When we come across social media posts, do we engage with everything? Do we like, share or comment on every post? Of course not! We only tend to engage with the ones that that relate to us, our needs and our point of views. Share, likes and comments seem quite inconsequential but they matter in reality. The engagements tap in some elements of our human aspects like joys, anxieties, desires and addictions. Wouldn’t it be incredible if we could get an idea about the psychology of social media and make use of the knowledge that will bring the target customers closer and create a better relationship by providing things, contents and ideas that thy want?
In this informative, the Digital Marketing Lab will be elaborating on the Psychology of Social Media on Social Media Marketing, with the hope that it will strike the right chords of your interest. Keep scrolling for an enriching read.
It’s all about Oxytocin and Dopamine – Even the figures say it!
Oxytocin, also called the ‘cuddle chemical’, can rise up to 13% by spending only 10 minutes in social media. Believe it or not, this spike is equivalent to some people’s wedding day. Oxytocin lowers stress and boosts generosity, empathy, trust and love. This is exactly the reason why recent studies have shown that social media user are more trusting.
Dopamine was considered as a pleasure chemical but now, recent studies reveal that this hormone stimulates ‘want’. This hormones makes us search desire and seek. Dopamine gets stimulates by small information, unpredictability and small cues which together, somehow, sum up the scenario of social media. Studies revealed that people face more hardship is resisting tweeting than cigarette smoking and alcohol intake.
Why do we like, comment, share, and post on social media?
Why do we post on social media?
As humans, we love talking about ourselves, and if figure are to be believed, around 30% to 40% of our conversations involve around it. But when it comes to social media, the number jumps to 80%. It is indeed a huge leap. But, to think of it, the reason behind this spike is because we find face to face talking laced with emotional involvement. It is about reading the body language and facial cues. While online, people have the needed tie to refine and construct. This is all the psychologists term as elf-presentation where the users position themselves as the way they want to be seen. The satisfaction that we get from presenting ourselves on social media is intense, so much, that records suggest that viewing the own Facebook Profile is a self-esteem booster.
Another major significant aspect of self-presentation are the acts of acquiring and buying things on social media to showcase people who we really are.
Why do we like on social media?
With 2 Billion+ active monthly users, Facebook is the right example of a platform where people love ‘liking’. Since the time of implementation of ‘Like’ on Facebook, the button has been used infinite times with the numbers multiplying each day. We engage with this for maintaining social media relationships and enforce closeness. The like option creates a somewhat reciprocating effect where people feel the obligation for giving back appreciation to people in this small yet significant way. It’s like evening up the scales. Reciprocity is also predominant on Instagram there people get DMs or tags that make both the parties feel compelled to communicate back. Anytime a user gets a like on the profile, he or she will feel a small pull of reciprocating trough some way by sharing a like in return or in business way – signing up for newsletter or email list.
Why do we share on social media?
Alongside sharing about ourselves so much on the social media, we also love sharing something with others. It is passing the information on an impulse and we are just hard-wired like that. The very thought of sharing activates the reward centers in our brains even before we actually hare anything. Did you know? Nearly 68% people opine that they share to stay in connection with the people in their profiles. Various experiments have been prominent in reflecting that the best way of bonding people with similar ideas is directly associated with our action of sharing the information that we love, like and appreciate with our profile friends. Which means it is easy to influence a mass with an engaging content that carries the quality of attracting more than the usual through actions of liking, and sharing.
Why do we comment on social media?
Most of the marketers have the opinion that conversations with customers can positively affect the reach and growth of business and hence interacting with them as much as possible builds a strong business relationship trough prolonged advocacy. But believe it or not, this is nothing but a misunderstanding. Surprised, right? Even we were startled to catch ourselves in this net of misconceptions once we came across the following figures:
- In a survey of nearly 7000 audiences, merely 23% agreed to have a relationship with the brand. Among them.
- Only 13% considered frequent communications and interactions with the brand as a strong point of maintaining brand relationship.
No, we are not saying that commenting is not powerful but the phenomenon of shared reality shapes the entire experience for us with brands and how we pass on our experience with others. 85% of consumers agree that after reading other people’s responses on a certain topic, they understand better and can process the events and information better. Which means comments are definitely important that can change the consumer intents and we have scientific back up of the same claims.
When people review something negative on the brand posts’ comments section, consumers, both following and non-following, tend to find that wholesome and honest and chances are, they are willing to take risk of investing in the brand because it seemed ‘real’. The brands who remove all negative comments, TAKE NOTE! Comments about your brand, both negative and positive, are your reflections.
