The bandwagon effect is a psychological trigger that genius marketers use to increase sales both offline and online.
This article will show you how to use this technique to increase your online sales.
What is the Bandwagon Effect?
The bandwagon effect is the tendency for people to follow a large number of people in doing something. Regardless of whether what is being done adheres to their original beliefs.
A study was done on a woman some time back. The woman was asked to sit in a waiting room. The subject, unknown to her, was surrounded by actors.
Then a bell rings and everyone in the waiting room stands up. She looked surprised but did not stand up.
The bell rings a second time and everyone sits.
The bell rings again, and everyone stands. She didn’t.
By the fourth ring, she stands up with the others.
And whenever the bell rang for people to stand up, she did with the others without knowledge of why they are standing up.
That’s a typical example of the bandwagon effect.
People tend to do what others are doing, even if it goes against their beliefs.
Where did the bandwagon effect come from?
The term “bandwagon effect” originated from the phrase “jump on the bandwagon” which refers to the idea of jumping on a vehicle that is already in motion.
People have used the phrase “bandwagon effect” for a long time in different situations.
The term “bandwagon” comes from the big wagons used in the past to take circuses and traveling shows from town to town.
These wagons were often decorated and would attract a lot of attention.
People would follow the wagon, “jumping on the bandwagon” to see the show. In the early 20th century, social psychologist Gustav Le Bon studied the idea of the bandwagon effect in groups.
He wrote about it in his book “The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind” in 1895.
He noticed that people tend to agree with and do what the majority of people in the group are doing.
This is now known as the bandwagon effect.
How did the bandwagon effect become a thing in marketing?
The bandwagon effect can be a powerful tool in marketing because it taps into people’s innate desire to conform and be part of a group.
By creating the impression that a product or service is popular and widely adopted, marketers can influence potential customers to join in and buy it as well.
This can be accomplished through various means such as social proof, testimonials, endorsements, and influencer marketing.
For example, displaying a large number of positive reviews or showing that a celebrity is using a product can create the illusion of widespread popularity, and influence people to buy it.
In addition, using slogans such as “Everyone’s doing it” or “Join the crowd” can also tap into the bandwagon effect.
Advantages of using the bandwagon effect in your marketing
Here are the advantages of using the bandwagon effect to improve your marketing:
1. Increased visibility
The bandwagon effect can increase visibility by creating a self-reinforcing cycle where more people adopt a belief or behavior because they see more people doing it.
This can lead to a “critical mass” of people who are all doing the same thing, which can make it more noticeable and visible to others.
Additionally, the bandwagon effect can also lead to more media coverage and attention, which can further increase visibility.
2. Social proof
One way that the bandwagon effect increases social proof is by making people feel that they are missing out on something if they do not participate.
When people see others buying a product or using a service, they may think that it must be good because so many others are doing it.
This creates a sense of social pressure to conform to the beliefs or behaviors of the group.
As a result, people are more likely to adopt the belief or behavior themselves, which further reinforces the bandwagon effect and increases social proof.
3. Brand loyalty
The bandwagon effect can also be used to create brand loyalty.
This is when customers are more likely to continue using a product or service because of their positive experiences with it.
By using social proof to show that many other people have already adopted the product or service, the bandwagon effect can create a sense of belonging and validation for current customers.
This can make them more likely to continue using the product or service and recommend it to others.
Additionally, the use of social proof can also attract new customers to the brand.
When people see that many others are already using a product or service, they may be more likely to try it themselves.
This can lead to an increase in brand awareness and customer acquisition, which can ultimately improve the marketing of the product or service.
As these new customers have positive experiences with the brand, they are more likely to become loyal customers and continue using the product or service.
4. Increased word-of-mouth marketing
The bandwagon effect can increase word-of-mouth marketing by making people more likely to talk about a product or service to others.
When people see that many others are already using a product or service, they may be more likely to try it themselves.
If they have a positive experience with it, they may be more likely to talk about it to others and recommend it to them.
Additionally, the use of social proof can also create a sense of trust and credibility for the product or service, which can make people more likely to believe the positive things that they hear about it from others.
This can lead to an increase in word-of-mouth marketing, as more people are likely to talk about the product or service to others, and more people are likely to believe and trust the things that they hear about it.
The positive recommendations that are made through word of mouth can be very powerful as they come from people’s personal experiences, and it’s more likely to be accepted by others.
5. Lower marketing cost
The bandwagon effect can help reduce marketing costs by making it more effective.
When people see that many others are already using a product or service, they may be more likely to try it themselves.
This can lead to an increase in customer acquisition, which can ultimately improve the marketing of the product or service.
