Social media has made it easier than ever before to connect with audiences and market your brand. That’s why everybody is doing it.
As the online market grows more competitive, businesses are doing everything they can to get ahead. For social media marketers, there are a few psychological tricks you can use to boost clicks, views and overall engagement with your brand. While it’s easy to assume that people aren’t impacted by psychological tricks, nothing can be further from the truth. After all, the “bias blind spot” clearly shows that people recognize the impact of biases on other people’s judgement except their own.
Below are 5 psychological tricks to boost your social media marketing:
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Social Proofing
Social proofing isn’t about what you can do with an individual post or marketing campaign, but what you do with your entire social media presence. The core concept of social proof is that more people like what other people have already liked. Therefore, the bigger your social media channel, the more likely you are to engage new people. In social media, likes beget more likes, followers beget more followers… you get the idea. You should encourage engagement with your posts as much as possible to get social proofing working for you.
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Mere-Exposure Effect
In psychology, the mere-exposure effect tells us that people develop a preference for something merely because they are familiar with it. Applying this concept to social media is simple enough: increase exposure to your brand and reap the benefits. Remember: increasing exposure doesn’t necessarily mean you are selling a product or service (at least not yet) – you are simply getting people to associate your brand with something positive.
Social media has made advertising a little more affordable for all of us. Start off by honing your message to a specific audience or look at rolling out a geo-focused ad campaign.
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Become personable
It’s no secret that the human touch is often what creates a lasting impression. Social media and branding are no different. We like to associate with faces and other people, and are more likely to connect with companies that have a human element behind their brand. It’s not enough to create a cool logo and start advertising your product. Depending on your industry, it may be a good idea to bring your employees to the forefront, especially if they’re already handling your content creation. Another good idea includes using images of people in your branding efforts or on your website. The models you choose should be roughly in the same demographic as your target audience. This tactic might sound a little crude, but has proven time and time again to bring people closer to your brand.
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Reciprocity
Lots of companies build up a pretty strong Twitter following, only to realize later that they are losing followers. That’s because people who follow you want to be followed back.
The concept of reciprocity is central to the human experience. When we’re given something, we instinctively want to reciprocate. Heck, even a used car salesman will hand you a pen after he finishes selling you a crappy car!
In rolling out your social media campaign, be sure to make your audience feel included. This can be as simple as responding to their messages and showing them that you value their opinion. The more you give, the more you shall receive. It’s as simple as that.
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Limit your choices
In life and on social media, having more options isn’t always better. In fact, it may become stressful. If people are given too many choices, they are more likely to feel overwhelmed and suffer “buyer’s regret.” If annoyed enough, the consumer may actually just forfeit all the choices you’ve offered and turn their back. This is commonly referred to as the paradox of choice.
Giving your audience choices is important, but make sure to limit the options to a few important ones. Better yet, give them a choice that’s slightly worse than the one you want them to take. This will make upselling much easier.
Competing on social media isn’t without its challenges, but with these 5 psychological tricks, you’re well on your way to boosting viewership, engagement and overall sales. So give them a try and get back to me with your experiences. I’d love to hear it.. tweet me @Charli_Says or contact me here.
Source:
Adapted from: Rick Riddle (September 5, 2016). “7 Psychological Tricks to Use in Your Social Media Marketing.” Social Media Today.