application**: Use relatable spokespeople, founder stories, and community language. "Built by marketers for marketers" signals similarity. - -### Unity Principle -Shared identity drives influence. "One of us" is powerful. - -**Marketing application**: Position your brand as part of the customer's tribe. Use insider language and shared values. - -### Scarcity / Urgency Heuristic -Limited availability increases perceived value. Scarcity signals desirability. - -**Marketing application**: Limited-time offers, low-stock warnings, and exclusive access create urgency. Only use when genuine. - -### Foot-in-the-Door Technique -Start with a small request, then escalate. Compliance with small requests leads to compliance with larger ones. - -**Marketing application**: Free trial → paid plan → annual plan → enterprise. Each step builds on the last. - -### Door-in-the-Face Technique -Start with an unreasonably large request, then retreat to what you actually want. The contrast makes the second request seem reasonable. - -**Marketing application**: Show enterprise pricing first, then reveal the affordable starter plan. The contrast makes it feel like a deal. - -### Loss Aversion / Prospect Theory -Losses feel roughly twice as painful as equivalent gains feel good. People will work harder to avoid losing than to gain. - -**Marketing application**: Frame in terms of what they'll lose by not acting. "Don't miss out" beats "You could gain." - -### Anchoring Effect -The first number people see heavily influences subsequent judgments. - -**Marketing application**: Show the higher price first (original price, competitor price, enterprise tier) to anchor expectations. - -### Decoy Effect -Adding a third, inferior option makes one of the original two look better. - -**Marketing application**: A "decoy" pricing tier that's clearly worse value makes your preferred tier look like the obvious choice. - -### Framing Effect -How something is presented changes how it's perceived. Same facts, different frames. - -**Marketing application**: "90% success rate" vs. "10% failure rate" are identical but feel different. Frame positively. - -### Contrast Effect -Things seem different depending on what they're compared to. - -**Marketing application**: Show the "before" state clearly. The contrast with your "after" makes improvements vivid. - ---- - -## Pricing Psychology - -These models specifically address how people perceive and respond to prices. - -### Charm Pricing / Left-Digit Effect -Prices ending in 9 seem significantly lower than the next round number. $99 feels much cheaper than $100. - -**Marketing application**: Use .99 or .95 endings for value-focused products. The left digit dominates perception. - -### Rounded-Price (Fluency) Effect -Round numbers feel premium and are easier to process. $100 signals quality; $99 signals value. - -**Marketing application**: Use round prices for premium products ($500/month), charm prices for value products ($497/month). - -### Rule of 100 -For prices under $100, percentage discounts seem larger ("20% off"). For prices over $100, absolute discounts seem larger ("$50 off"). - -**Marketing application**: $80 product: "20% off" beats "$16 off." $500 product: "$100 off" beats "20% off." - -### Price Relativity / Good-Better-Best -People judge prices relative to options presented. A middle tier seems reasonable between cheap and expensive. - -**Marketing application**: Three tiers where the middle is your target. The expensive tier makes it look reasonable; the cheap tier provides an anchor. - -### Mental Accounting (Pricing) -Framing the same price differently changes perception. - -**Marketing application**: "$1/day" feels cheaper than "$30/month." "Less than your morning coffee" reframes the expense. - ---- - -## Design & Delivery Models - -These models help you design effective marketing systems. - -### Hick's Law -Decision time increases with the number and complexity of choices. More options = slower decisions = more abandonment. - -**Marketing application**: Simplify choices. One clear CTA beats three. Fewer form fields beat more. - -### AIDA Funnel -Attention → Interest → Desire → Action. The classic customer journey model. - -**Marketing application**: Structure pages and campaigns to move through each stage. Capture attention before building desire. - -### Rule of 7 -Prospects need roughly 7 touchpoints before converting. One ad rarely converts; sustained presence does. - -**Marketing application**: Build multi-touch campaigns across channels. Retargeting, email sequences, and consistent presence compound. - -### Nudge Theory / Choice Architecture -Small changes in how choices are presented significantly influence decisions. - -**Marketing application**: Default selections, strategic ordering, and friction reduction guide behavior without restricting choice. - -### BJ Fogg Behavior Model -Behavior = Motivation × Ability × Prompt. All three must be present for action. - -**Marketing application**: High motivation but hard to do = won't happen. Easy to do but no prompt = won't happen. Design for all three. - -### EAST Framework -Make