6 Weapons of Online Influence

At one point this experiment aborted, as so many people were looking up that they stopped traffic.

Whenever possible use social proof to your advantage. This is why I think it is so crucial to build up strong social media communities, because they are a great way to show social proof.

The social proof that I have been able to build from Twitter, for example, has been able to land me contracts building social media brands for several companies, and has gotten me into a few exclusive high priced events for free.

Online Influence Weapon #4 – Authority

People will tend to obey authority figures, even if they are asked to perform objectionable acts.

This law of influence is reflected in the way that wealthy people are often viewed. Wealthy people are often considered smarter than average people, simply because they have the authority of wealth behind them.

A crazy rich person is considered eccentric, whereas a crazy poor person is downright insane.

To get the power of authority working for you, strive to establish yourself as an expert in your strongest niche. Authority comes in many forms, but if you are not afraid to tell it how it is you will begin to get respect as an authority. Anytime you can succeed you will begin to gain respect and attention as an authority.

Online Influence Weapon #5 – Liking

People are easily persuaded by other people that they like. Cialdini cites the marketing of Tupperware in what is now known as viral marketing. People were more likely to buy if they liked the person selling it to them. There is also a bias in favor of more attractive people.

Cialdini wrote about the importance of liking before the Facebook “like” button existed.

These days in the online world the “Like” button is everywhere, and if you install it into your web content you will enable this weapon of reciprocity to work for you.

If you install a Like button into an opt-in page where you are asking for someone’s email not only will you be able to increase your opt-in rate after you get some people to click the “Like” button, you will also get additional opt-ins from the traffic that those “Like” clicks generate.

On my Facebookecourse.com opt-in page, for example, 44 people hace already clicked the “Like” button and I am sure that those 44 likes have led to several more opt-ins. Currently more than 50% of the people that visit that page opt-in to recieve my free Facebook ecourse and this is partially thanks to the “Like” button.

Getting people to click the “Like” button on your content is not the only way to engage this weapon of influence. The more personality you can inject into your content, the better!!

Don’t worry about trying to please everyone, you never will, instead just try to have fun with what you create and it will come back to you in the form of a more engaged and involved community.

Online Influence Weapon #6 – Scarcity

Perceived scarcity will generate demand. For example, saying offers are available for a “limited time only” encourages sales.

I have heard several Internet marketers say that scarcity is a marketers best friend. The important thing to remember with scarcity is to do what you say you will. If you say that you will be pulling an offer down after 72 hours, make sure that you do.

Limited time bonuses are a smart way to get people to act within a perticular time frame. This also gives you an excuse to follow up with emails about the promotion.