100 Years of Techology

People are hard-wired to be consistent, especially when they’ve publicly committed to a belief. How does that impact your web marketing & social media?

In chapter 2 of Robert Cialdini’s masterful Influence: The Psychology of Persuation, we learned that people have a knee-jerk reaction to responding in kind (or better) to favors…a trait referred to as reciprocity. Now, in the next chapter, we learn that we also wish to be seen as consistent.

Cialdini has a wealth of examples of this in his chapter, but one example that stuck with me is the story of people who agreed to put a giant, ugly sign on their front lawn, in front of their gorgeous home, that said Drive Safely. Not surprisingly, only 17% agreed.

However, in another group, they got an astounding 76% to agree to the same ugly signs! What was the difference?

Two weeks previous, they had asked this second group of home owners if they would put a small, inconspicuous window sticker about safe driving in their window. That’s all it took. These people then saw themselves as people who were serious about safe driving, so putting a gawd-awful sign that destroyed their property value was in keeping with their ideals.

In other words, they were being consistent.

There are examples from POW camps to hazing to getting people to write short essays on why they love brand X throughout the chapter, and how by getting people to make small commitments, (window sticker) you can move them to see themselves in a new light, and then take actions that are consistent with that new belief.

As is the case with all of these chapters, the techniques can be used for good or ill…that’s up to you. But if you make a commitment in the comments section below that you are an ethical marketer and will only use these for good, I think we’ll all sleep better at night.

So, how can you use Commitment and Consistency to improve your web marketing and social media techniques?

Here are some examples:

• Run a Facebook contest where entrants write why they love/use your product or brand. The best answer will win the contest, but meanwhile, so many more people have publicly committed their loyalty to your brand, so now they see themselves as your evangelist. Just make sure that you use a 3rd party approved contest provider at Facebook, or the whole contest could backfire.
• Run a similar contest on Twitter. In 140 characters or less, get people to say why they use your brand using your handle and/or a special hashtag.
• Get a prospect to make a small yes, like download a whitepaper or sample.  If leads them to see themselves as a customer, you can follow up with an immediate, bigger ask. I.e., they download an article, and on the landing page (or at the end of the article) you then say, “Since you’re obviously such a dog lover/fitness buff/savvy marketer, you’ll want to join our exclusive club/buy this Quick Start Guide, etc.

Are there any (ethical) methods that you can think of that would tap into our need to be consistent to build your own business? Let us know in the comments section.

Rich Brooks
Same As I Ever Was

Photo Credit: Marcus Q

Once I saw the great results, I felt that I should share this secret with everyone else who has had this problem. I also wanted to share with everyone how it can be purchased safely, at the cheapest price, and most importantly avoid getting scammed or ripped off!

I decided to create this site where I could present a whole range of information on popular equipment, as well as letting people know where they can get what they are looking for at the cheapest price from reliable and secure suppliers. Visit us at ElectronicSupermarket.com

As humans, we are hard-wired to reciprocate a favor. By building favors into your online marketing you can ethically grow your business.

One of the major tenets of influence, according to Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuation, is reciprocity. Cialdini says:

“We are trained from childhood to chafe, emotionally, under the saddle of obligation. For this reason alone, then, we may be willing to agree to perform a larger favor than we received, merely to relieve ourselves of the psychological burden of debt.”

This is why Hare Krishnas give flowers to travelers at airports before asking for money; they know it’s difficult for people to receive a gift–no matter how small–and then refuse to give a donation.

In another example, the Disabled American Veterans organization sent a donation request mailing that got a respectable 18% response rate. They did another mailing and included those self-adhesive address labels and nearly doubled their response rate to 35%!

These are interesting examples of human behavior, but how can you use them to market your business? (And to do it ethically!)

If people are likely to return or repay a favor, then you should figure out how to create favors. Here are some examples:

• Recommend people on LinkedIn before being asked: I used this for a while before I realized I was leveraging reciprocation. I would recommend someone and four out of five times the person would immediately write a recommendation for me. While that wasn’t my goal, it certainly was a nice outcome.
• Create a Paper.li Daily Paper based on a Twitter list you create: This will give others free promotion to your list, and they’ll get a Twitter mention every time they’re featured. I get thanks and RTs almost every day from a couple of papers I created. I hated to break it to people that the list is created automatically, so I stopped! Plus, the fact that the tweet is automatically created doesn’t diminish the point that I found these people and added them to a list I keep on Twitter.
• Interview people for your blog or video: Ask people you respect to be interviewed for your blog or video. This is especially effective if you have a blog with good reach, or if you can blog for an organization with a wide reach. (I have the pleasure of being able to blog for both FastCompany.com and Social Media Examiner.) Make it easy on them by asking if they want to be interviewed via phone, in person, or by email. (Email allows them to craft their answer and appear much smarter and clever than they actually are…which is why it’s my personal favorite.)
• Offer advertising space on your blog for free: Whether it was unused or not, you can generate a lot of good will by offering advertising space to your customers, prospects, or local non-profits. 
• Put on free, educational webinars: By creating free webinars that help your ideal customer, you have created some obligation. You can then follow up a 45-minute, content-rich presentation with an offer or request. You’ll have much better success than just asking for the sale right away.

