Cognitive Bias #1 – Confirmation Bias
Have you ever found yourself deliberately seeking out information that conforms to your deeply-held beliefs, while ignoring that which does not? Even though there might be a ton of benefit in the latter? Guess what? You just experienced what psychologists call as the Confirmation Bias. This is just the first of the 12 (yes, that many!) cognitive biases that we humans employ in any decision making.
Confirmation Bias is a psychological phenomenon that affects all of us, whether we realize it or not. This bias can be both beneficial and harmful, depending on how we use it. Why? Because it can limit our ability to learn and grow. And thus make it difficult to make objective decisions.
As a copywriter, understanding confirmation bias can be a powerful tool to increase conversions. By using language and techniques that appeal to readers’ pre-existing beliefs and biases, you can help to reinforce their positive perceptions and encourage them to take action.
In this blog, the first of the series on Cognitive Biases, we’ll explore the Confirmation Bias, provide examples of how it affects our decision-making, and discuss how copywriters can leverage it to increase conversions. Let’s jump right in!
So, what is Confirmation Bias?
Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out information that supports our beliefs, attitudes, or opinions, and ignore or discredit information that contradicts them. Confirmation bias can happen consciously or unconsciously, and it can affect our behavior in many ways.
Examples of Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias can affect our decision-making in a wide range of situations. Here are a few examples:
Political beliefs
If you’re a Party A supporter, you’re more likely to seek out news sources that confirm your beliefs and ignore those that contradict them. The same is true if you’re a Party B loyalist.
Health information
I personally have friends and family that swear by ayurveda or homeopathy (I support the latter too) and also those who scorn these ‘alternative medicines’ and prefer going the allopathic route. Both categories are more likely to seek out information that support their preferences and ignore information that discredits them.
Brand loyalty
Confirmation bias is never more apparent than when it comes to brand loyalty. As far as you are concerned, your favorite brand can do no wrong. If you’re a die-hard Apple fan, you’re more likely to seek out information that supports the superiority of Apple products and ignore information that suggests otherwise.
Which brings us to the crux of this whole matter…
How Can Copywriters Leverage the Confirmation Bias?
By now, you’ve pretty much guessed what potent arsenal copywriters have in their hands to literally get their target market to act and behave the way they want them to. It may sound sneaky and manipulative, but the fact is that if you want to sell something to people you’ve got to appeal to their emotions. And the road to that destination can traverse different routes, Confirmation Bias being just one of them.
Here’s how copywriters can leverage confirmation bias in their writing to increase conversions:
Use social proof
It would be a very rare online shopper today who did not check out lots of reviews before making even the smallest of purchases. Check out any ecommerce site. Customer reviews are displayed prominently. Some websites even encourage happy customers to upload videos of their purchase and even the disgruntled ones too, to give a non-biased experience. Social proof is a powerful tool for leveraging confirmation bias. When people see that others like them have used and enjoyed a product or service, they’re more likely to believe that they’ll like it too. Use social proof in your copywriting by including customer testimonials, reviews, or ratings.
Use statistics
Numbers have a powerful appeal. What reads better? ’ ‘10 ways to become a better copywriter’ or ‘Become a better copywriter’? People are more likely to believe information that is presented in a statistical format. Use statistics in your copywriting to support your claims and provide evidence that your product or service is effective.
Use the right emotional language
People are more likely to be influenced by emotions than by logic. Use emotional language in your copy to reinforce the confirmation bias of your target audience. For example, if your target audience values luxury, use language that evokes feelings of luxury, such as “indulgent” or “pampering.” Another example is of using positive language which is more likely to resonate with people who hold positive beliefs about a product or service. For example, if your audience already believes that your product is the best in its category, use language that supports this belief, such as “award-winning” or “industry-leading.”
Framing information in a way that aligns with readers’ beliefs
To the affluent audience, cost savings would hardly be a strong benefit. But talk about exclusivity, about uniqueness and they have your attention. The way information is presented can have a significant impact on how it is received. If you know that your audience holds certain beliefs or has a particular worldview, you can frame information in a way that aligns with those beliefs. For example, if you are promoting an environmentally-friendly product, you might frame the benefits in terms of reducing carbon emissions, rather than in terms of saving money.
Anticipate objections
If you are promoting a new brand or service that has entered an already-saturated marketplace, then anticipating objections is the best way to kill the confirmation bias. Again, brand loyalty kicks in which makes people stubbornly adhere to their favorite brands. Anticipate objections to your product or service in your copywriting and provide evidence to counter those objections.
A word of caution
While leveraging confirmation bias can be effective in increasing conversions, it is important to do so ethically and responsibly. Misleading or manipulating readers can harm a brand’s hard-won reputation, and can lead to negative reviews and a loss of trust. It is important to use these techniques in a way that is honest, transparent, and respectful of readers’ intelligence and autonomy.
Conclusion
Confirmation bias is a powerful force that affects our decision-making in many ways. As a copywriter, you can leverage this bias to increase conversions by using social proof, statistics, the right language, and anticipating objections. By understanding how confirmation bias works, you can create copy that resonates with your target audience and leads to higher conversion rates. However, it is important to use these techniques responsibly and with integrity, to build trust and maintain a positive reputation.
In the next blog we will study about the Framing Bias.