desired behaviors: Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely. - -**Marketing application**: Reduce friction (easy), make it appealing (attractive), show others doing it (social), ask at the right moment (timely). - -### COM-B Model -Behavior requires: Capability, Opportunity, Motivation. - -**Marketing application**: Can they do it (capability)? Is the path clear (opportunity)? Do they want to (motivation)? Address all three. - -### Activation Energy -The initial energy required to start something. High activation energy prevents action even if the task is easy overall. - -**Marketing application**: Reduce starting friction. Pre-fill forms, offer templates, show quick wins. Make the first step trivially easy. - -### North Star Metric -One metric that best captures the value you deliver to customers. Focus creates alignment. - -**Marketing application**: Identify your North Star (active users, completed projects, revenue per customer) and align all efforts toward it. - -### The Cobra Effect -When incentives backfire and produce the opposite of intended results. - -**Marketing application**: Test incentive structures. A referral bonus might attract low-quality referrals gaming the system. - ---- - -## Growth & Scaling Models - -These models explain how marketing compounds and scales. - -### Feedback Loops -Output becomes input, creating cycles. Positive loops accelerate growth; negative loops create decline. - -**Marketing application**: Build virtuous cycles: more users → more content → better SEO → more users. Identify and strengthen positive loops. - -### Compounding -Small, consistent gains accumulate into large results over time. Early gains matter most. - -**Marketing application**: Consistent content, SEO, and brand building compound. Start early; benefits accumulate exponentially. - -### Network Effects -A product becomes more valuable as more people use it. - -**Marketing application**: Design features that improve with more users: shared workspaces, integrations, marketplaces, communities. - -### Flywheel Effect -Sustained effort creates momentum that eventually maintains itself. Hard to start, easy to maintain. - -**Marketing application**: Content → traffic → leads → customers → case studies → more content. Each element powers the next. - -### Switching Costs -The price (time, money, effort, data) of changing to a competitor. High switching costs create retention. - -**Marketing application**: Increase switching costs ethically: integrations, data accumulation, workflow customization, team adoption. - -### Exploration vs. Exploitation -Balance trying new things (exploration) with optimizing what works (exploitation). - -**Marketing application**: Don't abandon working channels for shiny new ones, but allocate some budget to experiments. - -### Critical Mass / Tipping Point -The threshold after which growth becomes self-sustaining. - -**Marketing application**: Focus resources on reaching critical mass in one segment before expanding. Depth before breadth. - -### Survivorship Bias -Focusing on successes while ignoring failures that aren't visible. - -**Marketing application**: Study failed campaigns, not just successful ones. The viral hit you're copying had 99 failures you didn't see. +- [Foundational Thinking Models](references/thinking-models.md): read for strategy, prioritization, or diagnosing the real problem (First Principles, Inversion, Pareto, Theory of Constraints, Second-Order Thinking, Barbell Strategy, and more). +- [Understanding Buyers & Human Psychology](references/buyer-psychology.md): read for explaining how customers think, decide, and resist change (biases, heuristics, Endowment, Default Effect, Paradox of Choice, Peak-End, Social Proof, and more). +- [Influencing Behavior & Persuasion](references/persuasion.md): read for ethically influencing a decision (Reciprocity, Commitment, Authority, Scarcity, Loss Aversion, Anchoring, Decoy, Framing, and more). +- [Pricing Psychology](references/pricing-psychology.md): read for price presentation, discounts, and tiers (Charm Pricing, Rounded Prices, Rule of 100, Good-Better-Best, Mental Accounting). +- [Design & Delivery Models](references/design-delivery.md): read for designing pages, flows, CTAs, and incentive systems (Hick's Law, AIDA, Fogg, EAST, COM-B, Activation Energy, North Star, Cobra Effect, and more). +- [Growth & Scaling Models](references/growth-scaling.md): read for compounding, retention, and scaling (Feedback Loops, Flywheel, Network Effects, Switching Costs, Critical Mass, Survivorship Bias, and more). --- diff --git a/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/buyer-psychology.md b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/buyer-psychology.