Psychology isn't just the class you slept through back in high school. It's also a beneficial tool for your inbound marketing efforts, especially if you're hoping to gain traction in your target market. Knowing how to appeal to your audience and to influence their decisions will make each marketing strategy more effective.

1. Foot in the Door Phenomenon

When brainstorming inbound marketing initiatives, think about
ways to convince your target customer to make a small concession.

Writing for Forbes, Crazy Egg and KISSmetrics founder Neil Patel reveals that the Foot in the Door Phenomenon first came to light in the age of door-to-door sales. People in that profession found that if they could get past the door frame, they were far more likely to close the deal. Psychologists and marketers have subsequently determined that, if you can convince a prospect to perform a small task, you'll have more luck when you later ask for something bigger.

For instance, let's say you put a form on your website that invites prospects to supply their names and email addresses in exchange for a free download. That's the small task. If you can capture your target's contact information, you've created a relationship. Later, when you ask him or her to make a purchase, you'll have a far better shot. In inbound marketing, you're hoping to get your digital foot in the door so you can later add the prospect to your roster of converted customers.

2. Customer Empowerment

When preparing marketing materials, focus on educating
your customers instead of selling to them.

People feel empowered when they are trusted to do their own research and make their own decisions. The modern customer distrusts sales language and looks askance at heavy-handed sales techniques. This explains why inbound marketing proves so successful in today's climate -- it addresses customer empowerment by educating audiences instead of selling to them.

If you tell your customer that he or she might be better off with a different product than yours under certain circumstances, you risk losing the sale. However, you stand to gain customer loyalty because the prospect now trusts you to provide accurate information even when it doesn't serve your agenda. When creating blog posts and other media, focus on entertainment and education rather than the pitch.

3. The Influencer Principle

In her Entrepreneur magazine article, Fractl promotions supervisor Andrea Lehr outlines the psychology behind influencer marketing. According to Lehr, influencers who can tap into prospects' emotions and deliver information in a relatable way often succeed admirably in converting visitors into customers.

Influencers are powerful facets of any inbound marketing campaign because they don't represent the company and because they have built-in audiences. The trust and respect they've accrued over years of building a following can have a massive impact on any market base.

Psychology is clearly compatible with inbound marketing, especially if you understand how the human mind makes decisions. Looking to further explore your target audience? Download our eBook on How to Create Buyer Personas.