Reciprocity: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Have You Tried Reciprocity?

I recently blogged about using Scarcity, the powerful psychological trigger that can persuade people to buy simply by putting a real time-limit on the buying opportunity.

This is frequently used by big companies like Apple, triggering people's FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

Another powerful psychological trigger is Reciprocity.

This is the need that most people have, when given an unexpected gift, to reciprocate in some manner, either by giving a gift in return, or by doing something that the giver has requested.

In real life, it can be caused by something as minor as receiving an unexpected Easter egg. In fact, many people buy extra Easter eggs to be given back if that happens, so that the "obligation" is discharged immediately.

In the online world, it's most often implemented via a Lead Magnet.

The Lead Magnet Funnel

The funnel works like this.

Create a Lead Magnet. For example, an e-book related to your niche.

Upload the Lead Magnet to a folder on your website.

Create a Landing Page on your website showing an illustration of your Lead Magnet and a form to collect Names and Email Addresses. Include a CTA (Call to Action) that promises the visitor the free Lead Magnet in exchange for their name and email address.

There's the first piece of reciprocity right there.

The Lead Magnet in exchange for a name and email address.

Your autoresponder then starts emailing your new subscriber.

It provides useful information and another free gift, thereby tapping into reciprocity again.

It offers the subscriber a paid product relevant to their wants and needs. Reciprocity makes them more likely to buy it and, if they do, you get paid the affiliate commission.

Example

One of my sites is in the ant-aging niche and one of my topics is skin care.

I'm currently creating a new Lead Magnet "Skin Care for Women Over 40".

This is an easily defined target market. Using Facebook, for example, I could create an audience of women in the US between the ages of 40 and 60.

I could then create a PPC ad, directed to the Landing Page for the new Lead Magnet.

Creating the Lead Magnet

This is the first step, and it's essential.

It's also one that many people have difficulty with.

I'm thinking of screen capturing the process of creating Skin Care for Women Over 40 and publishing it as a video on my YouTube channel.

I could include it as a link in a WA blog post.

Let me know if you'd be interested.