THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SOCIAL

Michelle Goodwin tw: @_MyMichelle www.AMPAgency.com

What drives and motivates strong affinities for social media?

self

respect + prestige

esteem

intimacy + relationships

belonging

safety + health + employment + freedom

security/comfort

air + food + water + sleep + shelter + warmth + sex

physiological/biological

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

It’s All About Us!

Connections

Identity

Establishment

Attachment

Self-Esteem

Importance of Connections

5

• Common experience • Common interest • Idolatry

• News or updates • Exclusive offers

Do I need this person or brand for “survival”?

“Feel good”

reasons

Utilitarian

Reasons

How does this relationship

serve my needs?

No

Yes

Connections as Social Media Experiences

• Share experiences • Learn about others’ lives • Establish community presence • “Collect” friends/followers • Look at pictures or videos

Short term need: Establish connections

• Get details on products, events or life’s happenings

• Read news and updates • Remain “in the know” • Look at pictures or videos • Share personal perspectives or comments

Long-term Need: Become Attached

Legacy Social Media Usage

Initial Social Media Trial

Need State: Connection

After Effect: Attachment

Meaningful Social Media

Targeted content is the key to building immediate connections

and long term attachments

Driving Connection Through Content

Emotional Decision Makers

Rational Decision Makers

Skeptics

Personal Recommendations

End Benefit

Reputation

User feedback, ratings, rankings, reviews, sharing, personal profiles

Offer details, comparisons,

rankings, feedback, special offers

User feedback, comparisons,

rankings, reviews

Individuals Drivers Content Needs

Building a Meaningful Presence

A result or change

Have an influence on Affect

Effect

VS

The Future of Social Media

Need: Deeper emotional and physiological

connection

Harnessing the social web

Constant communication

Harmonious social experience

Audience mapping

Social media convergence

Social media integration

The future is all about satisfying connection need states.

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

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

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

Questions?