social influence

Book Summary of Influence by Robert Cialdini

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Influence” explores how we are persuaded to do things and how fixed-action patterns are manipulated to achieve compliance. These patterns are mental shortcuts we use to make decisions based on assumptions, such as braking when other drivers do. They help us make decisions efficiently but can also be exploited to influence our behavior.

Compliance Practitioners

Compliance practitioners, such as salespeople, fundraisers, and politicians, exploit our fixed-action patterns to persuade us to do things we wouldn’t normally do. They manipulate us by using the wrong stimuli to elicit the desired response.

For instance, a store owner may mark up a low-quality item to make it more appealing by triggering our mental shortcut that associates high prices with high quality. This turns our fixed-action advantage into a disadvantage that hinders our judgment and leads us to make poor decisions.

Compliance practitioners commonly apply six psychological principles to persuade people:

  1. Reciprocity
  2. Commitment/Consistency
  3. Social proof
  4. Liking
  5. Authority

Reciprocity

The Reciprocity Principle urges us to repay others when they do something for us, which is commonly seen as basic courtesy. The principle evolved from early human communities that had a better chance of survival by working together and reciprocating favors.

Compliance practitioners use this principle to create a sense of obligation by giving small gifts or making token gestures of kindness before asking for something in return. They may also use a rejection-then-retreat tactic to encourage a reciprocal concession.

To avoid falling for these tactics, it’s crucial to distinguish between genuine acts of kindness and those designed to manipulate us. Socially, we are required to repay a real kindness with a similar one, but we are not required to repay a trick with a trick.

Commitment/Consistency

The Consistency Principle says people feel compelled to stay committed to their beliefs and actions, even when they don’t align. While it’s useful, it can be exploited. Compliance practitioners take advantage by starting with small requests and building to larger ones. Spot the situation and turn the tables by calling out their tactic. Make decisions with a reason, not reason for a decision.

Social Proof

The Social Proof Principle says we tend to follow what others are doing or thinking. It can be useful, as it helps us make decisions quickly and accurately. But it can also be manipulated by those who want to sell us things or influence us. Advertisers may create the illusion of popularity by claiming that a product is the “fastest-growing” or “highest-selling.” To avoid being tricked, you should look beyond the numbers and think critically about why people are behaving in a certain way. Don’t just follow the crowd blindly; use your own judgement.

Liking

The Liking Principle suggests that we are more likely to comply with requests from people we know and like, including family, friends, and attractive or affable individuals who profess to like us. Compliance practitioners take advantage of this by using names of acquaintances or projecting likable qualities to win us over.

However, it’s important to evaluate each situation on its own merits to avoid being manipulated. Don’t let personal feelings cloud your judgement when making decisions.

Authority

The Authority Principle states that we tend to comply with requests from those we perceive as authoritative figures, such as teachers, doctors, and police officers. Symbols of authority like titles and uniforms can also trigger compliance.

While this can be beneficial for society, it can also be exploited by manipulators who use superficial authority to deceive us. For instance, the Milgram experiment showed that people can be easily pressured by an authority figure to perform unethical actions.

To avoid being manipulated, considering a person’s credentials and relevancy is crucial. The mere fact that someone presents themselves as an authoritative person does not imply that they are knowledgeable or reliable.

Scarcity

The Scarcity Principle states that we’re drawn to things that are limited in availability. Scarcity is related to loss aversion, where we’re more afraid of losing something than gaining something of equal value.

Creating a feeling of immediacy through “sales pitches that are “first-come, first-served” or “limited-time only”, compliance professionals take advantage of scarcity to their advantage. The sense of loss aversion is heightened when scarcity occurs through social competition.

To avoid being manipulated, ask yourself if you want something for its intrinsic value or just because it’s rare. Compliance practitioners use various techniques to get us to comply, including free samples, fake social proof, flattery, authority, and fake deadlines. Knowing these tricks can help you resist them.

Book Summary of Contagious by Jonah Berger

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Contagious by Jonah Berger suggests that word of mouth is the key to making things popular. For something to be contagious, it must be interesting enough to spark conversations. Berger offers tips on how to use word of mouth to popularize products, art, articles, and ideas.

  1. Part One of our guide examines Berger’s reasoning for why word of mouth reigns as the top influencer of popularity.
  2. Part Two delves into his three-step approach for generating word of mouth: attract, engage, and benefit your audience.

Our insights will include a blend of psychological research and alternative viewpoints, providing a more nuanced perspective on Berger’s strategies. Additionally, we’ll showcase real-life examples and offer practical tips on how to tailor them to your own product or concept.

Part 1: The Source of Popularity

Berger’s analysis centers on the origins of widespread popularity, encompassing ideas, products, and internet content. He puts forth two key assertions: firstly, the traditional assumption that three factors underlie popularity falls short of capturing its essence; and secondly, popularity stems from word of mouth.

