I am combining these final principles into one post because they are very similar. Authority and Social Proof both have to do with our innate desire to belong and be a part of something.This blog is built upon the premise of Authority. Since I am a freelance writer, I try to help other people by sharing my knowledge of creative and technical writing. By telling you I am a professional writer it makes you more likely to believe what i have to say on the subject than the guy sitting next to you on the bus. Whenever you write an article or technical document the first thing that you should do is establish your authority. Why should the reader listen to you? What sets you apart from everyone else?
Unfortunately, this principle has been warped over time by retail marketers. When a pro ball player or a super model endorses a product, they are using Authority. Even though they are being paid to sponsor the products, we believe that they like and use the product in question and since they are well known in their field, we buy it. If you want to see this taken to extremes, pay close attention to the next car commercial that comes on TV. Many times the person endorsing the car has Authority in a subject that has nothing to do with automobiles or their performance.
Social proof is best explained by the old saying “If your friends all jumped of a bridge would you do it too?”. The short answer is …probably. We are pack animals by nature and if the rest of the pack is doing something then we are inclined to follow along, even if we aren’t really sure why. Peer pressure has a lot to do with this principle too. How many times have you seen a group of people laughing and having fun in a commercial and you could too, if only you would buy whatever they are selling.
I hope everyone enjoyed persuasion, see you next time.
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1 comment
Francis Walsh says:
August 6, 2010 at 10:01 am (UTC -6 )
Keep it up! Think about putting some good links in the posts too. (jus saying) Have a great weekend!