No, that’s not a typo in the post title, as we’ll soon see. But first, some disturbing news.
It’s become fairly well-known that unfortunate events reported heavily in the media lead to other similar unfortunate events due to copycat behavior. Suicides, murders and school shootings tend to occur in alarming clusters once the news about the initial event gets out.
What you may not know is that after a suicide is publicized, deaths by single-car accidents spike. When a murder/suicide is heavily reported, head-on car collisions and airplane crashes go up immediately afterward.
What’s going on here?
Sociologist David Phillips calls it the “Werther” effect, named after a character in a Goethe novel who committed suicide, which itself prompted a rash of suicides in Europe over 200 years ago. Phillips established the link between newspaper reports of suicides and the resulting copycats using data accumulated between 1947 and 1968, and also discovered the concurrent fatal automobile and airplane accident data. He theorized that these drivers and pilots were also committing suicide, but couldn’t bear the stigma that an overt suicide would bring to their families.
Scary, huh?
This phenomenon is one of the more dramatic illustrations of social proof, a powerful psychological mechanism by which we look to others to guide our own actions. In the suicide examples, the influenced people already wanted to kill themselves, and seeing someone else take their own life provided them with definitive motivation.
Here are two more research-based examples of social proof in action:
- A person in distress is better served by having only one person available to help them. If several people observe an ambiguous situation where someone may be in trouble, they will look to each other to see how to act. If no one takes immediate action, the likelihood that no one will do anything at all grows, which is called pluralistic ignorance. If only one person is in the vicinity to help, the level of personal responsibility is higher, and aid is more likely offered without hesitation.
- A child is more likely to learn a new skill (such as swimming) if he observes a child of similar age that engages in the activity. Before this happens, one-on-one parental instruction will likely fail to influence a reluctant child. As children become teenagers, the importance of peer behavior and approval needs no elaboration. Likewise, adults are more likely to ethically act in concert with those they feel to be of a similar education level, income bracket and social status, rather than looking to a purely independent moral compass.
So, does the misspelling of “heard” in the post title now make sense? Social proof is at the root of what’s been dubbed herd mentality in humans, with every “cattle” and “sheep” reference that goes along with it. Our need to look to other people for how to behave is an important key to the growth and maintenance of societies, so it’s not necessarily always reason for disdain.
Despite all the dramatic examples, social proof can be a very useful adaptive trait. It helps us solve problems and formulate shared values, and it really only hurts us when we fail to apply critical thinking to important choices and actions.
From a marketing standpoint, social proof is the basis of both buzz and large sales figures. Without it, there’d be no “grapevine” in the first place. It’s also why testimonials are so essential in direct marketing.
Social proof is ultimately the most powerful force involved in growing a successful business blog that helps you sell products or services. The quality of your content is still the most important element, but other subtle influences may well dictate whether you turn a new visitor into a subscription or bookmark.
For example, displaying your large number of Feedburner subscribers will likely lead to that number growing more quickly than if you hadn’t (while displaying a low number may hurt you). It’s fairly well known that blog reader comments often lead to more comments, so you should encourage reader interaction at every opportunity. A similar domino effect occurs with popular del.icio.us tags, inbound links from others and Digg votes.
In other words, the ultimate digital expression of society itself is the emerging social media, which will most certainly evolve into more sophisticated replications as it grows. Sometimes we create a conversation, sometimes we add to it, and sometimes we just follow along. Such is the fastest growing aspect of the Internet, and such is life.
As we continue with the Blog Triggers series, we’ll examine other important naturally-occurring aspects of blogging that can help get the ball rolling until the magic of social proof kicks in. Stay tuned.
19 comments... add one
#1 Mike Sansone → 02.28.06 at 5:39 pm
After all…who wants to be the first one on the dance floor? Right?
#2 chartreuse → 02.28.06 at 5:49 pm
Great post.
As usual.
So are you advocating the manipulation of your audience by ,i.e. not showing subscribers to feedburner, etc.?
#3 Brian → 02.28.06 at 5:53 pm Copyblogger
Mike, it looks like you’ve got your dancing shoes on!
Char… well, the real answer is I’d love to proudly display my number of subscribers, but I’m afraid it wouldn’t work as well for me at the moment. Come on now, it’s only been two months. :)
#4 David → 03.01.06 at 5:55 am
You could ask everyone to subscribe in bloglines, my yahoo, msn, google reader… ;)
#5 Brian → 03.01.06 at 7:52 am Copyblogger
David, yes, that’s a call to action that very few bloggers seem to make. What’s wrong with asking people to subscribe?
The great thing about using Feedburner is having one chicklet that goes directly to a page that offers an array of feed-reading options. Simplicity mixed with choice is a winner, IMHO.
#6 How to Avoid the Pollution Plague | Copyblogger → 03.01.06 at 1:44 pm
[…] We’ve seen that in a competitive situation, the better story tends to wins, even sometimes over greater merit. We know that people decide based on emotion, and then justify with logic. And we know that once a certain number of people adopt a story as one they want to hear, there’s a good chance that a lot of others will too. […]
#7 Antony → 03.04.06 at 7:55 pm
Hi Brian,
I’d love it if you’d reference the source of the data — I’d like to have a look.
