It’s widely known that dopamine, often called the “Kim Kardashian of molecules” by expert Vaughn Bell, significantly influences human behavior. We experience it when we enjoy things like ice cream or a glass of wine.
Science News writer, Bethany Brookshire, highlights dopamine’s role in our reactions to pleasure-inducing experiences: “Dopamine release increases in the nucleus accumbens when we experience things like sex, drugs, and music. This dopamine signaling is also altered during drug addiction. All addictive substances, from alcohol to cocaine and heroin, increase dopamine in this brain region.”
But what about advertising? Think “dopamine sells” instead of “sex sells” because as dopamine levels increase, so does our motivation to take action. This could be clicking, buying, or consuming. Appealing to these dopamine spikes in your target audience increases their likelihood of performing your desired action.
The Science of Dopamine and Desire
Stanford University’s neuroendocrinologist and biology professor, Robert Sapolsky, studied a group of monkeys to understand dopamine’s mechanisms. The monkeys were presented with:
- a signal: a light
- work: pressing a button 10 times
- a reward: bananas
The monkeys learned that when the light came on, they needed to press the button ten times to receive a banana. The scientists expected dopamine to peak after receiving the reward, but it happened earlier. The dopamine surge occurred when the light appeared, and the task began, revealing that dopamine is about anticipating pleasure rather than pleasure itself.
Even more intriguing, introducing uncertainty by providing the reward only 50% of the time significantly amplified the dopamine spike! Uncertainty, it seems, intensifies anticipation!
Leveraging Dopamine for Higher AdWords Click-Through Rates
So, how can we apply this knowledge to boost AdWords CTRs (click-through rates)? It’s simple: blend the anticipation of a reward with an element of uncertainty for dramatically improved CTRs.
Take these two examples from nexus-security customers, each garnering over 10,000 impressions and achieving incredibly high ** CTRs of 45%**. That means almost half the people who saw the ad clicked it! The common thread? They both create anticipation for a reward (a discount on products) and inject uncertainty (“ends soon” suggests potential customers might miss out if they hesitate).
Two Dopamine-Boosting Hacks for AdWords CTR
How can marketers implement this across the board? Limited-time offers and sales in ads are only effective if they lead to the advertised deal. Otherwise, marketers end up with hefty AdWords bills and no new customers to justify the expense.
Hack #1: Ad Customizers
Enter ad customizers! They’re not exactly new, having been around for over a year, yet many advertisers still haven’t tapped into their power to create a sense of urgency through dynamic updates. Ad customizers change your ad in real-time effortlessly. Whether counting down to a one-time sale, promoting a recurring event, or offering a limited-time discount, the possibilities are endless for crafting urgency, anticipation, and uncertainty without manual daily updates.
Hack #2: The Power of Ad Customizers and Call-Only Campaigns
Ready for an even more effective hack to boost dopamine and accelerate conversions? Combining call-only campaigns with ad customizers – pure genius! For the uninitiated, call-only campaigns streamline the conversion funnel by removing the landing page. Designed specifically for mobile, they replace the ad headline with a clickable phone number that connects directly to your business. Considering that phone calls are three times more valuable than website visits, this ensures you connect with leads while they’re highly engaged! As ad customizers send dopamine levels soaring, call-only headlines encourage immediate action, propelling potential customers further down the sales funnel. It makes sense to connect leads directly with a sales representative instead of guiding them through a tedious sequence of forms, emails, and other touchpoints, right? In conclusion, want to increase your AdWords CTRs and PTRs (phone-through rates)? Make your audience anticipate something while maintaining an air of mystery. Ad customizers and call-only campaigns automate this process and enable faster lead connection.