Any experienced marketer will agree: the success of any marketing campaign hinges on your ability to understand your audience. That’s why using psychology on social media can be so valuable.
In the social media age, this means understanding how your audience thinks and what they need and want. That way, you can influence their decision-making process. A deep understanding of the customer psyche should guide every digital marketing strategy.
That’s where the psychological aspect comes into play. Social media marketers can take several tips and tricks from psychology to make their marketing strategies more effective.
In this article, we will explore how incorporating psychology into your social media marketing strategy can help you to understand your audience better and, in turn, create more successful marketing campaigns.
The Psychology of Social Proof
Social proof is the phenomenon whereby people are more likely to follow the actions of others. It’s why we tend to choose a crowded restaurant over an empty one, or we’re more likely to trust a product with many positive reviews.
In social media, the social proof lies within the number of followers, likes, and shares a user or a post has. The higher the number, the more likely people are to engage.
As a business, you can leverage social proof by increasing your number of followers and the number of engagements on your content. One great way to do this is by creating an effective tone for your brand.
Additionally, highlighting positive feedback and featuring user-generated content is also very effective. Doing this helps build trust and credibility with your audience.
The Scarcity Principle
The scarcity principle is the idea that people value things more when scarce. It’s why limited edition products sell out quickly or why we’re more likely to buy something when a sale ends soon. One successful example of this that we’ve seen recently on social media is Prime.
The Halo Effect
The halo effect is where people attribute good feelings and emotions to a brand based on a single positive trait. An example of positive affiliations may include such things as a celebrity endorsement or taking advantage of a popular trend,
A common way to initiate the Halo effect on social media is to associate your brand with positive influencers. Influencer marketing may be more expensive; however, it’s a time-and-time-again proven way of generating results.
A more budget-friendly way to initiate the Halo effect is by using micro-influencers and sponsoring a local sports team or events. Even supporting causes that align with your brand. It’s an effective way to help increase your ROI
By using the Halo effect, you can build a positive experience for your brand with like-minded social leaders.
The Power of Emotions
Did you know your target audience most likley has an attention span of 8 seconds and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and we’re back.
Using emotion in your marketing is a potent tool to grab your audience’s attention in that short amount of time.
Strong emotional content such as joy, sadness, or anger evokes more sharing and engagement. Emotions can also create a connection with your audience, making them more likely to remember your brand and become loyal customers.
As a business, you can use emotions to create engaging content that resonates with your audience. For instance, you could:
- Share stories of how your products or services have impacted people’s lives.
- Post behind-the-scenes content that shows the human side of your business.
- Use humour to create a positive association with your brand.
Psychology of Reciprocity
Reciprocity is a powerful psychological phenomenon that can be harnessed to create a stronger relationship with your target audience. At our core, we all dislike the feeling of owing someone a debt. In this case, we’re talking about a debt of gratitude.
The idea is that we’ll take any opportunity to get us out of that debt as quickly as possible. One way to utilise this phenomenon is through the unspoken ‘I’ll follow you, then you follow me’ strategy.
By monitoring hashtags related to your industry and subsequently following the accounts of people who use them, brands can create a sense of indebtedness in their followers. They are then more likely to engage with their content and become loyal customers in the long run.
Psychology in Social Media Marketing: Conclusion
In conclusion, social media is a powerful tool that allows businesses to reach their target audience effectively. However, it is not enough to simply create an account and post content. To truly succeed on social media, it is important to understand the psychology behind it and how it affects user behaviour.
By tapping into your audience’s emotions, needs, and desires, you can create content that resonates with them and encourages engagement. It’s important to be aware of what’s appropriate and what’s not. But don’t be afraid to take risks and experiment with different types of content.
Overall, by incorporating principles of psychology into your social media marketing strategy, you can create more engaging content and build stronger relationships with your audience, which should ultimately drive more conversions.
I started my career in hospitality working all aspects of a restaurant from back of house cook to front of house server, bar and management. The last 15 years of my career have truly been a journey of discovery. I have worked for some of the major telecommunication brands in Australia as Sales both in store and B2B, Manager, Trainer and Marketing. I have worked in the Job Services industry which in my role I was exposed to many different businesses and curious as to how they operated. I also returned to Telco only to discover I had a passion for wanting to do my own thing. I am a keen learner and Social Media was not only fun but the biggest change to marketing since television.
My first experience of sales and marketing was when I was 18 and I interviewed for a job with an electrical/telecommunications retailer who tossed a blue BIC pen on the desk between us and said “Sell me this pen” my natural instinct was to start talking, and to anyone who has known me for a very long time, I didn’t stop for a number of years.
Karen Denny is a real powerhouse who is both driven to succeed with a clear understanding of how to get there! Karen comes from a diverse background with a plethora of qualifications behind her.