Addressing Decision Fatigue as a Marketing Strategy

Every day, we make decisions in our lives. From choosing what to wear, what to eat for breakfast, or what task to work on first. When the pandemic came, there were more decisions to make even at home. Decision fatigue is happening and it affected the majority of the population. So, how does that affect our marketing strategy?

What is Decision Fatigue?

Let’s talk about decision fatigue for a minute. Decision fatigue is a psychological phenomenon that refers to a person’s abilities to make decisions. When faced with too many decisions, no matter how simple, sometimes our brain cannot handle it any longer. In this post-pandemic society, many people get overwhelmed by even the simplest of decisions. According to Jacqueline Hurst, a life coach in London and author of How To Do You,  she stated that, “Many of us spent 18 months in flight, fight or freeze mode where everything we knew as ‘certain’ changed overnight.” 

When people experience decision fatigue, they may experience brain fog or the inability to make even the smallest of decisions. They may simply procrastinate or just not decide at all. 

There are also people who resort to impulse buying due to decision fatigue. This is evident in grocery stores where tempting items are placed near the checkout counters. Thus, a person may impulsively buy these items such as sweets and baked goods because they are unable to resist the temptation.

Marketing Strategy Tips to Address Decision Fatigue

So, how can we address this issue and have effective marketing strategies in place? Since you are dealing with people who are already tired of making even the smallest decisions, create copies and content that will let you decide for them. 

1. Make Decisions Early in the Morning – Making decisions may deplete a person’s energy. Thus, help them make decisions earlier during the day. Reschedule that broadcast email in the morning instead of in the afternoon. Post announcements for freebies and discounts early on social media. 

2. Offer Tips that Helps in Planning – Create content that offers tips related to your niche. This will help your audience make decisions based on your suggestions. For example, if you are in the kitchen or food niche, create cooking hacks, tips, and even meal plans and recipes. Don’t forget to mention your products and how useful they are. 

3. Place Bestsellers or Items on Sale at the Top – When hosting a sale, either direct them to the specific product or create a landing page that showcases the items at the top of the landing page. This will help avoid distraction so they can easily purchase what they need. The fewer options the better. 

4. Create Specific Ads – Related to the previous item, when you have a lot of items on sale, create specific ads for each product. This will allow you to state the benefits and lead them directly to the product. They won’t have to choose among a number of items, or else, they might not buy at all. 

5. Address their Pain Points – Talk about their pain points and how your products provide the solution. Let them feel that you empathize with them and you can help solve their problems. Facebook and Instagram stories and short videos are the best marketing strategy examples. In a previous blog post, you have read how important storytelling is when targeting your audience.

Conclusion

The pandemic has caused decision fatigue among many people which affected the ability to make sound decisions, even the simplest ones. We can help our consumers make purchase decisions through effective marketing strategy solutions. 

Need help with your content? Connect with us and we’d be glad to help you out! 

“People don’t buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons.”

— Zig Ziglar, Motivational Speaker and Author