Digital Persuasion Equation - science online influence

Digital Persuasion Equation
The science of online influence
Brian Cugelman, PhD
Online strategy and research consultant
AlterSpark Consulting
eat:Strategy
20 July 2011
Toronto, Canada
www. eatstrategy.com

Today's agenda
Online psychology
Digital persuasion equation
Change
Motivation
Ability and efficacy
Triggers
Eight spheres of digital influence
Wrap-up
2

Online Psychology
3

Source attribution - Meet Kiki

How technology can persuade
5
BJ Fogg with social facilitator added

Media equation
Mediated experiences = Real life experiences
Human-computer psychology
is like
Human-human psychology
6

Persuasive websites and social media profiles are like persuasive people
They’re reputable
They’re likeable with personality
They demonstrate expertise
They appear trustworthy
You understand them easily
They respect you and your time
They have personality
7

Twitter Followers
8

9

10
=
Click Here
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Persuasive Experiences (8 spheres of digital influence)
Motivation
Ability & Efficacy
Trigger
Change

Change
Buying more widgets
Increasing support for a social cause
Losing trust in a company
Shifting political votes (Liberal to NDP)
Trying to quit smoking
11

Internal change process
12
Trust
Not necessarily in this order. Behaviour can shape attitudes, and attitudes can shape beliefs.

Motivation
13
Value proposition
(-) Demotivaror: Costs, disincentives, barriers, effort
(+) Motivator: Goals, carrots, benefit, drivers
Behaviour is more likely when motivators outweigh demotivators

Ability and Efficacy
Ability: What you can or can't do
Self efficacy: What you believe you can or can't do
Either way, your ability or self efficacy dictate what you will and won't do
14

Trigger
Call to action (CTA)
Prompt
Request
Offer
Proposal
Sales pitch
15
Click on this link now!
The first 100 callers get a free gold plated pen valued at over $50. CALL 1 800 DUMB GIFT.
Act now while quantities last.
Download your free report
You were poked by Bob. Poke him back!
Click Here
"Wow! That shirt makes you look 20 years younger. Would you like to pay by cash or credit?"

16

17
Integrates potentially hundreds of influence components, but we'll just focus on eight.
Cugelman, B., Thelwall, M., & Dawes, P. (2009). Communication-Based Influence Components Model. Paper presented at the Persuasive 2009, Claremont.

1. Source
What it is:
The person, organization, or group behind a website, social media profile, ad, or message
Key principles:
Appealing to source credibility boosts persuasiveness
Build on the three components of credibility:
Expertise
Trustworthiness
Visual appeal
18

Which photo can increase text credibility?
No photo
NGUYEN, H. & MASTHOFF, J. (2007) Is it me or what I say? Source image and persuasion. Persuasive 07. Springer.

Credibility and imagery
Readers perceptions of text credibility is influenced by photo credibility
Don't underestimate the impact of graphic design on your perceived credibility

21
Featured by X, Y, Z.
Low credibility websites can borrow credibility from higher credibility sources.

2. Message encoding and decoding
What it is:
How you express an idea and how the person interprets it
Expression can be spoken, written, symbolic
Key principles:
How you express something can strengthen or weaken what you say
Encode messages so the audience can rapidly understand them
22

24
Place the CTA where most eyes land

3. Media channel
What it is:
The various media used to express something
Eg. Written words, spoken dialogue, photos, video, interactive websites, email
Key principles:
Select the media channels most suited to your target audience
Make it easy for them engage with the media
25

4. Audience
What it is:
The person or organization you are trying to engage and influence
It comprises their demographics, traits, and psychology
Key principles:
Understand your audiences' motivations and psychological hot buttons
Frame interaction around motivations and leverage hot buttons
27

28
How the psychology of 30 health changing websites influences users' behaviour
d
CUGELMAN, B., THELWALL, M., & DAWES, P. (2011) Online interventions for social marketing health behavior change campaigns: A meta-analysis of psychological architectures and adherence factors. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(1), e17. http://www.jmir.org/2011/1/e17/

5. Feedback encoding and decoding
What it is:
How the audience expresses and transmits their feedback to you, and how you interpret it
Some of this is contributed voluntarily, but most is encoded automatically
Key principles:
Automate data collection whenever possible
Incentivize requests for user information
Just get what you need initially, then incentive data collection over time
29

6. Feedback message
What it is:
The information an audience shares with the source that is used to tailor messages
In other words, any data collected about a user that is processed and acted upon
This is the foundation for relationship building
Key principles:
Leverage user data to tailor personalized and relevant messages
Mine trends among populations to build processes that help individuals
32

7. Social context
What it is:
The social environment in which a relationship occurs
This includes society, whether virtual or "real"
Key principles:
Demonstrate group behaviour to leverage social norms and pressures
Play on our competitive nature and scarcity
35

8. Intervention message
What it is:
What you express or do
In other words, the tangible communication or action you express to an audience
Key principles:
Build your messages around your audiences' motivation, make it easy, and leverage persuasion
Research will help you identify the influence components that matter
38

Build your message from the digital persuasion equation
39
+
+
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Click Here
Persuasive Experiences
Ability & Efficacy
Trigger
Motivation
Don't overdo it
What target audiences want
Built from influence components in the 8 spheres
Make it easy

Building messages around influence components
40

Wrap-up
41

Beyond basic e-commerce, an online music store could be more persuasive by:
Demonstrating a trustworthy company(source)
Using social pressure to sell "popular" songs (social context)
Using star ratings to highlight popular songs while collecting feedback (social context, encoding, feedback)
Up selling based on group intelligence (i.e. top rated and co-purchased songs) (social context, feedback)
Tailoring to buyers prior purchase history (feedback)
Allowing people to shop for music through text, photos, video, sounds (media channel)
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43
Source
Motivation based on audience needs
Feedback via keywords
Trigger B
Feedback for next sales stage
Ability & efficacy
Motivation
Trigger A
Trigger C
Social context

Want to learn more? Contact us.
Brian Cugelman, PhD
Online strategy and research consultant
@cugelman
www.AlterSpark.com
brian@alterspark.com
+1 (416) 921-2055
Toronto, Canada
@AlterSpark alterspark alterspark alterspark
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Digital Persuasion Equation - science online influence

by Brian Cugelman, PhD (AlterSpark)

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