Many years ago, I conducted a small experiment on persuasion for a graduate school class. I went to a grocery store with a friend, and we found products to rave about out loud while pretending to be shopping. Our script was,

"Oh, wow, they have this new... Have you tried it? It's amazing and hard to find. I'm getting two boxes."

We would then watch the people who overheard our enthusiastic exchanges and record whether or not they bought the products we mentioned. I don't recall our numbers, but there were many purchases. We did not realize we were original influencers circa 1990 before it was "cool."

A modern-day "digital influencer" is an individual with a dedicated social media following over which they have influence (Lou & Yuan, 2019). Successful influencers utilize their knowledge, authority, social status, and relationships to guide followers, often with particular product purchases.

Social media influencers have quickly become a marketing tool of choice. Brands send influencers free products and contract with them to promote their products if the following is large enough. Brands want influencers to create trends that will encourage new buyers.

Marketing works because people can be influenced to do things they wouldn't normally do or buy products they did not intend to purchase. Today's social media marketing is not always a conscious push. Often, it involves more covert coercion. For example, while an influencer is applying make-up and vlogging about break-ups or break-outs, she might casually mention the brand of blush she is applying.

In a follow-up video, she might say,

"I just love this color blush. It's called desert sunset." If she is a brand promoter, she may boldly suggest, "Run, don't walk, to get desert sunset blush. You really need this color."

Today, it is expected that sales of products will rise with the influencer's popularity and use of persuasion principles. Digital influencers, consciously or unconsciously, use psychological persuasion to earn likes, consistent followers, brand deals, and sales.

Robert Cialdini (2018) identified and studied "7 Principles of Influence," including reciprocity, consistency, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity, and unity. These principles align with key psychological heuristics, or mental shortcuts, involved in decision-making.

As consumers, it is important to know that these principles are at play so we can make more informed, conscious choices about what we like, watch, follow, and ultimately purchase and consume.

A final tenet to understanding digital influencing is "assumed and actual control." Do you believe you shape your social media content and own your purchasing decisions? While algorithms and influencers connect us to content that confirms our interests, we do, in fact, have choices and control. We can "change the channel," scroll past anything we do not like, turn off social media, conduct research, and make informed decisions.

References

Cialdini, R. (2016). Pre-suasion: A revolutionary way to influence and persuade. Simon & Schuster.

Lou, C., & Yuan, S. (2019). Influencer Marketing: How message value and credibility affect consumer trust of branded content on social media. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 19, 58-73.

QOSHE - The Psychology of the Modern-Day Social-Media Influencer - Cheralyn Leeby Ph.d
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The Psychology of the Modern-Day Social-Media Influencer

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02.01.2024

Many years ago, I conducted a small experiment on persuasion for a graduate school class. I went to a grocery store with a friend, and we found products to rave about out loud while pretending to be shopping. Our script was,

"Oh, wow, they have this new... Have you tried it? It's amazing and hard to find. I'm getting two boxes."

We would then watch the people who overheard our enthusiastic exchanges and record whether or not they bought the products we mentioned. I don't recall our numbers, but there were many purchases. We did not realize we were original influencers circa 1990 before it was "cool."

A modern-day "digital influencer" is an individual with a dedicated social media following over which they have influence (Lou & Yuan, 2019). Successful influencers utilize their knowledge,........

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