You might think this has no logic, but that is how the human brain is wired. Active engagement in the comments of a blog as well as customer reviews of the product is critical for every readers and users participating in the ‘shared reality’ experience of the posts. Yeah, that’s really deep to dig in.
Diving Deep In The Concepts Of Social Media Currency, Nostalgia, Emoji & Selfies
Until now, we have just scratches the surface of social media marketing psychology. Now it’s time to go for deep ‘information’ diving with next significant aspects of social media, which are:
Selfies –
Historically speaking, portraits have always been considered as status symbols. Even today, they are considered to be assets to signify who we are. They are like captured images of mirrors that stay forever and this psychological aspect is important for others to understand what we consider ourselves as and what we want them to think about us. Selfies work on this principle – were we click pictures focused on our faces rather than the environment around us. Following are the broken down pointers on the principles:
- Studies of eye-tracking show that online, we tend to follow and focus on the eyes of the people featured on screen.
- On Instagram, human-face focused pictures are 38% more to draw likes and 32% more tended to make people comment on them.
- Profile pictures are the very 1st places where human eyes are draw on major social media sites.
- When we view faces, the action creates empathy.
Emojis –
Here’s a startling fact for all of us – we tend to mimic each other’s’ facial expressions while in a conversation face-to-face. This is a significant aspect of building connection. This action, during phone to phone conversation is often carried out through stickers, emojis and emoticons. 92% of people in the US make use of stickers, emojis and emoticons in their online conversations. Billions of emojis are used worldwide daily. Take a glimpse on the following study finds on emojis:
- In a study, experts found the participants friendlier as well as competent when they used emoticons and emojis in their communication.
- In a 5-years prolonged analysis on social media, it was found that emojis are placed among the most influential and popular factors for most popular social media posts and shares.
There are various fun ways of incorporating emojis into marketing campaigns and brands like Comedy Central, Burger King, Coke, Ikea etc. have already created their emojis for the fans for sharing. They are more like self-expressions more than brand icons because they are synonymous to the items.
Nostalgia –
Life and social media, sometimes move in lightning speed and we often wish if things could slow down. At this juncture, the concept of nostalgia creeps in which is an incredible strategy for the social media marketing in modern times. Nostalgia is a universal phenomenon across the world which gives people a senses of protection, affection and connection.
Nostalgia makes us feel generous about money and trust us when we say business wise, they tend to pay their hard earned money for products that remind them of their beloved past, as a memento. And this concept is not new – we love owning vintage elements in our collection of vanity, stationaries and what not all the time. Our appetite grows bigger with each passing day whenever we come across things that remind us of our past. It’s not only hundred-years old items are considered as vintage or nostalgic, even the items inspired by 80’s and 90’s have immense popularity with the adults who are already in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s and make up a significant chunk of global consumerism.
Pro Tips - Here’s How You Should Do, JUST LIKE WE DID!
Always Use Your Authority
This aspect refers to theory of consumers trusting people who are in charge. This is a significant social media illusion of being a leader, expert or simply a credible information source. This is noticed in various advertisements.
The pro tip section in this image carries a teaching tone for the people who are gulping up the information to use the product just as instructed.
Make Wise Use Of Color Psychology
Did you know? Nearly 85% of people make purchase decision based on their color because they trigger the psychological responses. And brands make wise (and sometimes clever) use of this in the social media.
Create moods, convey information and even influence your potential buyers with the help of the chart provided above.
Proofs Work Wonders In Social Media
Social media proof actually is not a maiden concept; marketers are subconsciously using it for years. Social media proofs are not what they sound like – they advocate about the products or services being highlighted without being salesy. It is like testimonials – where you highlight how the people are loving your brand with thousands of positive reviews and feedbacks. Influencer marketing is also a variation of this.
American Socialite and popular influencer Kim Kardashian advocating for the loungewear brand.
Write Contents That Persuade
When you can reach up to your customers with a personalized tone, why choose the distant and cold formal tonality, especially on social media where everything is so informal (except LinkedIn)? Social media contents should always be persuasive and must represent a brand as a consumer’s close aide. If the brand voice is playful, then the contents should also be same.
The key is to write something that instantly attracts, connects and bonds.
Over To You Folks!
At the Digital Marketing Lab, we really enjoyed digging up these facts and figures for you to enjoy and also share some of the greatest hacks that have brought us traction on our own Holy Grail social media marketing success. Sharing this brief informative with you had been an honor for us. We believe this would be of immense help for every user, readers and peers who love digging into practical, unique and relatable reads, just like us.
