A quick crash course in need-to-know psychology for social media professionals

1. Psych Eye
for the Social
Media Guy
A quick crash course in
need-to-know psychology
for social media
professionals
1
Dr Paul Marsden
Psychologist
@marsattacks

2. Here’s a little psychology to communicate more effectively
using social media
2
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge 2014

3. First, say hello to the best problem solving device on
the planet…
3
1.5KG
1,200CC
78% WATER
200K YEARS OLD
100BN NEURONS
100TR SYNAPSES
2% BODY WEIGHT
20% ENERGY EXPENDITURE
-10% SIZE VS. 20K YEARS

4. The essential fact to understand is that our brains evolved
uniquely and exclusively to solve problems…
4

5. Without problems we wouldn’t need brains and so we’d
probably just eat them (as the sea-squirt does)
5
Dennett, D. C. (1993). Consciousness Explained. Penguin UK. Chicago

6. Fortunately for psychologists, people continue to have all
sorts of problems to keep us in business…
6

7. Problems also keep communicators in business, only brains
with problems engage with our messages…
7

8. So what kind of problems do brains have to make them
want to consume corporate social media?
8
Celeb boutique @celebboutique20 Jul
#Aurora is trending, clearly about our Kim K inspired #Aurora dress ;)
Shop: buff.ly/LCU1wb
Expand

9. Brains tend to use social media to solve the problem of
staying in touch with other brains, not corporate entities
9

10. Although brains may connect with other brains in
corporate entities, if those brains can solve their problem
10

11. Which is how social media became a problem-solving
platform for customer service and crisis communications
11

12. Even if there are issues of scaleability and
sustainability to address…
12
Samsung #PowerOn SXSW 2013 Campaign

13. But let’s briefly return to why brains would want to connect
with each other in social media…
13

14. 14
Psychologists believe our brains are ‘social brains’, evolved to
work together because they solve problems better together

15. And as a result our emotions have evolved to crave social
contact - even at a distance
15

16. POWER
SENSE OF
CONTROL
AUTONOMY
And which is why ‘affiliation’ evolved to become one
of our three core psychological needs
16
Sokolowski, Kurt, et al. "Assessing achievement, affiliation, and power motives all at once: The Multi-Motive Grid (MMG)." Journal of Personality Assessment 74.1 (2000): 126-145. APA
Deci, E., & Ryan, R. (Eds.), (2002). Handbook of self-determination research. Rochester,s NY: University of Rochester Press
AFFILIATION
SENSE OF
BELONGING
RELATEDNESS
ACHIEVEMENT
SENSE OF
ACCOMPLISHMENT
COMPETENCE

17. If corporate social media can help people connect with each
other, then it will be tapping into powerful psychology
17

18. Which explains why successful social media initiatives do
just this - help people bond and benefit with each other
18

19. And help us connect - affiliate - with people we admire
19

20. Corporate social media may work better when it’s less
about messaging and more about connecting people
20

21. How could you use social media to help social brains
bond and benefit together?
21

22. POWER
SENSE OF
CONTROL
AUTONOMY
In addition to ‘affiliation’, our social brains have
evolved two other core psychological needs
22
Sokolowski, Kurt, et al. "Assessing achievement, affiliation, and power motives all at once: The Multi-Motive Grid (MMG)." Journal of Personality Assessment 74.1 (2000): 126-145. APA
Deci, E., & Ryan, R. (Eds.), (2002). Handbook of self-determination research. Rochester,s NY: University of Rochester Press
AFFILIATION
SENSE OF
BELONGING
RELATEDNESS
ACHIEVEMENT
SENSE OF
ACCOMPLISHMENT
COMPETENCE

23. The first is a need for power - the sense of control and
autonomy that is necessary for solving problems
23

24. When we feel powerless, we become victims of others and
of circumstance, unable to solve problems
24
Rorschach Inkblot Test )Card IV) detects underlying thought disorders where patients are reluctant or unable to describe their thinking processes openly

25. Which is why power is essential to psychological wellbeing,
and perhaps why we’re susceptible to ‘power trips’
25

26. Part of the psychological appeal of social media is that it is
empowering, it allows us to take control of our identity
26

27. 27
#LikeAGirl
It follows that corporate social media will have more appeal if
it empowers, proving a sense of autonomy and control

28. Which is just what the rare cases of social media success do
- they empower people
28

29. How could your social media strategy focus on empowering
people or delivering empowering messages?
29

30. POWER
SENSE OF
CONTROL
AUTONOMY
Finally our social brains have a third core need, that of
‘achievement’
30
Sokolowski, Kurt, et al. "Assessing achievement, affiliation, and power motives all at once: The Multi-Motive Grid (MMG)." Journal of Personality Assessment 74.1 (2000): 126-145. APA
Deci, E., & Ryan, R. (Eds.), (2002). Handbook of self-determination research. Rochester,s NY: University of Rochester Press
AFFILIATION
SENSE OF
BELONGING
RELATEDNESS
ACHIEVEMENT
SENSE OF
ACCOMPLISHMENT
COMPETENCE

