READ TIME: 4.06mins
Imagine sitting in front of a camera for 40 hours, counting to 100,000.
Sounds crazy, right? Because it is.
Would you believe me if I told you a video of this was viewed over 27M times?
Ummm.. excuse me, what? (I had the same reaction)
But more importantly, how did a tediously boring video like this get so many views?
It’s actually simplier than you think.
This is what Mr Beast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) is known for and what has driven him to become one of Youtube’s biggest sensations, with a net worth of around $600M.
He does outlandish (and often absurd) things that consume A LOT of time, which has his 303M subscribers tuning in and lapping up whatever he publishes.
The videos that really launched him into YouTube stardom:
To now, years later:
The thing is… it’s not just about the absurdity of the tasks, but the sheer time commitment, that draws significant attention.
And it’s not about the content, it’s a testament to the lengths he goes to create something unique.
People can’t help but appreciate the level of dedication and commitment required, and this appreciation has created (and continues to drive) a loyal following.
It’s called the Labour Illusion.
The Labour Illusion is a psychological phenomenon where consumers see a product or service as more valuable when they believe significant effort has been invested in its creation.
When people witness the blood, sweat, and tears poured into something, they appreciate it more, feeling a stronger connection and loyalty – and are more likely to part with their hard earned cash over it.
In 2005, a study done by Andrea Morales from the University of Southern California found that consumers favoured a real estate agent who demonstrated high effort in manually curating a list of properties compared to an agent using an automated process.
This preference was driven by the perceived value and personal attention that manual effort signified over something generic (albeit faster) with little to no effort.
You see, when something happens too quickly, we can feel cheated and like it’s not high in value.
That’s why showing your customers the effort that goes into an outcome makes them happier with their purchase and can often justify paying a premuim price.
Jobs was a master in persuasion and knew how to make people see the extensive effort behind Apple’s innovations – often in subtle, but powerful ways.
When he returned to Apple as interim CEO, his first public keynote in 1998 was pivotal in rebuilding confidence, and value, as Apple had lost $69 million in his absence.
This is how he opened that speech (in the first 20 seconds)…
He highlighting the long hours and weekends the Apple team had been working to get Apple back on track.
And this is how he regularly opened and shared his keynotes – sharing the amount of work Apple had done leading up to an announcement, or new product launch.
By making the effort visible, Jobs effectively used the Labour Illusion to show why Apple was the front runner not just in technology, but for innovation and dedication.
Customers and investors felt they were getting something special, that what was created was done so with care and attention to detail – making their products appeared more valuable and highly desirable.
THIS is how Jobs persuaded the world.
So, you know what it is… but how do you apply it to sell more stuff?
💸 SHOW YOUR BEHIND-THE-SCENES EFFORTS
Share stories, photos, or videos of the hard work that goes into creating your products or services. Whether it’s the craftsmanship behind your handmade goods or the hours of meticulous planning for an event, let your audience see the effort.
At the moment, I’m a sucker for photo creation / editing videos, making me appreciate the time that goes into the craft, and validating why (good) photographers charge the premium they do.
Check out Alexandria Ramon on Instagram and tell me her photography isn’t worthy of high price tags – i’ll wait (#sorrynotsorry if you spend hours down a rabbit hole)
💸 EMPHASISE THE CASE YOU PUT INTO THE DETAIL
If you run a restaurant, talk about the process of sourcing fresh ingredients or the hours spent perfecting a recipe. If you offer consulting services, share the extensive research and preparation that goes into your client projects or developing a strategy.
Dyson did this well with the launch of their new ground-breaking V10 Vacuum in 2018, marking a significant advancement in their cordless vacuum technology and positioning them as a front runner in the market.
💸 SHARE TRANSPARENT NARRATIVES
Build narratives around the challenges and triumphs of your business journey – good, bad and ugly. People love a good story, and knowing the effort behind your success makes your brand more relatable and trustworthy.
Using the Labour Illusion can transform how your customers perceive your brand.
Show them WHY you are the one they should be working with and buying from.
Help them see the time, effort and energy you put into THEIR outcomes, to make THEIR lives better… easier.
Prove that you go above and beyond to ensure quality and satisfaction.
FYI! This newsletter took me over 5.5 hours to research, write, and create – you’re welcome 🙂
P.S. Want to learn how you can get closer to your audience so you can increase engagement, influence buying decisions, and drive more sales? Here’s how I can help:
THE fACE BEHIND “TAKE MY MONEY”
I’m a dog loving, tea drinking extraordinaire, and the ultimate geek when it comes to all thing’s marketing, consumer behaviour and buyer psychology.
With a love for storytelling, a heart for creativity, and a brain for science I’m on a mission to help people like you think like their customer so you can create marketing that connects, influences and drives action… in your favour.
“Take My Money” isn’t just another newsletter.
It’s your secret weapon in perfecting buyer and marketing psychology… without the snooze-fest.
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