6 Psychological Triggers That Speak To Your Audience’s Subconscious (I’m surprised so few people talk about them)

What's up, Marketers! This is Aazar.

This newsletter is about leveling up your paid growth marketing skills by analyzing the best brands' paid strategy, tactics, positioning, and value props.

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BEST LINKS OF THE WEEK (on popular demand)

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• 8 hooks in February to try

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• Meta Ads update 📣 'Advantage+ Shopping' campaigns will become 'Advantage+ Sales' campaigns.

• Media buying in 2020 vs 2025

Most advertisers talk about scarcity, urgency, and social proof.

But there’s so much power in deeper psychological principles. These shape how people see, process, and react.

Today, we’re diving into 6 overlooked psychological triggers that can make your ads more persuasive and memorable.

Let’s get into it.

1. Perceptual Fluency

Your brain hates working hard. The easier something is to process, the truer and more credible it feels.

A Princeton University study found that messages in clear fonts were rated as more believable than those in hard-to-read fonts.

Imagine you’re scrolling, and an ad pops up. The message is clear, simple, and easy to read. It takes half a second to get it.

Now, compare that to an ad with tiny text, complex visuals, and too much information.

Which one do you trust more? Obviously the first one.

That’s why great ads feel effortless—they don’t make people think.

Make your ads easy to process, or people will ignore them.

How to Apply This in Paid Ads

Make your ads visually effortless

• Use large, legible fonts—no one should squint to read your copy.

• Stick to one core message per ad. If it takes more than a second to get the point, you’ve lost them.

• Choose contrasting colors that make text pop.

Example: Apple’s ads.

One sentence. One product shot. Nothing else.

That’s why their marketing feels premium—it’s easy to process, so it feels effortless to buy.

Use familiar patterns

• People read in F-patterns (left to right, top to bottom). Place your main message where their eyes naturally go first.

• Avoid unusual layouts—novelty slows processing speed.

The easier your ads are to read, the more persuasive they become.

Here’s a paid social example from Remarkable:

2. Conceptual Metaphors

An insurance company says, “We provide financial protection.”

Boring. It doesn’t mean anything.

But when they say, “We’re your financial safety net,” suddenly, it clicks.

That’s the power of Conceptual Metaphors—they help people understand new ideas by linking them to something they already know.

A study found that when brands use metaphors in marketing, people process the information faster and remember it longer.

Why? Because metaphors activate emotions. They make people feel.

That’s why Tesla didn’t just call its car "electric." It calls them “a spaceship for the road.”

How to Apply This in Paid Ads

Use metaphors to simplify complex ideas

• Don’t describe features—compare your product to something people already understand.

• Example: A password manager isn’t just software—it’s “a vault for your digital life.”

• Example: A meditation app isn’t just relaxing—it’s “a gym for your mind.”

Tap into emotions with familiar imagery

• Protection → A shield, armor, a safety net

• Speed → A race car, lightning, a rocket

• Simplicity → An easy button, autopilot, cruise control

Example: Slack’s tagline: “Where work happens.”

It’s not just a messaging tool—it’s a digital office.

Make metaphors visual

• Don’t just say it—show it in your ad creatives.

• A "financial safety net"? Show a tightrope walker with a net below.

• A fast-loading website? Show a race car at the starting line.

Metaphors make ads instantly understandable—and impossible to forget.

Here’s an example from Paid Social ads:

3. The Generation Effect

Ever noticed how you remember things better when you figure them out yourself?

That’s why a quiz feels more engaging than a lecture.

Or why you remember a joke better when you complete the punchline in your head.

This is the Generation Effect—when people mentally participate in an idea, they retain it better.

Nike says “Just Do It.” They aren’t saying “Just Run Better.” 

It makes you complete the thought on your own, which makes it more memorable.

How to Apply This in Paid Ads

Ask questions that make people think

• Example: “What’s stopping you from getting in shape?”

• Example: “Why are so many people switching to [product]?”

Use open-ended headlines

• Example: “The secret to better sleep is…”

• Example: “You’ll never guess what’s inside this box.”