Again, you can use these techniques for good or evil. Part of what I love about living in Maine is that it’s a “small town.” What comes around, goes around. The same is true on social media.

If people feel you are manipulating their behavior, you may end up destroying your reputation and your business. (Cialdini shares some examples in his book.)

Instead, just be aware of our human need to repay favors, and use them to improve your web marketing and social media networking techniques.

Have you ever knowingly or unknowingly used the power of reciprocity in your own marketing? Or do you have some ideas on what you might do differently, now that you’re aware of reciprocity? If so, please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Who knows…maybe I’ll feel obligated to visit your blog and return the favor.

If you’re not quite ready to leave a comment, would you consider sharing this post with a friend or colleague who might benefit from it? Just click one of the share buttons at the top or bottom of this article. Thanks!

Rich Brooks
Don’t Do Me Any Favors

Unlock the secrets of influence and improve the effectiveness of your web marketing and social media efforts.

Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion starts off with the story of a gift store owner at a tourist destination trying to sell some turquoise jewelery. It’s of good quality and she’s offering a fair price, but no one’s buying.

She tries putting it on sale. No dice.

She moves it to the center of the store. No dice.

She has her sales force push the jewelry. Still, no dice.

In frustration, as she’s leaving for a show, she scrawls a note for her store manager to sell all the jewelry at half-off. When she returns, she’s amazed that it all sold, every last piece.

What’s even more amazing is that her manager misread the handwritten note as DOUBLE the price, which she did.

At the higher price, the jewelry immediately sold out. Why?

The secret lies in the fact that we use shortcuts to help us get through our day. It’s the only way we can manage the complexity of modern life.

One shortcut is that–in general–you get what you pay for. It’s a lesson we learn early on, and is reinforced throughout our life. The tourists didn’t have time to research turquoise jewelry, so once they saw the high prices, their internal tape went whrrrrr…click! and started playing the “you get what you pay for” tape. Suddenly, the jewelry was much more desirable.

In Influence, Cialdini identifies six “weapons of influence”:

• reciprocity,
  
• commitment and consistency,
  
• social proof,
  
• liking,
  
• authority, and
  
• scarcity. 

He has amazing examples of how these each work, how “influence agents” manipulate us, and how we can prevent these weapons from working against us.

As marketers, we can use these weapons of influence for good…or for evil. In the next several posts I’m going to look at each one of these “weapons” and provide examples of how you can use them to improve the results of your web marketing and social media activity.

In the meantime, I strongly recommend picking up a copy of Influence, as the following posts just skim the surface of this amazing book. Even if you’re not into marketing, Cialdini ends each chapter with ideas on how you can defend against these weapons of influence when they’re used against you. That alone is worth the price of admission.

Rich Brooks
Influence Agent

Top 10 lists make our life easier by creating shortcuts of what’s really important.

However, there were so many top 10 lists this year, it got confusing. So that’s why we here at flyte put together the top 25 lists of 2011! (We couldn’t stop at just ten!)

1. Top 10 Tech Stories of 2011:

Technology is rapidly changing and evolving so it is important to be able to look back year after in order to observe how fast change happens. In 2011, the tech geeks of the world as well as the average consumer witnessed many profound moments in history including the death of Steve Jobs, AT&T’s failed battle with the U.S. government when attempting to acquire T-Mobile, as well as the epic hacking of Sony’s Playstation which caused the company to have to take it’s system off-line for a significant period of time.

2. Top 10 for Intergrative Medicine Policy and Action in 2011:

As the cost of traditional medicine rises along with the information generation, alternative forms of medicine are becoming more and more valuable. The Obama-Pelosi Affordable Care Act led the way to help these discoveries and subsequent developments.

3. Top 10 Marketing Infographics of 2011:

Since marketing can be very complex, visual aids tend to encourage further understanding of valuable information. Although infographics have been around for some time, they became very dominant in 2011 as people’s ability to visualize data with new technologies allowed for incredibly creative displays of information.
4. Top 10 Small Business Facebook Pages:

2011 showed that having a business Facebook page and using it to its full potential is important to gain and sustain a competitive edge in ones own market. Some businesses are confused about where where to begin; this list outlines ten small companies that have a strong presence on Facebook.

