In his book The Choice Factory, Richard Shotton outlines 25 behavioral biases that influence the buying decisions of consumers.By understanding these psychological shortcuts, marketers can craft more persuasive messaging and effective advertising.
This is especially relevant for pay-per-click marketers using Google Display Ads (and any other image-based paid marketing for that matter). The Google Display Network reaches over 90% of global internet users across millions of websites. With users making split-second decisions on whether to notice and click on an ad, tapping into behavioral biases can give your display campaigns an edge.
In this article, we’ll look at 5 key biases from The Choice Factory and how to apply them to improve the performance of your Google Display Ads. For each bias, I’ll give a brief explanation, discuss how to implement it in your ad creative and copy, and provide some examples.
Social Proof
Social proof is the psychological tendency to look to the actions of others to inform our own behavior. We assume that if other people are doing something, it must be the right thing to do.
You can leverage social proof in your display ads by highlighting:
- Customer testimonials and ratings
- Trust badges (e.g. BBB accredited, McAfee secure, or hey – StoryBrand Certified!)
- “Bestseller” or “Popular” tags
- Number of customers/users (e.g. “Join 50,000+ satisfied customers”) – Google Reviews are a huge element in this
The key is demonstrating that others have bought and liked your product or service. This reduces perceived risk and increases trust and credibility.
For example, check out this post from Legacy Turf Farms:
The featured testimonial acts as strong social proof – if it works well for professional landscapers, it must be good.
When using social proof in your display ads:
- Use real testimonials and data – don’t mislead
- Make sure testimonials are from real people/companies
- Boldly place social proof elements in ad creative
- Use numbers (“50,000+ users”) rather than vague statements. Number good!
Scarcity & Urgency
Scarcity and urgency are powerful biases rooted in loss aversion – people’s tendency to avoid losses more strongly than acquiring equivalent gains. We instinctively place more value on things that are rare or may become unavailable.
Some ways to create scarcity and urgency in your Google Display Ads:
- Countdown timers for sales/promotions (e.g. “Sale ends in 4 hours!”)
- Limited quantity messaging (e.g. “Only 3 spots left at this price”)
- Seasonal or limited-time product availability
This display ad from Terry’s Heating & Air Conditioning effectively uses urgency:
The “Now through” copy triggers the scarcity bias. The ad also uses active language (“BOGO”) and uses contrasting colors to catch attention and drive clicks.
Tips for using scarcity and urgency in display ads:
- Be honest about limitations – don’t create false scarcity
- Combine urgency with strong benefit statements
- Use visual cues like countdown timers, bold colors
- Create urgency in headlines and CTA copy
- Balance urgency with credibility and brand safety
The Von Restorff Effect
Also known as the “isolation effect”, the Von Restorff Effect states that people tend to remember things that stand out. Our brains are wired to focus on contrasting, distinctive elements.
To make your display ads “pop” using the Von Restorff effect:
- Use contrasting, bright colors that stand out from page content
- Include striking, memorable imagery
- Employ bold, large text for key messaging
- Surround smaller display ads with white space
This is an example of the Von Restorff effect:
The bright colors immediately catch the eye and stand apart from muted webpage content. The simple, striking text and image also stand out compared to standard product shots or bland stock photos.
When leveraging this effect in your display ads:
- Prioritize 1-2 key elements to make distinctive
- Avoid blending into typical webpage content
- Use images/graphics that stand out from other ads
- Employ the “squint test” – distinctive elements should be visible when squinting
- Don’t sacrifice relevance and clarity for gimmicks
Affective Conditioning
Affective conditioning is the process of transferring positive or negative emotions to a product via association. By linking your brand with something people already feel good about, some of that positive emotion “rubs off” on your product.
Ways to use affective conditioning in display ads:
- Images of smiling, happy people using your product
- Associating product with aspirational imagery (wealth, success, beauty)
- Placing ads on websites with positive content (avoiding negative sites)
- Partnering with influencers/celebrities with positive public sentiment
For example, these display ads for North Canyon’s Health Fair associates its event with feelings of happiness and wellness:
By featuring an image of a well-off happy looking couple, these ads imply that the Health Fair event will ensure attendees can also be healthy and happy. The second display ad also utilizes the scarcity bias with the “Pre-Register for a discount” copy.
Tips for affective conditioning in display ads:
- Focus on positive, aspirational, feel-good emotions
- Use people-centric creative showing positive experiences
- Link your brand to respected, well-liked personalities
- Place ads alongside positive, brand-appropriate content
- Avoid associations with negative content/emotions
Salience
The salience bias states that people are more likely to focus on information or stimuli that are prominent, accessible and relevant to them. We pay attention to things that stand out and meet our current needs.
To grab attention and drive action with salience:
- Bold, eye-catching headlines focused on customer needs
- Prominent benefit statements and USPs
- Personalized ad content based on browsing history, demographics
- Contextual placements on relevant websites
Check out this billboard for TruLeap with a bold headline:
The bold “Stream With Speed” headline immediately grabs attention and speaks to a big customer need.
Ways to leverage salience in your display ads:
- Front-load your most important, attention-grabbing message
- Clearly state benefits using active verbs (“Get”, “Save”, “Improve”)
- Tap into current events, seasonality, and customer intent
- Dynamically update ad content to align with search history
- Place ads on contextually relevant sites aligned with your product
Don’t Wait – Give These A Shot Now!
Behavioral economics provides a wealth of insight for marketers. It can actually be a bit overwhelming when you learn just how many biases and heuristics can influence consumer behavior, but mastering them will allow you to craft more impactful, persuasive ad experiences.
If you meet your customers where they are psychologically, you can drive more engagement, clicks and conversions from your Google Display Ad campaigns. Give these strategies a shot!
