What Psychology Can Teach Us About The Process of Successful Online Influencing In PR
What Psychology Can Teach Us About The Process of Successful Online Influencing In PR
By Ella Darnell
At the heart of PR lies the ability to successfully influence people when communicating. The digital world in which we live means that we must come up with ways reach our audience via our screens, whether that be through written, photographic or video communication. In the two-way, synchronous relationship between the communicator and the audience, there are certain techniques that can be intricately woven into a message so that it appeals and resonates well. These tactics are underlined by psychology and are easy and efficient to implement when understood!
- Evoke emotions
Storytelling is key. It engages the emotional, unconscious side of our brains. Whilst we like to consider ourselves rational decision-makers, a large part of us is hardwired to implicitly respond to what’s in front of us based on the emotions it produces. Research has shown that whilst reading language relating to movement and action, the part of our brains responsible for coordinating movement is active. Written language can become similar emotional experiences to that of real life, leaving an associative memory of what was felt when reading.
→ Use vivid, powerful vocabulary that reflects the core message.
→ Use verbs and physical references to get the audience to imagine the ‘doing’.
- Credibility counts
A major factor known to assist persuasion is a credible source; real people with real experiences whose testimonials can be trusted. Picture booking a hotel; the website could give the most enticing, luxurious description but these days many of us wouldn’t be persuaded until we read reviews to obtain the truth about our proposed destination. We are motivated to trust and act on others’ opinions and feedback, more than data figures such as ‘9/10 people would recommend’.
→ Provide detailed, sincere feedback and stories about you/your brand from clients and consumers.
→ The more personal, the better - include names and images from them (with permission!).
- Social biases to your advantage
Social biases are what we use to make shortcuts and the meaning of what is in front of us. An example is that we are more likely to have a positive attitude to something if it has associations with someone similar to us (in a kind of social group). By identifying your audience’s needs and demographics, you can structure your narrative to convey what you have in common.
→ Create closeness between you; a good way to do this would be to express your values.
→ Building on the second point, wide feedback from individuals of varying demographics (e.g. age, gender, nationality) is ideal so that the audience can relate in some way.
- Branding
This is a huge topic so let’s just focus on one aspect – colour. The power of colour is no secret or myth. It has been used for years in marketing to convey brand identity and elicit positive emotions. Let’s try… yellow and red. You’re thinking of McDonald’s, right?
You can easily appeal to your audience’s subconscious by implementing colour use. There’s a reason why so many UK banks use blue in their logo, as it connotes feelings of trust and authority. It also makes your content more visually appealing and fun!
→ Identify what values you want to portray and think carefully about the colour this may be represented by.
These strategies can help you connect and engage with the audience, building positive feelings around your content. Give them a go to increase your persuasion skills!
