Dr Robert Cialdini's famous book, The Science of Persuasion needs no introduction. Here I take his findings, the six behavioural triggers that increase our influence, and see how to apply it to marketing, with a specific focus on Social Media and Content Marketing. What stands out to me, is the importance of creating and sharing credible, relevant, thought leadership content, that gives value to your target audience, demonstrating your understanding of them, as well as your expertise in your field.

1. Dr. Robert Cialdini’s Science of Persuasion –
the 6 principles of influence
How can we use these (ethically) in
Marketing?

2. Dr Robert Cialdini’s “Science of Persuasion”
– Applied to Marketing
There are 6 shortcuts that make it more likely that we will influence someone
1. Reciprocity
2. Scarcity
3. Authority
4. Consistency
5. Liking
6. Consensus

3. “Science of Persuasion” Applied to Marketing -
Reciprocity
When we receive a gift or favour we feel a social
obligation to return the favour
• Make sure the giving is personalized and
unexpected
– Build relationships with bloggers and influencers and
help to increase their reach and authority online by
liking, commenting and sharing their content
– Make fans and followers famous by running “fan of
the week” promotions
– Surprise and Delight rewards and benefits
– Share valuable, thought leadership content on a topic
that is highly relevant to your target audience
• These outreach tactics prepare the ground for
deeper engagement and ultimately sales, referrals,
reviews and organic campaign amplification
© Alvesgaspar - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

4. “Science of Persuasion” Applied to Marketing -
Scarcity
People want more of the things that there is less of • Don’t just tell people about the benefits of your
product or service but its uniqueness and what they
will stand to lose if they don’t buy
– Drive up anticipation for a product before it becomes
available and then make sure that initial availability
will be low
– Time constrained offers or limited availability offers
e.g. Golden Tickets (think Charlie and Chocolate
Factory)
– Limited edition collectibles
– VIP events
– Access to activities behind the scenes and
opportunities to meet senior management
– Share scarce, genuine thought leadership content on a
topic that your target audience would find valuable to
them
©Jurgen Appelo (CC BY 2.0)

5. “Science of Persuasion” Applied to Marketing -
Authority
People follow the lead of credible, knowledgeable experts
• You need to convince people of your expertise before
you try to influence someone
– Publish credible thought leadership content on a
subject that is valuable and relevant to your audience
– Influencer marketing – get online influencers to share
your story
– Include secondary messages that underpin your
authority such as years experience, awards won,
“world firsts” etc
– Amplify Reviews and ratings
©Steve Jurvetson (CC BY 2.0)

6. “Science of Persuasion” Applied to Marketing -
Consistency
People like to be consistent with things they’ve already done • Ask for small initial commitments that can be easily made
and are active, public and voluntary
– Encourage endorsement behaviours on social media e.g.
• Like your Facebook page, or follow you on twitter
• Regularly engage with you on social media
• Download branded badges or overlays for their profile
pictures or Snapchat filters
– Then re-market to those individuals
– Get people to make recommendations for your
brand/product
– Publish and/or share strong, thought leading content on
a regular basis – what is important is that it is information
that is valuable to your followers
©MaxPixel (CC0 1.0)

7. “Science of Persuasion” Applied to Marketing - Liking
People say Yes to people they like – 3 important factors
- People who are similar to us
- People who pay us compliments
- People who co-operate with us to achieve similar goals
• Online interactions allow us to connect with people so
as to increase our ability to influence them
– Communicate shared values with people –
demonstrate that you understand their passions and
interests, build empathy
– Good Community management
• Pay genuine compliments to fans
• Outreach to people who mention the brand to
thank them and add a genuine compliment
• Find ways to help individual community members
and let them tell others about it
– Demonstrate expertise in a topic that is important to
the audience or community and build a sense of
common purpose

8. “Science of Persuasion” Applied to Marketing -
Consensus
People look to the actions and behaviours of others
to determine their own
Especially when they are uncertain
• Demonstrating Consensus online is also known as
“Social Proof”
– On an eCommerce store, you often see how many
other people have bought a certain product, how
many people are browsing it at the same time or even
how many of your facebook friends have bought the
product in the past
– Simply state what percentage of your followers have
purchased your product (take a sample and conduct
some simple research)
– Get influencers to publish content on having bought
your product e.g. unboxing videos
– Build consensus through thought leadership content
on a topic that is relevant and important to you
audience; add your voice to the conversation in a
meaningful way
© Brian Solis (CC BY 2.0)

9. THANK YOU!
If you have any questions please
contact me
meyrick.dsouza@significancesystems.com
@metric_dos
linkedin.com/in/meyrickdsouza