One competing theory to explain the increase in suicides when a suicide is reported in the press — that there isn’t an increase in suicides, but that once there’s been a sensational account in the press, the press itself begins to report more on the suicides that *were happening anyway*.
In other words, it was the rate of press coverage that went up, not the suicides themselves.
But given that we’re talking about blogs (e.g. the press), I’m not sure that invalidates your point.
P.S. I don’t have the reference for that counter-study, but I could find it…
#8 Brian → 03.04.06 at 8:33 pm Copyblogger
Phillips D.P. (1974). The influence of suggestion on suicide: Substantive and theoretical implications of the Werther effect. American Sociological Review, 39, 340-354.
Phillips, D.P. (1979). Suicide, motor vehicle fatalities, and the mass media: Evidence toward a theory of suggestion. American Journal of Sociology, 84, 1150-1174.
Phillips, D.P. (1980). Airplane accidents, murder, and the mass media: Towards a theory of imitation and suggestion. Social Forces, 58, 1001-1024.
Who says I don’t aim to please? :) Remember though, this blog is about social media marketing; it’s very, very far from a scholarly journal. So I really don’t want to type out this stuff all the time!
Also, the suicide / murder thing is simply a great story, no matter what!
#9 Number One at Amazon | Copyblogger → 03.08.06 at 10:52 am
[…] Dr. Vitale has released his last two books with a promotion he calls The Mother of All Bribes (the sales letter is coincidentally penned by Mark Joyner). Rather than just saying “go buy my new book,” Joe gives away a whole slew of other resources along with the purchase. Combined with a heavy opening day promotional push from his friends and affiliates, Joe immediately ends up the #1 bestseller at Amazon. His new book has been at the top for the last two days, and thanks to the social proof that status provides, his sales will climb even higher. […]
#10 Available For a Limited Time Only | Copyblogger → 03.15.06 at 4:07 pm
[…] You’re also speaking naturally via your blog about what you’re working on, who you’re working with, and how well things are selling. Combined with authority and social proof, people will start to feel like you have something to offer that they simply do not want to miss out on. […]
#11 How to Become a Heroic Business Blogger | Copyblogger → 07.10.07 at 9:13 pm
[…] and media mentions are important because of the concept of social proof. We all, to vary degrees, look to others for indications of what to do and how to behave. Social […]
#12 Paul Hancox | InternetInfluenceMagic.com → 07.25.07 at 2:01 pm
Hi Brian
We’re discussing social proof and other weapons of influence over at my blog at the moment - pop by and have your say.
I also make it a habit on as many posts as possible to invite people to comment, partly for the reasons you’ve outlined. Plus, commenting is a little commitment, which you’ll know could possibly lead to more consistency (i.e. turning a casual browser into a regular visitor).
Best,
Paul Hancox
P.S: If you have a moment, perhaps you could pop over to my blog and post a comment, because I’d really appreciate it!
#13 5 Tips for Knockout Testimonials | Copyblogger → 08.13.07 at 3:01 pm
[…] well indeed if you work hard to get the right kind of testimonial. They can provide the much-needed social proof that tips a wavering prospect into a paying […]
#14 10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work | Copyblogger → 09.05.07 at 2:33 pm
[…] a headline with “Who Else Wants…” is a classic social proof strategy that implies an already existing consensus desire. While overused in the Internet […]
#15 Ten Timeless Persuasive Writing Techniques | Copyblogger → 09.26.07 at 7:06 pm
[…] Looking for guidance from others as to what to do and what to accept is one of the most powerful psychological forces in our lives. It can determine whether we deliver aid to a person in need, and it can determine whether we muster the courage to kill ourselves. […]
#16 net3 → 11.08.07 at 5:10 pm
I am in a hurry and I don’t want to spend too much time in writing this comment as probably you would not even notice it, since I am out of your circle, but the social proof you mentioned have verified personal experience and given it a firmer footing and valuable reference. Thank you.
#17 Hard Advice For The Persuasive Marketer Part Three: Make Your Audience Believe → 02.19.08 at 8:40 pm
[…] Simply because you were won over by the number of people who gave you social proof. […]
#18 » Ten Timeless Persuasive Writing Techniques - Business sample letters, Sales sample letters, Business writing tips - Letters For Business → 04.02.08 at 10:53 am
[…] Looking for guidance from others as to what to do and what to accept is one of the most powerful psychological forces in our lives. It can determine whether we deliver aid to a person in need, and it can determine whether we muster the courage to kill ourselves. […]
#19 How to Overcome Skepticism | Copyblogger → 04.11.08 at 9:55 am
[…] is why traditional “one-shot-or-nothing” copywriting MUST contain testimonials for social proof and a rock-solid money-back guarantee or free trial, in addition to the right compelling benefits […]
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