How to join your readers while maintaining your authority

If you look up Cialdini, you’ll see many references to his “six” principles of influence. If you see that, don’t bother clicking. It is outdated, because there are seven of them.

The often forgotten seventh influence principle is Unity, which you mentioned in Pre-suasion. We listen to people who are in the same tribe as us.

The principle of the Consensus says that we listen to the masses. The Unity principle says that we listen to our kind.

And it’s no surprise that content marketing is great at using this to your advantage.

If your customers are addicted to blue-collar sports, talk with lots of sports terms and common slang. If they are doctors, use medical terms. In other words, speak their language.

Even better is if you can be one of them. Someone who has struggled with weight loss, and talks about this struggle, will do a much better job of selling a book on dietary advice.

This is not new: marketers have known this for decades.

However, with content marketing, you can go a step further.

With traditional marketing, there is a barrier between you, the seller, and them, the buyer. It’s hard to get past this and still, you know, sell something.

Content marketing has a different dynamic.

You create and share a lot of useful and interesting content with your reader. And with that content, you sell them something.

This is what I do with my hypnosis business. For one, I am a talented and experienced hypnotist who sells books and training programs. You get that from my sales letters.

On the other hand, I am an enthusiast like you, seeking to train my mind to better live my potential.

And you get it from my content.

A great sales letter accomplishes this to a degree. It can be difficult to balance the principle of Authority, where you lead, with the principle of Unity, where you are one of them. Difficult, but it can work.

However, it doesn’t compare to content marketing, where you reinforce your common bond five times a week.

You are an expert and a student.

A general and a soldier.

Because you may be at the top of your field, but you’re still exploring and learning, just like everyone else.

And this level of intimacy can do amazing things for your brand.

Vulnerability, carefully managed, makes you seem human in a sea of ​​puppets.

Never forget that your audience is also vulnerable. Reassure them by joining them in the trenches.