A blueprint for better marketing
I have a friend who can sell dope to the Pope.
Luckily, he’s a devout Catholic, so he would never.
But that hasn’t stopped him from selling millions of dollars worth of software, and last week, I asked him for his secret.
“Psychology.” He replied, “I understand how human needs influence consumer behavior.”
This answer got me thinking about the way we, as creative entrepreneurs, market our products and services. It’s not enough to make cool designs, write creative copy, or cook delicious meals. If you want people to pay you for your work, you need to understand why people buy. You need to understand Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs describes the fundamental motivations of human beings, prioritizing them into categories. It shows that people work to fulfill their needs, starting with the most basic and progressively moving towards more complex desires.
Once individuals can provide themselves with basic needs, they begin to climb the pyramid, fulfilling each category of needs until they reach the top layer: self-actualization.
Unfortunately, progress is often disrupted by a failure to meet lower-level needs. Life experiences, including divorce and the loss of a job, may cause an individual to fluctuate between levels of the hierarchy. Therefore, not everyone will move through the hierarchy in a uni-directional manner but may move back and forth between the different types of needs. Also, not everyone will reach the top, but understanding these layers can transform your marketing approach.
Here’s the breakdown:
Basic or physiological needs: Food, water, shelter, warmth
Safety needs: Security, stability, freedom from fear
Belonging, love: Friends, family, spouse, lover
Self-esteem needs: Achievement, mastery, recognition, respect
Self-actualization: Pursue inner talent, creativity, fulfillment
My friend doesn’t sell products. He sells safety, belonging, status, transformation. He identifies the buyer’s needs and positions his offering in a way that clearly addresses those deeper motivations.
And if you want to thrive in the digital marketplace, you need to do the same.
How to Use Maslow’s Pyramid?
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how Hinge turned a single insight into a $400M business. Hinge speaks to our need for love, which is why they’re the fastest-growing dating app.
For you to understand how to use the pyramid, you must understand how your product or service serves your customers at each stage.
Effective messaging speaks to real human needs. When you use Maslow’s Hierarchy, you make your content, concept, or story much more compelling.
A person buying whitening toothpaste isn’t interested in brushing away discoloration. They’re interested in brushing away self-consciousness.
A man buying a hair regrowth treatment isn’t buying a handful of hair. He’s buying confidence.
A mom buying a Volvo isn’t buying a car. She’s buying safety.
You get the idea.
Next time you market your work, dig deeper. Target the emotional and psychological reasons behind wanting your product or service. Use words and images that:
Illustrate the transformative results your customer will experience
Show the positive change your offering brings to their life (or the life without it)
Highlight how you solve a need, not just a problem
Take a moment to map your current offering against Maslow’s hierarchy. At which level are you truly serving your customers?
Marketing isn’t just about selling—it’s about understanding and serving human needs. Master this, and (if you’re not a Catholic) you might sell dope to the Pope.