31. Achievement means solving problems and rising to
31
challenges, a trait that makes us attractive to allies and mates

32. Which is why our emotions are hardwired to reward
achievement, or ‘self-efficacy’ as some psychologists call it
32

33. So we get an emotional buzz not only from achievement
itself, but from being seen to achieve
33

34. Which helps explain the appeal of social media ‘likes’, each
one is a mini-achievement, self-validating virtual applause
34

35. So psychologically smart corporate social media will have
more appeal if it furthers ‘likeable’ personal achievements
35

36. 36
Porter Instagram #IAmPorter cover campaign
Smart corporate social media may be less about winning
likes for us, and more about helping audiences win them

37. How could your social media strategy help people achieve,
and be seen to achieve?
37

38. 38
Solve People’s Problems
Help People Connect
Empower People
Help People Achieve
So that’s it for Part 1, four ways to do psychologically smart
social media based on what brains do and rewarded for doing

39. Now onto Part II, psychology doesn’t just help with what to
say in social media, it can help with how to say it
39

40. Psychologists believe problems are so important that we
have all evolved two problem-solving minds
40
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Macmillan.

41. There’s an associative, fast and mostly unconscious
problem-solving mind (‘System 1’)…
41
‘SYSTEM 1’
FAST
AUTOMATIC
UNCONSCIOUS

42. And a conscious, slow, deliberate and reasoned
problem-solving mind (‘System 2’)
42
‘SYSTEM 1’
FAST
AUTOMATIC
UNCONSCIOUS
‘SYSTEM 2’
SLOW
DELIBERATE
REASONED

43. 43
‘SYSTEM 2’
‘SYSTEM 1’
System 1 is our dominant and default problem-solving
mode, so the social media opportunity is to appeal to this…

44. …and it helps that System 1 problem solving uses social
information to find solutions that ‘feel’ right
44

45. Based on new understanding of how System 1 problem-solving
works, we can structure messages to appeal to it
45

46. So here are six ways your social media solutions can
appeal to the System 1 problem-solving mind
46

47. First, solutions ‘feel’ right when supported with ‘Social
Proof’, the proof of others having chosen that solution
47

48. Social Proof and the 42nd Street experiment
48

49. Social Proof @ Work
49
Use social proof to persuade
colleagues by showing that your
idea is popular with peers

50. Social Proof @ Work in social media
50

51. How could you use Social Proof to make your solution
‘feel’ right?
51

52. 52
Second, solutions ‘feel’ right when they’re backed by the
voice of ‘authority’, experienced experts and leaders

53. Authority and the Milgram Shock Experiment
53

54. Authority @ Work
54
Use authority to persuade by
letting others know how you
already solved a similar problem

55. Authority @ Work in Social Media
55
Teen Hauler Bethany Mota https://www.youtube.com/user/Macbarbie07

56. How could you use Authority to make your solution
‘feel’ right?
56
Teen Make-Up Authority Michelle Phan https://www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan

57. Third, solutions ‘feel’ right when they’re only fleetingly
available or in limited supply, using ‘Scarcity’ for appeal
57

58. Scarcity and the cookie jar experiments
58

59. Scarcity @ Work
59
Use scarcity to persuade with
secrets and ‘insider’
information… ‘just found this
out, but it won’t be made public
until next week’

60. Scarcity @ Work in Social Media
60

61. How could you use ‘Scarcity’ to make your solution
‘feel’ right?
61
16 Handles Frozen Yogurt ephemeral Snapchat discounts

62. Fourth, solutions ‘feel’ right when they’re Consistent with
what we’re already doing
62

63. Consistency and the billboard experiments
63
Please
Drive
Carefully

64. Use consistency to persuade by
only asking for provisional buy-in,
Consistency @ Work
64
Please
Drive
Carefully
but do it publicly and the
consistency principle will ensure
you get full endorsement later

65. Consistency @ Work in Social Media
65

66. How could you use ‘Consistency’ to make your
solution ‘feel’ right?
66
TV talent shows use consistency to turn voting viewers into music buyers

67. Fifth, solutions ‘feel’ right when they’re adopted by people
we like or are like us
67

68. Liking and Kennedy-Nixon experiment
68

69. Liking @ Work
69
Use liking to persuade by
making yourself more likeable,
try create informal bonds with
new peers and managers and
use charm to disarm

70. Liking @ Work in Social Media
70

71. How could you use ‘Liking’ to make your solution ‘feel’
right?
71
TV talent shows use consistency to turn voting viewers into music buyers

72. Finally, solutions ‘feel’ right when they harness reciprocity
and pay back debts
72

73. Reciprocity and the Coke & Raffle Ticket Experiment
73

74. Reciprocity @ Work
74
Use reciprocity to persuade by
helping first and asking later,
reciprocity means they’ll be
anxious to pay back favours

75. Reciprocity @ Work in Social Media
75

76. How could you use ‘Reciprocity’ to make your solution
‘feel’ right?
76

77. So that’s a wrap for Part II, 6 ways to enhance social media
messages with social information that has System 1 appeal
77
Social Proof
Authority
Scarcity
Consistency
Liking
Reciprocity

78. For more practical marketing psychology
digitalintelligencetoday.com
78
Dr Paul Marsden
Marketing Psychologist
@marsattacks