Six behavioural biases to supercharge your paid and organic campaigns

The secret to campaigns that convert is understanding the psychology behind every click.

Behavioural science reveals how people actually think, feel and act when they interact with your brand. Understanding these biases transforms how you build paid and organic strategies that convert.

In this blog we break down the six biases that should underpin every campaign you run and explain how these biases can be applied to your organic campaigns.

Why our behavioural science framework matters

Our behavioural science framework underpins all our paid strategies at Connective3. It’s a set of proven biases that motivate users to take action once they’ve clicked through your ad or landed on your site.

Get these right, and you’ll see faster conversions, stronger engagement and campaigns that effect your bottom line.

The six biases that drive conversions

1. Social proof

Social proof is one of the most powerful biases, especially for social campaigns. Users trust what other people say more than what brands tell them. This can be anything from star ratings or testimonials from your customers

How to apply it:

• Add star ratings to your ads
• Feature customer testimonials
• Showcase user-generated content
• Highlight review counts or popularity metrics

2. Power of free

The word “free” triggers an emotional response that’s hard to ignore. E-commerce brands use this constantly because it works.

How to apply it:

• Offer free delivery
• Add free samples or trials
• Include free returns in your messaging
• Highlight any zero-cost options

3. Category heuristics

Category heuristics are the specific features or benefits users look for in your product category. A mattress buyer cares about different things than a SaaS buyer and including these in your campaigns helps to speed up a customer’s decision-making and simplify their decisios.

How to apply it:

• Identify what your audience searches for
• Lead with unique selling points that matter to them
• Match messaging to the specific problem they’re solving
• Use language that resonates with your category

4. Power of now

Creating urgency pushes users to convert immediately rather than putting off the decision.

How to apply it:

• Add time-sensitive language (“Today only”, “Ends soon”)
• Create limited-time offers
• Use countdown timers
• Emphasise immediate benefits

5. Scarcity bias

When something’s running out, we want it more and this is why scarcity bias is such a powerful tool for marketing campaigns. This bias is used a lot during Black Friday and promotional periods.

How to apply it:

• Show limited stock levels
• Highlight one-time deals
• Use “While stocks last” messaging
• Create exclusive, limited-run offers

6. Authority bias

Authority bias matters most in industries where credibility is everything: healthcare, finance, or any niche where expertise counts. If you’re in retail, using authority bias showcases you as a market

How to apply it:

• Display industry accreditations
• Showcase awards or certifications
• Position yourself as a market leader
• Feature expert endorsements or partnerships

How to put this into practice

The real power comes from testing these biases across your campaigns.

In paid media: We test different biases in copy and creative assets across PPC and paid social. Fast learnings from paid activity allow us to refine messaging and apply what works to organic strategies.

In organic: Applying social proof and the power of now to on-site content boosts conversions alongside improved organic performance. Your website becomes a conversion engine, not just a traffic destination.

The connected approach: When paid and organic work together using the same behavioural framework, you get great results. Learnings from one channel inform the other, creating a feedback loop that drives continuous improvement.

Ready to apply behavioural science to your strategy?

These six biases should underpin every campaign you run. Test them, combine them, and measure what moves your specific audience.

Want to explore how behavioural science can supercharge your paid and organic performance? Get in touch with our team.