Whether it’s to convince you to buy a particular product or support a certain person or a cause, there are all kinds of messages being sent to you online that are designed to sway your opinion on them. Various persuasion strategies can be used to achieve this, and this article will show you some of the ones that you’ll most likely encounter while browsing social media.
Authority is one of the frequently seen persuasion techniques because it helps add credibility to whichever point that someone is trying to make. This is common in posts that are politically-driven or scientific topics.
Having authority works as a persuasion strategy, especially if it’s combined with research and statistics because people are more likely to believe what experts have to say, especially if it’s able to answer any questions that they might have about a certain idea.
Scarcity
The technique of scarcity is usually associated with products, and in social media, or just online in general. More than likely, you’ve run into an advertisement that says their product or service is a limited-time offer or in short supply, and this entices people to make purchases while they can.
Scarcity works because it’s basic economics – if people believe that there is a low supply of something that’s desired, then demand will go up, and those who understand this can take advantage of it, even if it’s artificial scarcity.
Liking
It’s much easier to persuade people if they already have a positive perception of you or what you’re trying to provide to them. Naturally, the opposite happens if people are rude and abrasive, and it’s hard to get people on their side.
Therefore, people will tend to be friendlier and use colorful and appealing designs or a wholesome message to appear more likable to their audiences.
Reciprocity
Reciprocity is a technique that’s frequently seen alongside likeability too. People who do so want to engage with their audiences by commenting back to them or giving them a retweet because it helps build a stronger connection and have support.
This is how communities are formed, and after a while, people within them, their followers, will start to show reciprocity towards one another if their social media platform keeps people engaged and strongly relates to the next section.
It’s only natural for people to want to be part of something, and the final form of persuasion you’ll most likely come across in social media involves this mindset – if people are giving products and services positive feedback, they are more likely to try it and enjoy them themselves.
When something becomes popular, it signals to us that it’s the right choice to make. Therefore, having social proof profoundly affects decision-making and will influence others.
Additional Resources On Persuasion
If you’re looking to learn more about persuasion and how you can potentially improve your skills and become better at convincing others about what you have to say, BetterHelp has more articles like this one that cover this topic for your reading pleasure.
Suppose you find yourself becoming indecisive often or you simply want to be able to take your message more seriously. In that case, there are ways to become better at persuading others, and it helps to educate yourself on the psychology behind the strategies.
Conclusion
Many people don’t realize how finely-engineered some social media posts are, and if you keep an eye out, you’ll probably run into many of these techniques on a daily basis. Hopefully, this article will help you have an easier time recognizing them or possibly, utilize them for yourself.
This content is a guest post from Marie Miguel from Better Health.
Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
