Brain Driven Brands: Did This Guy Really Invent a Psychology-Based Popup?? (Feat: Shaan Arora) Released on November 12, 2024

Introduction In this episode of Brain Driven Brands, host Sarah Levinger delves into the innovative world of neuromarketing with special guest Shaan Arora, the co-founder and CEO of Alia—a groundbreaking Shopify app designed to revolutionize how e-commerce brands engage with their customers through psychologically driven popups. The conversation explores the intersection of psychology and marketing, unveiling how Alia's unique approach not only boosts conversion rates but also fosters deeper emotional connections between brands and their audiences.

Guest Introduction and Backstory Sarah begins by warmly welcoming Shaan Arora, expressing her excitement about his unique application of popups in marketing. Shaan shares his inspiration for founding Alia, rooted in his personal experience helping his mother's Indian clothing business transition from a physical storefront in Boston to an online presence. Observing the stark difference in conversion rates between the in-store experience and the online store, Shaan identified a critical gap: the lack of emotional engagement in e-commerce.

Shaan Arora [05:32]: "I realized by going to her store and then looking at the online store, like, there was no personality, right? There was no emotional connections being drawn."

Shaan's journey from a college student and Shopify developer to launching Alia with the help of his friends underscores the app's authentic origins and practical effectiveness. Today, Alia serves over 400 brands, enhancing their customer engagement through sophisticated popup strategies.

The Psychology Behind Alia's Popup Strategy The core of Alia's innovation lies in transforming traditional popups into tools for storytelling and emotional engagement. Shaan explains that while most popups aim solely to capture email leads with offers like discounts, Alia integrates educational content that immerses visitors in the brand's story.

Sarah Levinger [04:24]: "I'm trying not to make this like a 40 minute long podcast. Let's go over."

By repositioning the opt-in to precede the educational content, Alia leverages psychological principles like confirmation bias and reciprocity. Initially, visitors are asked for their email and SMS in exchange for a discount. Once they agree, they are invited to upgrade their discount by engaging with the brand's story, thereby deepening their emotional investment.

Shaan Arora [09:21]: "So like signup used to be the end of the educational flow. Now signup is in the beginning."

This method contrasts with traditional popups, which often suffer from low conversion rates due to their intrusive nature and repetitive use without added value. Alia's approach not only captures leads more effectively but also enhances the average order value (AOV) and purchase conversion rates significantly.

Key Psychological Tactics Utilized by Alia

1. Confirmation Bias: By asking users to make an initial small commitment (providing their email and SMS), Alia leverages the human tendency to remain consistent with previous actions. This makes users more likely to continue engaging with the brand by upgrading their discount after the initial commitment.

   Sarah Levinger [10:12]: "You're using a serious amount of confirmation bias... most people have a really hard time not continuing the behavior that they started with."

2. Reciprocity: Offering educational content and increased discounts in return for deeper engagement creates a sense of indebtedness, motivating users to reciprocate by making purchases.

   Sarah Levinger [22:44]: "Reciprocity, right? So people are much more likely to give because you've given them an interesting experience."

3. Priming and Framing: Alia strategically frames questions and information to align with the user's identity and values. For instance, using identity-focused questions helps in self-qualification, ensuring that only genuinely interested customers proceed further.

   Sarah Levinger [20:00]: "You're asking people to self qualify... like do you identify with this product."

4. Emotional Engagement: Incorporating founder or customer stories within popups transforms transactional interactions into meaningful connections, enhancing brand loyalty and increasing the likelihood of repeat purchases.

   Shaan Arora [25:39]: "Put it in every part of your brand. Put it in every touch point."

Performance Metrics and Success Rates Alia's innovative popup strategies have yielded impressive results. Typically, the opt-in rates range between 10-16%, significantly higher than the industry standard of 3-6%. Furthermore, when users engage with the educational flow, the purchase conversion rate jumps to approximately 20%, and the AOV increases by about 20%.

Shaan Arora [13:51]: "Typically like we'll see an increase in AOV... AOV jumps about 20%."

These metrics demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating psychological principles into marketing tools, transforming mundane popups into powerful brand-building assets.

Strategic Implementation and Best Practices Shaan advises brands to integrate storytelling across all customer touchpoints, not just within popups. Whether through social media, packaging, or advertising, consistent narrative elements amplify the emotional connection and reinforce the brand's identity.

Shaan Arora [24:51]: "Put the founder story... Just have it in every part of your brand."

For brands without a compelling founder story, Shaan suggests leveraging customer stories that highlight how the brand has positively impacted their lives, further enhancing authenticity and relatability.

Sarah Levinger [25:46]: "If you don't have a founder story that feels big, you can use those [customer stories] as well."

Future Directions and Closing Thoughts As the conversation wraps up, Shaan emphasizes the importance of continuous testing and data analysis to refine popup strategies tailored to different industries and customer identities. He encourages brands to experiment with various storytelling elements and identity-focused questions to discover what resonates most with their audience.

Sarah concludes by expressing her admiration for Alia's approach, highlighting the seamless blend of psychology and technology as a model for effective e-commerce marketing.

Sarah Levinger [27:13]: "This is fascinating stuff. Like I said, super psychology focused, super psychology based. So I'm excited to like follow your guys' journey."

Shaan shares his contact information, inviting listeners to follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay updated on Alia's latest developments.

Conclusion This episode of Brain Driven Brands offers invaluable insights into the potent combination of psychology and marketing. Shaan Arora’s Alia is pioneering a shift from traditional, often intrusive popups to emotionally intelligent engagement tools that not only capture leads but also build lasting customer relationships. By understanding and applying psychological principles such as confirmation bias, reciprocity, and emotional engagement, Alia demonstrates how brands can achieve higher conversion rates and foster deeper connections with their audience. For e-commerce brands seeking to enhance their marketing strategies, this episode serves as a compelling guide to leveraging neuromarketing for sustained growth and customer loyalty.

Follow Shaan Arora:

• LinkedIn: Shaan Arora
• Twitter: @ShaanArora
• Alia Learn: aialearn.com

Brain Driven Brands is part of the Learn and Laugh series on the Quickfire Podcast Network. Stay tuned for more episodes that decode the secrets of successful brands through the lens of neuroscience and psychology.