Blogger insights this week: The brain science of conversion optimization

You could spend a lot of time on this page today, because there were some “wow” posts on the blogosphere this past week.

Especially if you are a behavioral science geek.

There were two that caught my attention because they both talk about brain science, storytelling and conversion optimization from slightly different angles. They are in the spotlight this week.

Spotlight: How storytelling drives conversions

Your brain and effective calls-to-action: What works best and why via Crazy Egg

In this post, Tommy Walker looks into the impact of your brand story on the call-to-action. While researching the topic he began to wonder if we are asking the right question in call-to-action testing. “The best calls-to-action aren’t effective just because of your word-choice on the button,” he writes. The burden of ‘action’ falls on the story you tell and its ability to trigger emotions.

Could the effectiveness of your brand story cause the audience to make a decision before the call-to-action? If so, does it make your call-to-action inconsequential?

Provocative questions for response and content marketers. Read the full post here to find out more.

The science of storytelling, memory, motivation and its impact on CRO via Conversion XL

This one opens with a story of two guys who sold $127 worth of thrift items on eBay for $8,000 by adding a story to the description of each item. It’s a good grabber and nice set up for a deep dive into how the brain responds to stories – and the scientific evidence to support why stories are vital to the conversion process.

It’s not all lab coats and clipboards, though. There is also an analysis of marketing for Men’s Warehouse versus Jos A. Bank and how they use storytelling throughout the conversion process.

Click over here to see more.

Best of the Web: Blogger highlights

Social Media Marketing

5 ways to optimize your website for Pinterest marketing via Social Media Explorer

Facebook adds call to action buttons to page posts via Duct Tape Marketing

How to steal your competitor’s Twitter followers via Quick Sprout

5 ways to optimize your social media content to combat content shock via Content Marketing Institute

Content Marketing

3 steps to identify blog topics that are relevant to your audience via Moz

Aesop story engine now available on WordPress.org via WP Tavern

Content strategy gets tactical: Establishing the content workflow via Marketing Land

Content marketing and the challenge of radical filters via {grow}

Content planning: How to use UX research to uncover hidden needs via Content Marketing Institute

Response Marketing

How has digital changed direct mail? via Jacobs & Clevenger

Does your copy pass the “forehead slap” test? via Copyblogger

3 rules for clickable banner ads (& one tip to turbo-boost results) via Crazy Egg

Email marketing: Why you need it and how to nail it via Feldman Creative

Win more customers with less digital content. Mail a letter via GO Digital

Integrated Marketing

Marketing’s media prejudice problem via Spin Sucks

6 tips for creating an effective internet direct mail campaign via Reuters

Bloggers aren’t just bloggers: A solid example of multichannel marketing via Convince & Convert

6 steps to compiling an integrated online marketing strategy via Moz

Branding

6 questions to find & claim your brand voice via Overit

Crazy, sexy, cool: Attributes of the most clickable ads via Twist Image

6 tips for wooing customers with an enchanting business blog via KISS Metrics

Newswire

Digital Marketing Weekly via JGO Digital

The top news in digital marketing this week: Facebook drops a cool $19B to acquire mobile messaging startup WhatsApp; LinkedIn opens influencer publishing platform to all; Twitter poised to challenge Amazon and eBay for piece of ecommerce pie; Plus more.

Visual Marketing