Secrets of Social Media

Revealed

In 1966

The Father of Motivation Research

Almost 50 years ago, in 1966, Ernest Dichter did a study about word of mouth persuasion that revealed secrets of how to use social media to build brands and businesses

Conventional marketing wisdom long held that a dissatisfied customer

tells ten people.

But… in the new age of social media, he or she has the tools to tell ten

million.

Many companies seem focused on social media activity as a one-way promotional

channel, and have yet to capitalize on the ability to not only listen to, but analyze,

consumer conversations and turn the in format ion in to ins ights

that impact the bottom line.

Effectiveness of Social Media

Of 2,100 companies surveyed:

75% said that they did not know where their most valuable customers were talking about them.

31% do not measure effectiveness of social media.

7% are able to integrate social media into their marketing activities.

Welcome the ChangeOf 2,100 companies surveyed:

33% are convinced their use of social media will grow, and many anticipate investing more in it next year.

However, only a small 12% felt that they are currently effective users of social media.

Not One-Way Communication

Four Motivations for a Person to Communicate About Brands

1. Product Involvement2. Self Involvement3. Other Involvement 4. Message Involvement

Product Involvement

The experience is so novel and

pleasurable that it must be shared.

Self Involvement

Sharing knowledge or opinions is a way to gain attention, show connoisseurship, feel like a

pioneer, have inside information, seek confirmation of a person’s own judgment, or

assert superiority.

Other Involvement

The speaker wants to reach out and help to

express neighborliness, caring, and friendships.

Message Involvement

The message is so humorous or informative that

it deserves sharing.

These four motivations explain why some brands

have been successful in using social media

In order to employ social media effectively a brand needs to deliver extraordinary functional,

expressive, or social benefits.

Creating and Leveraging Innovation and Differentiation

To employ social media effectively, you must associate your brand with an offering that is innovative and differentiated in a way that truly resonates

with customers.

Listeners are Concerned with Two Conditions…

1. The speaker’s credibility

2. The speaker’s motivation

Credibility

• A person does not need to be an expert• People that have an intense interest in a subject

resulting in relevant experience and access to relevant people and information will qualify as well

An implication is that a firm should promote a dialogue because a listener will be more likely to accept judgments from someone

with whom there is an interaction going on.

Motivation

• They want the speaker to be interested in the listener and his or her well-being without a bias.

An implication is that a firm promoting its own brand needs to be aware of its status and

emphasize facts instead of opinion, represent the right culture and values, and have a

balanced perspective.

With a dialogue, it is much easier to

communicate expertise, interest in the subject matter, and the right

motivation because there is a chance to build up a relationship and use

reassuring cues.

In contrast, a one time, one way communication will have a harder time

demonstrating credibility and motivation.

Recommendations

Recommenders had on average a huge impact on purchase, running to 80% for some products.

The nearly forgotten theory and practice of word-of-

mouth communication and influence from over five decades ago are more

relevant today than ever