The Psychology of Social as presented at WordCamp Boston on July 15, 2012. To read the complete white paper go to: http://bit.ly/Nwk5Yd

1. THE PSYCHOLOGY
OF SOCIAL
Michelle Goodwin
tw: @_MyMichelle
www.AMPAgency.com

2. What drives and motivates strong
affinities for social media?

3. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
self
respect + prestige
esteem
intimacy + relationships
belonging
safety + health + employment + freedom
security/comfort
air + food + water + sleep + shelter + warmth + sex
physiological/biological

4. It’s All About Us!
Self-Esteem
Connections
Attachment
Identity
Establishment

5. Importance of Connections
No
Do I need this
person or brand
for “survival”?
Yes
• Common experience
“Feel good”
• Common interest
How does this reasons • Idolatry
relationship
serve my needs?
Utilitarian • News or updates
Reasons • Exclusive offers
5

6. Connections as Social Media Experiences
Need State: Short term need: Establish connections
Connection
Initial • Share experiences
Social • Learn about others’ lives
• Establish community presence
Media
• “Collect” friends/followers
Trial • Look at pictures or videos
After Effect:
Long-term Need: Become Attached
Attachment
• Get details on products, events or life’s
Legacy happenings
Social • Read news and updates
Media • Remain “in the know”
Usage • Look at pictures or videos
• Share personal perspectives or comments

7. Meaningful Social Media
Targeted content is the key to
building immediate connections
and long term attachments

8. Driving Connection Through Content
Individuals Drivers Content Needs
User feedback,
Emotional Personal ratings, rankings,
Decision Makers Recommendations reviews, sharing,
personal profiles
Offer details,
Rational comparisons,
End Benefit
Decision Makers rankings, feedback,
special offers
User feedback,
Skeptics Reputation comparisons,
rankings, reviews

9. Building a Meaningful Presence
Affect Have an influence on
VS
Effect A result or change

10. The Future of Social Media
The future is all about satisfying connection need states.
Harnessing the
Audience mapping
social web
Need:
Deeper emotional Constant Social media
and physiological communication convergence
connection
Harmonious
Social media integration
social experience

11. Harnessing Social Web
– Where and how is our
audience engaging in
conversation?
– Create content tailored to
how individuals seek and
consume content on
different channels
– Build stronger relationships
with influencers in those
spaces

12. Social Media Convergence
– Emotional and physical connection
to our devices leads to continued
convergence of technologies
– Social connections further infiltrate
all aspects of our media diet
– Social profiles, location based
services, and mobile payments
converge to create one-step-from-
purchase lifestyle

13. Social Media Integration
– Creating seamless experiences with
common themes and messaging
from one channel to another
– Fostering connections with others
by creating content that fulfills their
needs
– Building identity by creating likable
and sharable content

14. Questions?