The five time-tested adoption decisions
Discover the five key adoption concepts—Relative Advantage, Compatibility, Simplicity, Observability, and Triability—that help entrepreneurs grow their audience and build lasting connections.
Whether you’re publishing on social media, building a newsletter audience, or growing your influence, understanding how people decide to buy something is hugely important. Recently, I dove deep into the five essential adoption principles—Relative Advantage, Compatibility, Simplicity, Observability, and Trialability—that help explain why people choose to invest time and attention in your work.
Let’s look into each of them more closely.
1. Relative advantage: Highlight what makes your work unique
Your customers have plenty of options, so the key question they ask is: why should they choose your product over the others? Relative Advantage is about showing how your work stands out from the rest.
This might involve demonstrating a fresh take on a familiar niche or showcasing a unique voice, or leveraging your specific expertise and offering insights that can’t be found elsewhere. Whatever your niche, make it clear what sets you apart. Whether it’s the perspective, the style, or the depth you bring to a subject. This helps customers see the immediate benefit of choosing you.
Actionable advice
Identify two or three key aspects of your work that distinguish it from others. Is it your voice, your expertise, or a fresh angle on a common theme?
Incorporate these unique elements into your marketing materials.
2. Compatibility: Make it easy to fit into their lives
People tend to buy things that align with their existing preferences, routines, and values. Compatibility is the measure of how well your product fits into the lives of your target audience.
Are you marketing to customers who are already invested in your niche? Is your business structured in a way that feels accessible to them?
Actionable advice
Conduct a survey or engage in discussions with your current audience to better understand their preferences. What kind of content do they already buy? What tone or format resonates with them most?
Adjust your promotional strategies to match the feedback.
3. Simplicity: Ensure an effortless experience
Customers don’t want to work too hard to figure out what you’re offering. Simplicity means making the journey from discovery to buying as seamless as possible.
This could mean a well-designed, niche-appropriate image paired with a clear, enticing description. The goal is to remove any friction that could slow down or complicate their engagement. Make it intuitive for them to access your work and understand the value it brings.
Actionable advice
Simplify your landing pages by focusing on one or two key benefits that customers will receive. Avoid overloading them with information.
Test your subscription or purchasing process yourself. Is it straightforward or are there points where a customers might get confused or give up? Make adjustments to streamline the experience.
4. Observability: Show the benefits of your work
People are more likely to engage when they can see the results others are experiencing. Observability is about making those benefits visible.
Encourage customers who love your work to leave reviews. Positive reviews act as social proof, helping new customers see that your work is valued by others. Sharing testimonials or spotlighting feedback on your social media can also create a ripple effect, allowing potential customers to witness the impact of your work before they dive in.
By providing a taste of what you have to offer, you give potential customers a way to observe the quality firsthand.
Actionable advice
Create a system for requesting and showcasing reviews. This could be as simple as sending an email to your mailing list, asking for honest feedback, or encouraging customers to leave a review after they’ve used your product for a month.
Share snippets of positive reviews and customer feedback on your social media channels to build social proof and help new customers see the value in your work.
5. Trialability: Let customers explore your work first
Trialability refers to giving people a way to experience your work before fully committing to it. Offering a sample or preview can help customers feel more comfortable engaging with something new.
When customers can explore your work without risk, they’re more likely to feel confident about their decision to keep going.
Actionable advice
Offer a free sample of your products on your website as part of a newsletter sign-up bonus. This gives potential customers a low-risk way to engage with your work.
If you offer a paid subscription, consider creating a “free tier” that provides occasional content, enticing customers to subscribe for full access to all your offerings.
Each of these five adoption decisions work individually to enhance your chances of success, but their real power emerges when they work together. Think about how these elements create a seamless experience for your customers from the moment they discover your work to the point where they commit to it.
For example, highlighting your relative advantage in a niche that aligns with your audience’s preferences (compatibility) while making it easy for them to access and understand (simplicity) ensures a smooth journey.
Then, adding clear value through social proof (observability) and low-risk ways to engage (trialability) completes the cycle. These strategies don’t function in isolation but combine to create a compelling experience that encourages customers to engage with your work on a deeper level.
By synchronizing these five concepts, you’ll not only attract more customers but also increase the chances that they become loyal, long-term supporters of your brand.
What do you think?
Where are you strongest?
Where are you weakest?
Let us know in the comments.
