There are several persuasive techniques used in marketing, which are storytelling, visual appeal, copywriting tricks, social proof and scarcity.
Storytelling – is the practice of using customer’s emotions. Instead of just promoting a product, brands make it more relatable, memorable, and persuasive. For example, in Nike’s campaign, there is a young boy running alone on a country road at dawn. The narration speaks to the idea that greatness is not reserved for a select few—it's in everyone. This story resonated deeply because it aligned Nike’s brand with self-belief and personal empowerment, not just performance—making it a classic example of value-driven storytelling.
Visual appeal refers to the strategic use of design elements—like color, typography, imagery, layout, and branding—to grab attention, evoke emotion, and influence perception. Apple is known for its minimalist, sleek visual design. Their website and product packaging use clean lines, white space, and high-quality images to convey simplicity, sophistication, and innovation. This consistent visual identity reinforces Apple’s brand as premium and user-friendly.
Copywriting tricks are techniques used to write persuasive, engaging, and action-driven marketing messages. One of them is CTA (call-to-action), it can be buttons with the text “Get started” or “Join free today”.
Social proof is a psychological principle where people look to others' behavior to determine their own—especially in uncertain situations. In marketing, it means using evidence that other people trust, use, or love a product to influence potential customers. This can come in many forms, such as customer reviews and rating, testimonials, user-generated content and social media shares or follower counts.
Scarcity is a persuasive technique based on the idea that people place more value on things that are limited or hard to get. In marketing, scarcity creates urgency and fear of missing out (FOMO), which can drive quicker decisions. Scarcity forms can be limited-time offers, low stock alerts, exclusive access, countdown timers and “Only X left in stock” messages.

“People do not buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

In a marketing context, persuasion is considered as a tool or weapon, since it helps marketers to convince consumers to buy a product, sign up for a service or engage with a brand. In other words, persuasion is the strategic use of communication techniques to influence a potential customer’s attitudes, emotions or behaviors.
It is not just about convincing people to buy something, but to make an alignment with customer by knowing their needs, desires and values.

People make decisions based on their needs, desires and values. However, in psychology, there is a concept of fixed-action patterns, which means that people make a choice to take an action mindlessly. To be more precisely, there is a list of some actions, which are triggered automatically. For example, there is a study conducted by Harvard social psychologist Ellen Langer.
A well-known principle of human behavior is that when we ask someone to do us a favor, we will be more successful if we provide a reason (Langer, Blank, & Chanowitz, 1978). Based on this fact, Langer demonstrated it by asking a small favor of people waiting in line to use a library-copying machine: Excuse me, I five have pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I am in a rush? As a result, ninety-four percentage of those asked let her skip ahead of them in line. The second case rate was only sixty percentage, since she made the request only: Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine? The third case rate was almost nearly to the first case with ninety-three percentage, and in this case, she did not use the reason. She used only the word “because” and then, adding nothing new: Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies? This study shows that human behavior works in tape-activated way.

Cialdini, R. B. (2009). Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Rev. ed.). Harper Business.
Langer, E., Blank, A., & Chanowitz, B. (1978). The mindlessness of ostensibly thoughtful action: The role of “placebic” information in interpersonal interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(6), 635–642.

1. Nike. (2012). Find Your Greatness [Advertising campaign]. Nike, Inc. https://adage.com/article/news/ad-age-ad-review-nikes-find-your-greatness/236356

Persuasion is at the heart of effective marketing—it is how brands connect, influence, and drive action. By understanding the psychology behind decision-making and using tools like storytelling, visual appeal, copywriting, social proof, and scarcity, marketers can create compelling experiences that resonate with audiences.
However, with great power comes responsibility. Ethical persuasion ensures that influence does not cross the line into manipulation. In an age where trust is currency, the most successful brands are those that persuade with authenticity, transparency, and empathy.

While persuasive marketing aims to influence behavior, it is important to maintain ethical boundaries. Ethical persuasion respects the consumer's autonomy, avoids deception, and builds long-term trust. Key ethical principles include:

• Transparency: Being honest about products, pricing, and intentions.
• Consent: Avoiding manipulative tactics that pressure people without clear choice.
• Relevance: Targeting messages responsibly, especially when dealing with sensitive topics (e.g., health, finance).
• Authenticity: Ensuring testimonials, scarcity claims, or social proof are real—not fabricated.

Unethical persuasion may boost short-term conversions but often damages brand reputation and customer trust.