5. 10 Best Movies of 2011:

2011 was another successful year for the movie business and brought about a few edgy and creative films that display good versus evil, as in the movie, Drive; observations into real life events, such as the movie, Margin Call; as well as the “bedtime story” movie lover favorite, as in the movie, Hugo.

6. Top 10 Social Media Blunders of 2011:

From celebrity tweets that have led to fines and/or harsh backlash of fans to companies loosing thousands of subscribers due to their own social mishaps; 2011 showed that our words are being heard, watched, listened to, and shared. In order for corporations, celebrities, small businesses, and consumers themselves to remain respected and valued within their market, one must pay incredible attention to what is heard by his/her “listeners.”

7. Top 10 Badass Sports Moments of 2011

2011 was a great year for sports fans, enthusiasts, and bandwagon-ers. Many can remember the Stanley Cup won by New England’s own Boston Bruins, in the last game of the series. Or the Green Bay Packers comeback to win the Super Bowl after almost not making it into the playoffs. We easily remember the big moments, and frequently forget the little ones that allowed these teams to achieve their ultimate wins.

8. Top 10 Music Albums of 2011

The steadily growing digital sales market impacted music revenues in a powerful way. A 3.3 percent growth in sales in the United States shows music remains one of life’s necessities that even people experiencing a slumped economy cannot live without.

9. Top 10 (12 actually) of the 2011 Holiday Season

The top 12 toys from the 2011 holiday season, appropriate for ages 4 to 13 plus, shows that children and early teens are really into spy gear right now as well as the classic Cabbage Patch Kid.

10. Top 100 Bestselling Books of 2011

It’s no surprise that the iconic Steve Jobs biography topped the bestselling chart in 2011 with his recent passing. The biography gives readers a look into the personality and life of Jobs, based on over forty interviews. Another popular favorite included, “Heaven is for Real”; about a boy who tells incredible stories about his visit to heaven during a life-saving surgery.

11. Top 10 Inventions in 2011

Innovation is an important part of society, and it’s amazing to see the inspiring inventions that are designed with intentions to help sick people, remedy the environment, or serve to make Olympic sports safer for the competitors.

12. Top 10 Video Games of 2011

The top 10 console video games of 2011 includes favorites ranging from “Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception” to “Batman: Arkham City” to “Portal 2.” The past years video games brought better graphics and more creative story lines as well as integration with social media.

13. Top 10 Most Bizarre Tech Stories of 2011

It’s easy for tech geeks to remember the highly publicized tech stories of 2011 such as the release of the new iPhone 4S (not the iPhone 5), the Kindle Fire, or Blackberry’s global service disruption. 2011 introduced many other technological advancements and unexpected internet creations such as the Kiss Transmission Device, which allows people to “kiss” over the interwebs, and the German brain-powered car.

14. Top 10 Green Gadgets of 2011

Tech geeks love innovative gadgets and frequently enjoy items that are eco-friendly. With the growing strength of the green movement, 2011 delivered many creative green conscious gadgets including a water powered alarm clock and solar powered tablet cases.

15. Top (errr bottom?) Worst Films of 2011

Many movies failed to deliver in 2011 in a way that resonated with their target audiences. This list includes 20 movies that sit at the bottom for many reasons including, lack of character development, poor dialogue, terrible usage of product placement and social media, etc.

16. Top 10 Educational Toys of 2011

Educating our children is incredibly important and becoming more and more the responsibility of the parents. 2011 introduced many toys that are entertaining while providing educational enrichment.

17. 2011′s Top 10 Best Companies to Work For

Fortune has released their 100 best companies to work for with the top 10 including SAS, Zappos, Google, and Boston Consulting Company. The winners are chosen based on competitive pay, perks, and overall exciting and fun corporate cultures.

18. Best/Worst Tech CEOs of 2011

If you guessed that Apple, Facebook, and Google’s CEOs ranked at the top of the pack, you would be right. Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Page have taken technology to the next level with their visionary products and sustainable business strategies.

19. Top 10 Viral Videos of 2011

Marketers everywhere are attempting to crack the code to creating successful viral videos which grew in popularity in 2011. Although it may be difficult to forecast which videos people will consider shareable, it’s interesting to observe the ones that are watched by millions in order to generate ideas for our own campaigns.

20. Top 10 Smart-Phone Apps

Smart-phone apps had an amazing year in 2011, exhibiting future trends that will add value to current businesses as well as create opportunities for many entrepreneurs. Being able to watch favorite HBO shows or ESPN on the go, easily Facebook chat, and listen to live streaming music proved to be a few of the must-haves for smart-phone users everywhere.