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5b31b70 --- /dev/null +++ b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/buyer-psychology.md @@ -0,0 +1,113 @@ +# Understanding Buyers & Human Psychology + +These models explain how customers think, decide, and behave. + +## Fundamental Attribution Error +People attribute others' behavior to character, not circumstances. "They didn't buy because they're not serious" vs. "The checkout was confusing." + +**Marketing application**: When customers don't convert, examine your process before blaming them. The problem is usually situational, not personal. + +## Mere Exposure Effect +People prefer things they've seen before. Familiarity breeds liking. + +**Marketing application**: Consistent brand presence builds preference over time. Repetition across channels creates comfort and trust. + +## Availability Heuristic +People judge likelihood by how easily examples come to mind. Recent or vivid events seem more common. + +**Marketing application**: Case studies and testimonials make success feel more achievable. Make positive outcomes easy to imagine. + +## Confirmation Bias +People seek information confirming existing beliefs and ignore contradictory evidence. + +**Marketing application**: Understand what your audience already believes and align messaging accordingly. Fighting beliefs head-on rarely works. + +## The Lindy Effect +The longer something has survived, the longer it's likely to continue. Old ideas often outlast new ones. + +**Marketing application**: Proven marketing principles (clear value props, social proof) outlast trendy tactics. Don't abandon fundamentals for fads. + +## Mimetic Desire +People want things because others want them. Desire is socially contagious. + +**Marketing application**: Show that desirable people want your product. Waitlists, exclusivity, and social proof trigger mimetic desire. + +## Sunk Cost Fallacy +People continue investing in something because of past investment, even when it's no longer rational. + +**Marketing application**: Know when to kill underperforming campaigns. Past spend shouldn't justify future spend if results aren't there. + +## Endowment Effect +People value things more once they own them. + +**Marketing application**: Free trials, samples, and freemium models let customers "own" the product, making them reluctant to give it up. + +## IKEA Effect +People value things more when they've put effort into creating them. + +**Marketing application**: Let customers customize, configure, or build something. Their investment increases perceived value and commitment. + +## Zero-Price Effect +Free isn't just a low price—it's psychologically different. "Free" triggers irrational preference. + +**Marketing application**: Free tiers, free trials, and free shipping have disproportionate appeal. The jump from $1 to $0 is bigger than $2 to $1. + +## Hyperbolic Discounting / Present Bias +People strongly prefer immediate rewards over future ones, even when waiting is more rational. + +**Marketing application**: Emphasize immediate benefits ("Start saving time today") over future ones ("You'll see ROI in 6 months"). + +## Status-Quo Bias +People prefer the current state of affairs. Change requires effort and feels risky. + +**Marketing application**: Reduce friction to switch. Make the transition feel safe and easy. "Import your data in one click." + +## Default Effect +People tend to accept pre-selected options. Defaults are powerful. + +**Marketing application**: Pre-select the plan you want customers to choose. Opt-out beats opt-in for subscriptions (ethically applied). + +## Paradox of Choice +Too many options overwhelm and paralyze. Fewer choices often lead to more decisions. + +**Marketing application**: Limit options. Three pricing tiers beat seven. Recommend a single "best for most" option. + +## Goal-Gradient Effect +People accelerate effort as they approach a goal. Progress visualization motivates action. + +**Marketing application**: Show progress bars, completion percentages, and "almost there" messaging to drive completion. + +## Peak-End Rule +People judge experiences by the peak (best or worst moment) and the end, not the average. + +**Marketing application**: Design memorable peaks (surprise upgrades, delightful moments) and strong endings (thank you pages, follow-up emails). + +## Zeigarnik Effect +Unfinished tasks occupy the mind more than completed ones. Open loops create tension. + +**Marketing application**: "You're 80% done" creates pull to finish. Incomplete profiles, abandoned carts, and cliffhangers leverage this. + +## Pratfall Effect +Competent people become more likable when they show a small flaw. Perfection is less relatable. + +**Marketing application**: Admitting a weakness ("We're not the cheapest, but...") can increase trust and differentiation. + +## Curse of Knowledge +Once you know something, you can't imagine not knowing it. Experts struggle to explain simply. + +**Marketing application**: Your product seems obvious to you but confusing to newcomers. Test copy with people unfamiliar with your space. + +## Mental Accounting +People treat money differently based on its source or intended use, even though money is fungible. + +**Marketing application**: Frame costs in favorable mental accounts. "$3/day" feels different than "$90/month" even though it's the same. + +## Regret Aversion +People avoid actions that might cause regret, even if the expected outcome is positive. + +**Marketing application**: Address regret directly. Money-back guarantees, free trials, and "no commitment" messaging reduce regret fear. + +## Bandwagon Effect / Social Proof +People follow what others are doing. Popularity signals quality and safety. + +**Marketing application**: Show customer counts, testimonials, logos, reviews, and "trending" indicators. Numbers create confidence. diff --git a/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/design-delivery.md b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/design-delivery.