Create interactive ad formats

• Quizzes, polls, and "swipe to reveal" ads force users to engage with your content.

When people mentally participate, they remember and act on your ad.

This is an excellent paid social example of the generation effect:

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4. The Pratfall Effect

Most brands try to look perfect.

But perfection can feel fake—and fake doesn’t sell.

The Pratfall Effect says that when a brand admits a small flaw, it actually becomes more likable.

That’s why Volkswagen’s famous “Lemon” ad worked. They openly called one of their cars a reject due to a tiny defect.

But instead of hurting their reputation, it made them look more honest—and people trusted their quality control even more.

How to Apply This in Paid Ads

Own a small flaw to build trust

• Example: “These workouts aren’t easy—but neither are great results.”

• Example: “Not the cheapest, but yeah they’re the best.”

Show the “before” to prove the “after”

• Example: A skincare brand saying, “We listened. You wanted a formula without alcohol. So we made it.”

Make your brand human

• Example: An ad showing bloopers from a product shoot—"We’re not perfect, but our product is close."

People trust brands that aren’t afraid to admit their flaws. Use them to your advantage.

Here’s an example from Oatly, we used it in paid social for one of our clients, it worked like a charm:

Here’s a screenshot from our Atria Analytics dashboard:

Avg CPA: is $150

This ad CPA: $106

Want similar results? Book a call here.

5. The Von Restorff Effect

A lot of ads I see fail because they blend in. They just don’t stand out.

The Von Restorff Effect (also called the Isolation Effect) says that when something stands out, it’s easier to notice and remember.

That’s why a silent Super Bowl ad grabs attention more than a loud one.

Or why a bright red CTA button pops on a white page.

A study found that when people are shown a list of similar items, they only remember the one that stands out.

You can use this by breaking patterns—through color, contrast, or unexpected visuals.

If your ad looks like everything else, it’s already forgotten.

How to Apply This in Paid Ads

Use contrast to grab attention

• Example: A completely black-and-white ad with only the CTA in bold red.

• Example: A headline in ALL CAPS when everything else is lowercase.

Break predictable patterns

• Example: A video ad that starts with silence instead of loud music.

• Example: A product shot that’s cut in half instead of fully visible.

Make the message visually pop

• Example: A headline in a feed ad that’s placed inside a brightly colored speech bubble to stand out.

• Example: An ad where the text is oversized and off-center.

The key is to be different or you’ll be ignored.

Some examples from Paid Social from Happy Mammoth account:

6. Implicit Egotism

People love things that feel like they’re about them.

That’s Implicit Egotism—we’re unconsciously drawn to anything that reminds us of ourselves.

That’s why personalized ads outperform generic ones. Seeing your name, your city, or something tied to your identity makes an ad feel more relevant and trustworthy.

A 2002 research found that people are more likely to live in cities and work in careers that share letters with their names (e.g., Dennis becoming a Dentist).

Why? Because familiarity feels good and builds trust.

When an ad mirrors something personal, we pay attention without even realizing it.

How to Apply This in Paid Ads

Use location-based personalization

• Example: “Hey, New Yorkers—don’t miss this deal.”

• Example: “Chicago’s top-rated gym is offering a free trial.”

Speak directly to the user

• Example: “John, your perfect workout plan is waiting.”

• Example: “You deserve a website as good as your business, Sarah.”

Reflect their interests and behaviors

• Example: Retargeting ads that say, “Still thinking about this? Get 10% off today.”

• Example: An email that says, “We saw you checked out our running shoes—here’s a style you might like.”

When an ad feels like it was made for you, it’s impossible to ignore.

Example from paid socia adl here:

Chamberlain Coffee is tapping into Implicit Egotism with the phrase "coffee snob approved." 

It speaks directly to people who take their coffee seriously. If you see yourself as a coffee snob, this message feels like it’s made for you. 

It plays on that pride and makes you feel like part of an exclusive club.

Another example from The League (exclusive dating app for rich people):

And that’s it. 

Which one are you testing next?

Happy Growing with Paid Social,

Aazar Shad

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