You’ve likely heard of the Halo Effect before.
It describes the propensity for a certain positive trait of a person to “overshadow” other – perhaps negative – traits giving us a more favorable perception of that person.
Take Cameron Herrin for example.
A handsome-looking young lad from Tampa, FL who gained popularity (mostly among young females) on social media.
The internet RAVED about his charming looks.
Except, here’s the catch:
He is a convicted murderer who’s been sentenced to 24 years in prison!
Still…
Countless young girls protested that his punishment was crudely unfair because he was… “too cute.”
I think this case is highly interesting.
If a literal murderer could gain so much popularity and approval because of an attractive trait (in his case; looks) and overshadow a very… unfavorable trait, why couldn’t we do the same?
That’s not to say we should murder anyone. Please don’t. 😅
But we, as business owners, want to do something quite nasty ourselves:
So the question becomes:
How can we get someone to LIKE us for taking their hard-earned money by way of associating ourselves with something positive? (i.e. by using the Halo Effect to our advantage)
The answer is quite simple:
First, we must identify what our ideal customers perceive as “positive” and do everything in our power to associate ourselves with that.
“Positive” means something different for everyone.
As an example: One of my clients runs a SaaS that helps online teachers engage their students. One of the things most teachers perceive as positive is that nobody’s feelings get hurt.
I think it’s utter garbage.
In my opinion, getting your feelings hurt and “losing” is a valuable lesson for any kid to learn.
But hey, maybe I’m just “toxically masculine.” (😉) And besides, my opinion doesn’t matter… the customers’ does.
Anyway, this is simply to say that people’s values differ.
Next…
Align with that cause.
Associate yourself with those positive values by incorporating them into ALL aspects of your marketing.
In our example:
The sales page I’m currently writing for my client leans heavily into the “inclusivity” aspect by citing studies and quoting experts in the field.
The underlying lesson I want you to take away is this:
Be mindful.
Every single decision you make in your business should be viewed through the lens of:
This is how you build a sort of “halo” around your business – a halo that will grant you a positive image in the eyes of your customers.
And mind you… this is NOT manipulative or evil – this is about building a great reputation by doing helpful things.
Alright, that’s it from me today.
Thanks for reading my lovely little angels! 😇
Reply with any questions or feedback you want to share with me :)
Peace,
Tim <3
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