Publications and Cialdini’s Six “Weapons of Influence”
Robert Cialdini authored a popular framework called the Six Weapons of Influence, which outlines a science of persuasion that can be applied to sales, marketing, and even interpersonal situations. Many of the strategies and tactics that we implement here at Priority focus on using integrated marketing to help our clients build a brand that’s a trusted source for information. What if we looked at branded print and email publications in relation to the six weapons?
- Social proof – Does the publication indicate that people like me are reading this? Do they think it’s worth their time? Have we done the best we can to give our target readers the evidence they need to sell themselves on the usefulness of the content? Have we provided multiple examples of similarly branded content that reinforce the fact that their peers are engaged?
- Liking – Have we given subscribers a reason to become familiar with the brand’s content and design? Does it speak to them in a way that gives and does not take? Does the content benefit them?
- Reciprocity – Have we persuaded readers to become evangelists of the publications or the brand? Would they jump at the chance to tell a friend about you or your publication? Providing valuable content, incentives, prizes, or other benefits that are above and beyond the norm are all great ways to generate a feeling of loyalty in your readers.
- Commitment and consistency – Have you gained proper opt-in from the readership? Have they simply given you permission to communicate with them or have they actually asked to receive this publication? When gaining true commitment, there’s a difference. Also, does the content continually provide a feeling of reduced cognitive dissonance for the readers (read: does it closely tie their goals with your products and services)?
- Authority – People derive more authority with a publication that appears professional in its production value. Have you taken care to adhere to your brand standards in the design? Is the design in need of a refresh? Great content is the other half of the coin. Are your articles professionally researched, written, and proofed? Typos can be costly when attempting to gain authority.
- Scarcity – If people perceive your content to be a scarce resource that can’t be easily found elsewhere, they will take more care to obtain it and save it. This is one reason that magazines remain on the coffee table, or an email isn’t deleted immediately, or a microsite is bookmarked. Create scarcity in your publication by choosing content that isn’t necessarily on the front page of Yahoo.com or at least provides a local spin on a nationally known topic.
Are there any other weapons that make for an effective loyalty generation program? I’m interested to hear your thoughts!
