Conservatism Bias
Why people cling to what they already believe, and three ways to use conservatism bias in your marketing.
In this issue
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Change is difficult… scary… hard, etc.
You’ve probably heard some form of this phrase a billion times before. Yes it’s a little cliche, but it’s also true—people just don’t like stepping out of their comfort zone.
It’s the same with your established beliefs. And it’s not your fault at all.
We simply have a hard time evaluating new information or evidence. And our acceptance of change usually happens gradually.
It’s called conservatism bias.
This cognitive bias is backed by complex science. Psychologist Ward Edwards presented a complex formula that proved humans “update beliefs conservatively and slowly.”
Unlike confirmation bias, in which we actively seek to reinforce previous or current beliefs, conservatism bias is an unconscious action.
It’s not about reinforcing our beliefs; it’s about slowly accepting change.
If you were around during MySpace years, you probably remember how weird it was to shift to Facebook. Or how long it took the majority of stores to move their businesses online. That’s normal.
And if you can use this bias in marketing, too…
Three ways you can leverage conservatism bias
Don’t overemphasize innovation, stick to what works
Sometimes less is more.
Unless you’re a super techy startup speaking only to a select few, you may notice that more buzzwords and fancy features don’t always mean more profit.
That’s because your audience is more likely to accept smaller changes than make a huge leap into the unknown.
Here’s how Semrush does it on their landing page:
Even though they keep adding a bunch of innovative features frequently, they still keep their landing page copy simple—tackling well-known problems of content marketers.
Then, as the user slowly acclimates to the platform, they’re gradually introduced to a wide-range of shiny new stuff.
We’re not saying you should stray away from innovation. Just keep it to a respectable level that will allow users to “dip their toes in the water” first.
When comparing, try to compare existing things
Brands often fall into the trap of “over-comparing.”
For example, when comparing themselves to competitors, they tend to highlight a bunch of features a competitor doesn’t even have.
All that does is make it harder for customers to absorb and accept information.
What you should do instead is take familiar features and amplify them. Here’s a fine example of how a hydration drink handled comparison:
Short and not-so-sweet, right?
They took a well-known unhealthy component, showed how their product uses less of it than another major brand, and boom. The job is done.
No flashy nutrients, no additional components.
Use longevity and familiarity to your advantage
Nudging customers towards a buying decision does not mean you’re nudging them towards the unknown.
It’s quite the opposite.
You want customers to rely on existing information as much as possible so they don’t need a lot of time to evaluate, but naturally accept what you’re offering.
Brands frequently showcase familiar features, rely on values such as active years, or provide case studies and testimonials that show results and digestible data.
There’s a famous “McDonalds loved by all” ad, for example, that combines all the above into a strong ad:
Even if you’re a new brand, you should still present yourself as something that’s a little familiar, rather than as something completely different from everything else.
We all like our little comfort zones…
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ICYMI, last time we looked at Choice-supportive bias.
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