As a result, companies may not need to spend as much on advertising and other forms of marketing to acquire new customers.
Additionally, the use of social proof can also create a sense of trust and credibility for the product or service, which can lead to an increase in customer retention and brand loyalty.
When customers are loyal to a brand, they are more likely to continue using the product or service and recommend it to others.
This can lead to an increase in word-of-mouth marketing, which is typically less expensive than traditional forms of marketing.
As a result, companies may not need to spend as much on advertising and other forms of marketing to maintain their customer base and acquire new customers.
How to Use the Bandwagon Effect to Boost Sales
The bandwagon effect has been proven to be so potent that its impact on politics, public policy, and marketing has been noted.
According to studies, the bandwagon effect affects people’s willingness to use and pay more for a product.
Studies have also revealed that the bandwagon effect affects people’s decision to watch a movie, particularly when they are unsure of the movie’s quality.
Additionally, studies have shown that the “expected winner” effect can strongly sway undecided voters to cast their ballots in their favor.
How can you increase your conversions by taking advantage of the bandwagon effect? Here are a few concepts:
1. Use Testimonials
The bandwagon effect’s main principle is that people care a lot about what other people like them think.
Therefore, it should go without saying that including customer reviews and testimonials on your landing pages can significantly increase conversions.
But there’s a catch: customer endorsements need to be accompanied by customer logos or faces.
2. Show Others Using Your Product
Showing prospective customers actual examples of people using your products is the simplest way to get them to jump on the bandwagon.
Show people enjoying the best of what your brand has to offer in all of your marketing materials, from the pictures on your website to the videos you post on social media.
You could just use regular models in your content, but big brands find it hard to resist using a popular person in their advertising.
While influencer marketing, which may or may not involve celebrities, is a more contemporary strategy in the digital age.
Basically, you get your product promoted online by an influencer who has a large following (usually on Instagram), and then you enjoy the widespread exposure, confident that your followers will follow your influencer’s lead.
3. Jump on the Bandwagon Yourself
This is one that tech companies frequently use.
Although dual cameras on phones perform worse than single cameras, the feature is currently in demand.
Because most broadcasts and hardware do not support resolutions four times larger than Full HD, 4K TVs are essentially a waste of money.
However, consumers can’t help but purchase a TV with those pricey 4K (or even 8K!) stickers.
Sometimes joining the bandwagon yourself is the best way to persuade others to join you.
4. Use FOMO
FOMO is a tried-and-true strategy that insurance companies, payday lenders, and other financial institutions use.
You have a good chance of never experiencing a break-in, having your home burn down, getting hurt over the holidays, or being sued.
However, fear compels us to pay for a variety of insurance plans that we will probably never use.
Few things drain our bank accounts as quickly as those terrifying what-if scenarios.
5. Use Calender Events to Your Advantage
Ever ponder why barbecue season (when we have one) sees such a spike in sales?
You probably didn’t because you were too preoccupied with fighting for the last packet of sesame seed buns and standing in line at the grocery store with everyone else who couldn’t come up with a better plan for spending the August Bank Holiday Weekend.
Alert the bandwagon!
The urge to buy new clothing when the seasons change in fashion is the same. Or the reason why people overspent in the run-up to Christmas.
For the same reason, instead of actually thinking of something unique to get our loved ones on Valentine’s Day, we all buy roses and chocolates.
6. Reverse Psychology
This one is excellent.
Not only does it appeal to consumers’ inner sheep, but it also employs some tried-and-true techniques of reverse psychology to appeal to those who despise the idea of joining any kind of bandwagon.
We like to believe that we are special in this age of social media, which has turned us all into narcissistic maniacs. unique, even.
Hipsters are one example of people who pride themselves on being unique despite acting exactly like every other hipster.
What is an example of the bandwagon effect?
You can observe the bandwagon effect in how a product or service gains popularity over time.
For example, a new social media app has become increasingly popular among a group of people.
As more and more people start using the app, others may be more likely to try it as well, because they perceive that many others are already using it.
This can create a positive feedback loop, where the more people that use the app, the more likely others are to try it, which in turn leads to even more people using the app.
Fashion trends demonstrate the bandwagon effect, where a particular style or design becomes popular, and as more people wear it, others perceive it as the “in-thing” to do, and start wearing it as well.
Final Thoughts on the Bandwagon Effect
Despite what consumers might like to believe, we all succumb to the bandwagon effect more frequently than we’d probably like to admit.
Each illustration in this article is frequently used by brands across a variety of industries, and it is still one of the most effective marketing techniques.
So go out and create your own bandwagons!