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bbd34e6 --- /dev/null +++ b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/design-delivery.md @@ -0,0 +1,53 @@ +# Design & Delivery Models + +These models help you design effective marketing systems. + +## Hick's Law +Decision time increases with the number and complexity of choices. More options = slower decisions = more abandonment. + +**Marketing application**: Simplify choices. One clear CTA beats three. Fewer form fields beat more. + +## AIDA Funnel +Attention → Interest → Desire → Action. The classic customer journey model. + +**Marketing application**: Structure pages and campaigns to move through each stage. Capture attention before building desire. + +## Rule of 7 +Prospects need roughly 7 touchpoints before converting. One ad rarely converts; sustained presence does. + +**Marketing application**: Build multi-touch campaigns across channels. Retargeting, email sequences, and consistent presence compound. + +## Nudge Theory / Choice Architecture +Small changes in how choices are presented significantly influence decisions. + +**Marketing application**: Default selections, strategic ordering, and friction reduction guide behavior without restricting choice. + +## BJ Fogg Behavior Model +Behavior = Motivation × Ability × Prompt. All three must be present for action. + +**Marketing application**: High motivation but hard to do = won't happen. Easy to do but no prompt = won't happen. Design for all three. + +## EAST Framework +Make desired behaviors: Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely. + +**Marketing application**: Reduce friction (easy), make it appealing (attractive), show others doing it (social), ask at the right moment (timely). + +## COM-B Model +Behavior requires: Capability, Opportunity, Motivation. + +**Marketing application**: Can they do it (capability)? Is the path clear (opportunity)? Do they want to (motivation)? Address all three. + +## Activation Energy +The initial energy required to start something. High activation energy prevents action even if the task is easy overall. + +**Marketing application**: Reduce starting friction. Pre-fill forms, offer templates, show quick wins. Make the first step trivially easy. + +## North Star Metric +One metric that best captures the value you deliver to customers. Focus creates alignment. + +**Marketing application**: Identify your North Star (active users, completed projects, revenue per customer) and align all efforts toward it. + +## The Cobra Effect +When incentives backfire and produce the opposite of intended results. + +**Marketing application**: Test incentive structures. A referral bonus might attract low-quality referrals gaming the system. diff --git a/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/growth-scaling.md b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/growth-scaling.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..016b702 --- /dev/null +++ b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/growth-scaling.md @@ -0,0 +1,43 @@ +# Growth & Scaling Models + +These models explain how marketing compounds and scales. + +## Feedback Loops +Output becomes input, creating cycles. Positive loops accelerate growth; negative loops create decline. + +**Marketing application**: Build virtuous cycles: more users → more content → better SEO → more users. Identify and strengthen positive loops. + +## Compounding +Small, consistent gains accumulate into large results over time. Early gains matter most. + +**Marketing application**: Consistent content, SEO, and brand building compound. Start early; benefits accumulate exponentially. + +## Network Effects +A product becomes more valuable as more people use it. + +**Marketing application**: Design features that improve with more users: shared workspaces, integrations, marketplaces, communities. + +## Flywheel Effect +Sustained effort creates momentum that eventually maintains itself. Hard to start, easy to maintain. + +**Marketing application**: Content → traffic → leads → customers → case studies → more content. Each element powers the next. + +## Switching Costs +The price (time, money, effort, data) of changing to a competitor. High switching costs create retention. + +**Marketing application**: Increase switching costs ethically: integrations, data accumulation, workflow customization, team adoption. + +## Exploration vs. Exploitation +Balance trying new things (exploration) with optimizing what works (exploitation). + +**Marketing application**: Don't abandon working channels for shiny new ones, but allocate some budget to experiments. + +## Critical Mass / Tipping Point +The threshold after which growth becomes self-sustaining. + +**Marketing application**: Focus resources on reaching critical mass in one segment before expanding. Depth before breadth. + +## Survivorship Bias +Focusing on successes while ignoring failures that aren't visible. + +**Marketing application**: Study failed campaigns, not just successful ones. The viral hit you're copying had 99 failures you didn't see. diff --git a/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/persuasion.md b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/persuasion.