Win more clients by studying their psychology

When you’re a small business owner, online marketing can feel puzzling. You find yourself saying, “I don’t understand why this isn’t working,” or, “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do in this situation.” It’s often helpful to go back to basics…psychology basics, that is.

For instance, you probably heard that you need to “be vulnerable.” You might have heard that means you should talk about mistakes you made and the tough times in your life.

And you may have been tempted to ask, “Is this for real?”

When you look at psychological research, the answer is “maybe.” Based on several studies, I’d suspect your audience will like you more when you seem vulnerable…but only if they believe you’re a successful business owner they look up to. If you’re new, you’d do better to hold that story.

You could also dig deeper into the concept of “vulnerability.”

In her book, Daring Greatly, Brené Brown doesn’t see vulnerability as sharing mistakes and regrets. She sees vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.” It’s about courage: stepping out of your comfort zone and risking a negative experience, when it would be easier to do nothing or do something different.

You probably can think of other areas of marketing that will benefit from a…