How social influence helps you to make a best marketeer?
How social influence helps you to make the best marketeer? Social influence plays on fundamental human instincts and can be exploited both intentionally and unintentionally by professional influence agents.
In two sectors social influence is used magnificently. In the marketing sector or the political sector.
Because their whole work is based on influencing the people to buy their products or give them a vote.
As individuals, we also use the tips and tricks of social influence to influence others. By doing social work, from our authority (title and clothes), and by social proof (lineage).
What is Social influence?
Social influence is a major topic in social psychology and looks at how individual thoughts, actions, and feelings are influenced by social groups.
The study related to social influence focuses on ways in which behaviour is influenced by outside factors.
This influenced behaviour could be the behaviour of a whole group of discrete individuals. A variety of scholars have defined how individuals respond to social influence.
The individual is an influential situation to comply, identify, or internalize, as defined by professor Herbert Kelman, a well-known scholar in this subject.
Compliance may sound like agreement with the social setting of others, but beneath the surface, people are not completely convinced.
For example, if in a conversation between two people, one person makes a religious remark and the other is annoyed and says nothing, this can be seen as compliance, so that the appearance of agreement is maintained.
Others may identify with an influential person whom they are idolizing either from afar. A person whose wardrobe choices are influenced solely by the fashion advice of a supermodel would be expressing identity.
Alternatively, people may internalize the belief systems of others. If the two converging people in the previous example both express religious statements then they are going to have a belief system.
However counterintuitive it may be, they have gone far beyond the point of compliance. Another way of looking at these influencers is to discuss the types of things that can affect the behaviour of an average person.
These include the individual family, family beliefs and family structure. Other factors become involved, especially as people move towards adulthood. What other people are doing in peer groups is a powerful influence.
Types of Social influence.
Social influence in simple words, both words individually can be influenced by others. Baumieister and Bushman (2008) divided type of social influence into two major forms:
1. Normative influence-
The normative influence relates to the act of going along with the crowd and being accepted. In other words mob mentality. It is related to the basic need of human beings to belong to a social group which increases their chances of survival. By agreeing to unusual beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviours. There will be a higher level of acceptance and chances of survival.
Society values and beliefs are your values. If you disregard these values. Society is against you.
For example, religious matters are those, Which no one can easily counteract. Because it depends on his survival in society.
Till then society supports the practice of Sati and triple talaq, it is supported by the whole society. And a big portion of the public believes that it is a good practice.
But when a consensus is built by a society that no this practice is not good on inhumanity and moral groups. The mood of the public changed.
Meaning most people are engulfed with mob mentality. They have no idea of themselves. They drive their ideas from society’s beliefs and practices.
2. Information influence-
In informational influence, we tend to go with what we think the crowd knows more than us. This is especially during ambiguous conditions. When we don’t have a clear idea of what to do. Two types of situations produce informational effects.
Ambiguous situation: This situation arises when people get blank. They do not know what to do.
Crisis: when people do not have time to think about what to do. They are in a hurry. Want solutions immediately.
In these situations, people follow others because they think others know what they do not know.
It is just like using Google. When you are upset, you will search blogs like mine to rejuvenate your mind and thrive in your life.
Principle of social influence-
When we are not prepared to scrutinize and racist them, these theories will often work subtly and quite powerfully.
Thus, an important part of resisting these common impact techniques is an awareness of their fundamental operating principle.
The contexts in which they are most easily provoked, and the best ways to avoid falling victim to them.
Following are the six principles of social influence which help you to make the best marketeer.
1. Reciprocity-
This principle is based on the fact that people return what he gets from others. This is also a natural phenomenon. In this world what we invest, the world returns it with interest.
This rule is applied magnetically by companies and politicians. Before going into the election. Politicians are proactive especially in the last year before the election.
They have everything that you want. Will Meet with you politely. Will Listening calmly to your words. This is the tactic to influence you.
The election manifesto is realised by every party before the election. That means, it is the list of promises, which they fulfil. When you vote for them to win the election.
Means, simple rules give and take.
2. Consistency-
This theory is based on people’s willingness to conform to the opinions and claims of their past actions.
Combined with the idea of commitment. We can see that when people decide on something. They will do what they can to stick to that point of view.
For example, if you use face cream for two years and do not get any issues. Then you decided to go with this cream instead of purchasing new cream. Because your trust is built on that face cream.
Second, the cream which you buy from the shop is always delivered to you in time and without any gap. So you always want to buy products from that shop.
Because of the shop commitment and consistency
Third, you always want to buy that brand of products. Whose goodwill in the market is consistent for several years.
3. Social proof-
This theory states that people often decide what to do by observing what others have done.
This principle works even better because people are in a state of unsteady. Unsteady people can be easily influenced.
For example, you always notice that in an advertisement. The company always shows how much people are associated with them.
Like, I opened my Google AdSense account today, I saw it was written in big letters. Many people are earning very good money by joining us.
This showed their social existence. This means that many people enjoy being with us and earn a handsome amount. You also joined our group and enjoyed it.
4. Linking-
Linking is based on the principle that people are more easily influenced by the people they like. It consists of several elements: physical attraction, likeness, admiration, and contact.
For example, there is a great possibility of conversion, linking helps to convince your customer.
It may be a famous brand of products like in watches, Rolex and in mobile phone, apple. These brands guarantee the best.
Give reference to any person on which your customer is believed. Like, when you want to sell any product to any person, give him a reference of any influenced person in society as your customer, and show your past client reviews to your customer.
These are your links of yours. Which gives you recognition and does your branding.
5. Authority-
The impressive power of authority is undeniable. The first form is parental authority. Authority is reflected in various forms such as clothing, title, personality and appearance.
Have you ever noticed? Why does any sales representative give you his first visiting card?
The answer to the question is to build his authority.
This means by the visiting card he shows you according to which authority he wants to talk with you.
His visiting card explains his all-purpose in brief to you.
This means if you meet as a manager to a person. The man’s behaviour is different and the conversion percentage is increased.
In comparison, if you meet with the same person as a sales executive. So, impressive power authority is undeniable.
6. Scarcity-
This is one of the tried and trusted formulas. This is the simple formula used by marketing companies. This is based on the concept that if there is scarcity there is demand.
Because it is human nature. We attract with those things which we have scarcity. You notice that when you are a child. When you know that the box filled with chocolate is going to be empty.
Your eagerness increases more to find more chocolate from the box. Because you know there is another competitor in the house.
The same principle is applied in business. You notice when you buy any product from an online platform.
They also give their inventory knowledge. Means how much product is in their stock. Which show you that that product has scarcity in the market.
And the deal is limited. So buy it now. If you miss a second you lose the product.
So scarcity is the best and most simple formula you can use to influence people.
Sometimes, if you want to change a man’s mind, you have to change the mind of the man next to him first.
Megan Whalen Turner
So these are six principles of social influence which help you to make the best marketeer.
Social influence is a tool in the hands of professional influential agents. Which helps them to influence people according to their target. It may also be used as a remedy by people to protect themselves from exploitation.
So, in all, it is like atomic energy in the hands of the public. Even if he uses it for light in the house. Or to destroy the world.
Best of luck.
Related story:
7 booster which changes a bad mood into a good mood.
11 Habits that successful people avoid for finding success.
How 3 principles (steps) make you a future millionaire