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6b65278 --- /dev/null +++ b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/persuasion.md @@ -0,0 +1,68 @@ +# Influencing Behavior & Persuasion + +These models help you ethically influence customer decisions. + +## Reciprocity Principle +People feel obligated to return favors. Give first, and people want to give back. + +**Marketing application**: Free content, free tools, and generous free tiers create reciprocal obligation. Give value before asking for anything. + +## Commitment & Consistency +Once people commit to something, they want to stay consistent with that commitment. + +**Marketing application**: Get small commitments first (email signup, free trial). People who've taken one step are more likely to take the next. + +## Authority Bias +People defer to experts and authority figures. Credentials and expertise create trust. + +**Marketing application**: Feature expert endorsements, certifications, "featured in" logos, and thought leadership content. + +## Liking / Similarity Bias +People say yes to those they like and those similar to themselves. + +**Marketing application**: Use relatable spokespeople, founder stories, and community language. "Built by marketers for marketers" signals similarity. + +## Unity Principle +Shared identity drives influence. "One of us" is powerful. + +**Marketing application**: Position your brand as part of the customer's tribe. Use insider language and shared values. + +## Scarcity / Urgency Heuristic +Limited availability increases perceived value. Scarcity signals desirability. + +**Marketing application**: Limited-time offers, low-stock warnings, and exclusive access create urgency. Only use when genuine. + +## Foot-in-the-Door Technique +Start with a small request, then escalate. Compliance with small requests leads to compliance with larger ones. + +**Marketing application**: Free trial → paid plan → annual plan → enterprise. Each step builds on the last. + +## Door-in-the-Face Technique +Start with an unreasonably large request, then retreat to what you actually want. The contrast makes the second request seem reasonable. + +**Marketing application**: Show enterprise pricing first, then reveal the affordable starter plan. The contrast makes it feel like a deal. + +## Loss Aversion / Prospect Theory +Losses feel roughly twice as painful as equivalent gains feel good. People will work harder to avoid losing than to gain. + +**Marketing application**: Frame in terms of what they'll lose by not acting. "Don't miss out" beats "You could gain." + +## Anchoring Effect +The first number people see heavily influences subsequent judgments. + +**Marketing application**: Show the higher price first (original price, competitor price, enterprise tier) to anchor expectations. + +## Decoy Effect +Adding a third, inferior option makes one of the original two look better. + +**Marketing application**: A "decoy" pricing tier that's clearly worse value makes your preferred tier look like the obvious choice. + +## Framing Effect +How something is presented changes how it's perceived. Same facts, different frames. + +**Marketing application**: "90% success rate" vs. "10% failure rate" are identical but feel different. Frame positively. + +## Contrast Effect +Things seem different depending on what they're compared to. + +**Marketing application**: Show the "before" state clearly. The contrast with your "after" makes improvements vivid. diff --git a/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/pricing-psychology.md b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/pricing-psychology.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..390b567 --- /dev/null +++ b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/pricing-psychology.md @@ -0,0 +1,28 @@ +# Pricing Psychology + +These models specifically address how people perceive and respond to prices. + +## Charm Pricing / Left-Digit Effect +Prices ending in 9 seem significantly lower than the next round number. $99 feels much cheaper than $100. + +**Marketing application**: Use .99 or .95 endings for value-focused products. The left digit dominates perception. + +## Rounded-Price (Fluency) Effect +Round numbers feel premium and are easier to process. $100 signals quality; $99 signals value. + +**Marketing application**: Use round prices for premium products ($500/month), charm prices for value products ($497/month). + +## Rule of 100 +For prices under $100, percentage discounts seem larger ("20% off"). For prices over $100, absolute discounts seem larger ("$50 off"). + +**Marketing application**: $80 product: "20% off" beats "$16 off." $500 product: "$100 off" beats "20% off." + +## Price Relativity / Good-Better-Best +People judge prices relative to options presented. A middle tier seems reasonable between cheap and expensive. + +**Marketing application**: Three tiers where the middle is your target. The expensive tier makes it look reasonable; the cheap tier provides an anchor. + +## Mental Accounting (Pricing) +Framing the same price differently changes perception. + +**Marketing application**: "$1/day" feels cheaper than "$30/month." "Less than your morning coffee" reframes the expense. diff --git a/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/thinking-models.md b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/thinking-models.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ef1b39a --- /dev/null +++ b/shared/skills/marketing-psychology/references/thinking-models.md @@ -0,0 +1,73 @@ +# Foundational Thinking Models + +These models sharpen your strategy and help you solve the right problems. + +## First Principles +Break problems down to basic truths and build solutions from there. Instead of copying competitors, ask "why" repeatedly to find root causes. Use the 5 Whys technique to tunnel down to what really matters. + +**Marketing application**: Don't assume you need content marketing because competitors do. Ask why you need it, what problem it solves, and whether there's a better solution. + +## Jobs to Be Done +People don't buy products—they "hire" them to get a job done. Focus on the outcome customers want, not features. + +**Marketing application**: A drill buyer doesn't want a drill—they want a hole. Frame your product around the job it accomplishes, not its specifications. + +## Circle of Competence +Know what you're good at and stay within it. Venture outside only with proper learning or expert help. + +**Marketing application**: Don't chase every channel. Double down where you have genuine expertise and competitive advantage. + +## Inversion +Instead of asking "How do I succeed?", ask "What would guarantee failure?" Then avoid those things. + +**Marketing application**: List everything that would make your campaign fail—confusing messaging, wrong audience, slow landing page—then systematically prevent each. + +## Occam's Razor +The simplest explanation is usually correct. Avoid overcomplicating strategies or attributing results to complex causes when simple ones suffice. + +**Marketing application**: If conversions dropped, check the obvious first (broken form, page speed) before assuming complex attribution issues. + +## Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule) +Roughly 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. Identify and focus on the vital few. + +**Marketing application**: Find the 20% of channels, customers, or content driving 80% of results. Cut or reduce the rest. + +## Local vs. Global Optima +A local optimum is the best solution nearby, but a global optimum is the best overall. Don't get stuck optimizing the wrong thing. + +**Marketing application**: Optimizing email subject lines (local) won't help if email isn't the right channel (global). Zoom out before zooming in. + +## Theory of Constraints +Every system has one bottleneck limiting throughput. Find and fix that constraint before optimizing elsewhere. + +**Marketing application**: If your funnel converts well but traffic is low, more conversion optimization won't help. Fix the traffic bottleneck first. + +## Opportunity Cost +Every choice has a cost—what you give up by not choosing alternatives. Consider what you're saying no to. + +**Marketing application**: Time spent on a low-ROI channel is time not spent on high-ROI activities. Always compare against alternatives. + +## Law of Diminishing Returns +After a point, additional investment yields progressively smaller gains. + +**Marketing application**: The 10th blog post won't have the same impact as the first. Know when to diversify rather than double down. + +## Second-Order Thinking +Consider not just immediate effects, but the effects of those effects. + +**Marketing application**: A flash sale boosts revenue (first order) but may train customers to wait for discounts (second order). + +## Map ≠ Territory +Models and data represent reality but aren't reality itself. Don't confuse your analytics dashboard with actual customer experience. + +**Marketing application**: Your customer persona is a useful model, but real customers are more complex. Stay in touch with actual users. + +## Probabilistic Thinking +Think in probabilities, not certainties. Estimate likelihoods and plan for multiple outcomes. + +**Marketing application**: Don't bet everything on one campaign. Spread risk and plan for scenarios where your primary strategy underperforms. + +## Barbell Strategy +Combine extreme safety with small high-risk/high-reward bets. Avoid the mediocre middle. + +**Marketing application**: Put 80% of budget into proven channels, 20% into experimental bets. Avoid moderate-risk, moderate-reward middle.