In 2007 a friend from my days studying Psychology contacted me asking for assistance with a thesis. The topic was the Psychology of Social Media. Knowing I worked in Accounting and Social Media he thought I would be keen to help out. I found the study enthralling. In fact, it so peaked my interest that I veered off and started our own in house project researching and measuring the Psychology of Social Media for Business.
We gathered and measured data over 3 years and completed the study in October 2012. And WOW! The results will astound you! The complete study will be documented for our 'Guide to the Psychology of Social Media in Business' to be released in March 2013, however I could not hold on to these TOP 5 results that every business owner and social media manager should be aware of.
TOP Results from our Study of the Psychology of Social Media for Business
TOP RESULT 1 : Different personalities prefer different social networks.
FACEBOOK users : Looking for engagement and longer term business. Facebook users for business want to create relationships. Trust is built over a time which then encourages new business. Facebook users are likely to be loyal and refer your business on. Facebook users for business want something deeper. Want to engage Facebook users? Interact.
TWITTER users : Love news and updates. Want tips that work quickly. Not loyal. One interesting fact, if your numbers for 'Following' are higher than 'Followers' many people perceive you as a newcomer who simply follows everyone they can in hope of making a connection (not our opinion, results). Want to connect with Twitter followers? Don't brag about yourself, don't Tweet more than 4 times an hour, and stop Tweeting quotes. Tweeps want info, tips and updates FAST!
LINKEDIN users : A realm for intellects. Includes the highest percentage of individuals who enjoy debating. Have you ever heard of the Peacock, Eagle and Dove Theory? A Peacock likes to show off, strut their stuff and let the world know how great they are. An Eagle soars and accomplishes the most. An Eagle does not need the accolades, they are confident in their own abilities and will strive for perfection alone, quietly. A Dove keeps the peace and rolls with the punches. Doves tend to follow the pack and not lead. Linkedin is full of Peacocks.
PINTEREST users : These users would have to be the most creative bunch around. The majority of users on Pinterest love the combination of creativity and purpose. Want to engage a Pinterest follower? Provide them with high quality infographics with links directly related to the infographic that will provide useful information in laymans terms. Friendly and sociable too!
Although many Bloggers feel their blogs are best announced on Twitter or Linkedin, our study found that over 70% of blog traffic came from Facebook links. Interesting fact : 65% of Facebook users that clicked on a blog link did NOT 'LIKE' the post. Giving the Facebook poster the misleading interpretation that Facebook was ineffective for blog traffic.
The Google+ users we surveyed are not as confident about the social network as Facebook and Twitter users. The many changes to the Google+ look and feel, accompanied by the use of terms unfamiliar to users (circles, hangouts), leave Google+ users feeling unclear. Anyone succeeding on Google+ has worked hard to understand and stick with the social network. Those who do get hooked are loyal and love it!
We found in our study too many business owners (and those in charge of social media) assume too much about their target audience. They assume their market will only be using one particular social network, when in fact, no-one can make that assumption. The result is that the business is missing out on potential customers by restricting their social network audience. The net must be cast wider with involvement in at minimum three social networks for a business to have a significant impact online.
TOP RESULT 5 : Heard of Mystery Shopper? Try Mystery Social Networkers!
Possibly the most ALARMING item we uncovered, was the existence of individuals employed by brand names to find social media items about competitors and use these to damage the reputation of the competitor. Social Media Spies spend hours digging for negative comments, posts by disgruntled employees and political based comments. These are then reposted, shared and linked globally. The best psychological defence? Don't engage in political banter as your business identity, block slanderers, do not respond to insults (or if you must, do not be confronting and end with a smile). Remove your emotion as this is your business reputation at stake.
Note: The research we undertook involved surveying, researching and compiling data from over 20,000 social networkers for business. We understand that many readers will differ in opinion, but can you really afford to refute the evidence......
If you would like to be notified when our 'Guide to the Psychology of Social Media for Business' is released, please register your details by emailing our team.
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