21. Top 10 World-News Stories

You cannot have a list of top lists without including worldwide events that plagued our televisions, newspapers, and RSS feeds all year long. For some, the killing of Osama bin Laden will leave as lasting of an imprint as the 9/11 attacks. Most may never forget the earthquake, measuring at 9.0 on the Richter scale, that devastated Japan and left many towns and cities with unthinkable destruction and mortality.

22. Top 10 Consumer-Spending Trends

Businesses and marketers should always pay close attention to consumer spending trends in order to plan a competitive strategy. In 2011 many large companies and banks failed to introduce new business processes that resonated with their consumers, daily deals experienced their fair share of backlash, couponing transformed from something only “low-income” people do into a hip trend, and higher education gained further questioning as to its value among students.

23. Top 10 Food Trends

The food culture in the United States began to see an aggressive push toward healthy, local, regional, and domestic product offerings in 2011. Fine dining has further catered to the 1% with some restaurants offering dinners with a dozen or more courses. It is also important to note the impact that technology has had on dining etiquette and the subsequent media’s nicknaming of the smart phone – “our new cigarette.”

24. Top 10 TV Episodes

American’s love their televisions, partnered with recording devices which allows one to chunk their television series watching into a shorter period of time. 2011′s top TV episodes include “Friday Night Lights, ‘Always,’” “The Office, ‘Goodbye, Michael,’” and “Break Bad, ‘Crawl Space.’”

25. Top 10 Underreported Stories

Since the media decides (based on external pressures such as the government) what is most important, there are always newsworthy stories that go unnoticed. 2011s top underreported stories included the potential cure for HIV as well as the connection between rising food prices and Middle East uprisings that evidence a potential future of instability due to this ongoing and worsening issue.

Well, did we miss any of your favorite top 10 lists this year? Let us know in the comments below.

Have an amazing 2012!

Rich Brooks
It’s a Numbers Game

Photo Credit: sunshinecity

If you’re interested in reading reviews for the ever popular No No hair removal product, check out the website linked above for more information. Did you know that more than 2 million units of No No have been sold worldwide? What started as a simple “as seen on tv” infomercial product has gained mainstream popularity and endorsements as a painless method of hair removal. No No also reduces the re-growth of hair after each use, which is a great benefit when compared to waxing or shaving.

Interested in business networking in the Ottawa area? Visit the website above to learn more about a special networking event taking place on January 26th. According to the website above, betwen 8-9 out of 10 successful salespersons get their business through networking.

There’s arguably no greater advantage than being well connected. Many sales take place through referrals, as we often value the opinions of our friends and acquaintances more so than an advertisement or mailer.

The best web marketing articles of 2011…that appeared on our website.

Which is still pretty good. Because you know, we don’t just publish any old crap.

Here’s the last 12 months of articles that appeared in your inboxes if you’re a subscriber to the flyte log, our award winning web marketing email newsletter.

Enjoy some amazing whitewater rafting in Maine with the Northeast Guide Service.

If you like outdoor adventure as part of your vacation, you owe it to yourself to do some whitewater rafting here in Maine.

We’ve got plenty of rivers and falls for all levels of whitewater rafting, from the Kennebec and Penobscot Rivers to the remoteness of the Dead River or the challenge of Canada Falls.

And there’s probably no better group to take you than Northeast Guide Service. This small, locally owned whitewater rafting adventure company is Maine’s only service registered for swift water rescue, putting all your fears to rest.

You can find them near Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine. That makes them the closest whitewater rafting service to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine. They’re also close to Baxter State Park and Maine’s largest mountain, Mt. Katahdin.

In other words, they’re right in the middle of your Maine outdoor adventure vacation.

You can also find them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, or check them out on YouTube.

The website was designed and build by flyte, and we provided web marketing services as well.

Rich Brooks
Maine Web Design

Green auto parts can help your car or truck be more environmentally-friendly. Now they’re just a click away.

Even if you’re not quite ready for your electric car yet, you can do your part by buying “greener” auto parts for your current car.

New Hampshire based AutoBeGreen has a wide variety of environmentally friendly auto parts and accessories, including:

• Green Air Filters
• Tire Gauges
• Green Oil Filters
• Engine Oil
• Car Care Products, and
• Much, much more!

AutoBeGreen also has a green automotive blog where they’ve started posting articles and how-to’s on using these environmentally friendly products.

The site was designed by Narrative Design, and flyte built out the designs into WordPress themes, the blog, and added the e-commerce shopping component.

Be sure to like AutoBeGreen on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

Rich Brooks
WordPress Website Design

They use repetition in a way that makes you feel like you’re always progressing. (Because you are.) They also manage to avoid monotony by giving you enough time to remember and apply a response before they give you the answer to a particular question.