Conventional Wisdom

Berger introduces the typical views on product popularity, which commonly attribute it to three factors: affordability, quality, and advertising volume. Yet, he posits that while these factors may play a role, they aren’t the decisive aspect that determines popularity, meaning they can’t solely generate it.

Word of Mouth and Popularity

Berger identifies word of mouth as the genuine catalyst of popularity. It’s frequent, trustworthy, and targeted.

People frequently discuss products they’re interested in, trust personal recommendations, and word of mouth automatically targets an interested audience, further amplifying its popularity.

Part 2: Generating Word of Mouth | Step 1: Attract Your Audience

Berger proceeds to outline how to stimulate word of mouth. He presents six principles that we’ve divided into three key steps:

  1. Capture your audience’s attention
  2. Engage your audience
  3. Add value for your audience

Initially, Berger suggests two marketing tactics to attract your target audience: creating public visibility and utilizing effective triggers.

Method #1: Create Public Visibility

To attract an audience, Berger suggests making your product visible in public. When people see your product frequently, they begin to think about it more often. To ensure visibility, prominently display your product’s name or logo, as seen on computers, sneakers, and headphones. If public use isn’t feasible, find an alternative way to display your product, such as offering a free branded item like a water bottle to customers.

Method #2: Use Effective Triggers

Use effective triggers to promote your product. Triggers are reminders that link to something else and automatically make people think of your product. For example, an ice cream brand can associate their product with sunny weather, making sunny weather a trigger that reminds people of their brand.

Berger suggests that an effective trigger needs to be relevant for a long time so that people encounter it frequently. To achieve this, he offers two methods:

  • Make the trigger highly relevant to people’s everyday lives by connecting it to a common phrase, activity, or feature of an area. For example, a business based in New York City connects its product to traffic jams, which its target audience encounters frequently.
  • Ensure that the trigger will remain relevant for weeks, months, and even years into the future. This creates a more effective trigger than one that connects your product to a temporary trend or uncommon occurrence, such as vampires around Halloween.

Step #2: Engage Your Audience

Berger stresses that merely attracting an audience is insufficient, as you need to sustain their interest in your product to generate word-of-mouth.

Method #1: Inspire an Emotional Response

Berger suggests evoking high-arousal emotions like anger, anxiety, awe, amusement, and excitement to generate word of mouth. Marketing can use humor, breathtaking photos, or other methods to inspire these emotions and motivate people to talk about the product.

Method #2: Tell a Story

Berger suggests integrating your product into a captivating story to engage your audience and generate word-of-mouth. For example, PepsiCo’s Superbowl commercial in 2019 made their product an essential part of the story by using the phrase “Is Pepsi okay?” as a central theme.

Step #3: Benefit Your Audience

Berger advises that in addition to attracting and engaging your audience, it’s essential to offer them something valuable that motivates them to talk about your product.

Benefit #1: Social Currency

Berger suggests that your product should give customers “social currency” by making them look interesting and influential when they talk about it. If talking about your product doesn’t make someone look good, they’re unlikely to generate much word of mouth.

Berger suggests three ways to make your product or idea a source of social currency: making it remarkable, applying game mechanics, and using scarcity and exclusivity.

Making Your Product or Idea Remarkable

Berger suggests making your product remarkable by highlighting its unique or innovative features, as people enjoy talking about extraordinary things that make them seem remarkable as well, increasing their social currency. Gillette’s launch of the world’s first five-blade razor in 2006 is an example of a remarkable product that was prominently featured in their marketing.

Applying Game Mechanics

Berger advises using “game mechanics” to your product or service, such as reward points or bonuses for frequent customers, to create a sense of accomplishment. When customers feel a sense of achievement, they are more likely to talk about it, thus generating word of mouth and increasing social currency.

Using Scarcity and Exclusivity

Berger suggests that scarcity can create social currency and generate word of mouth by making customers feel exclusive. By indicating limited supply or potential sellouts, customers may boast about their exclusive status, generating interest in the product. For example, first-class airplane seats provide extra benefits, making passengers feel special and likely to share their experience with others.

Benefit #2: Provide Practical Value

Berger suggests that one way to generate word of mouth is by making your product or service useful and providing practical value. This could include things like money-saving tips or life hacks that make people’s lives easier. When people find something useful, they are likely to share it with their friends and family, which can lead to more word of mouth about your product or service.

Berger suggests two ways to make your product a source of practical value that generates word of mouth: offering discounts and providing useful information.

Discounts can save people money and motivate them to tell others about your product. Providing practical tips or advice can also make people eager to share with their friends and family, creating word of mouth. Berger recommends limiting the information to three or four simple and engaging points at a time to ensure that people will read it and find it interesting.

Additionally, sharing information about how your product solves common problems can also be an effective way to generate word of mouth.