Using Persuasion Tactics on Twitter

Thanks to Scott Adams the creator of Dilbert. I've become a student of persuasion.

I'm going to give you a number of ways to be more persuasive on twitter. You can be more persuasive in your tweets, your replies, retweets, pictures, profile, etc.

First, if you haven't read Scott Adams book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, get and read it.  Also buy and read Robert Cialdini's book Influence and Pre-suasion.

From these books I've come up with the acronym ASSCURL, which are Ciadini's 7 categories of persuasion. Note that his original book had 6 and his Pre-suasion book added Unity.

1. Authority
2. Scarcity
3. Social Proof
4. Consistency and Commitment
5. Unity
6. Reciprocation
7. Liking

So for each of these how do you use them in twitter?

Authority 

We look to authority for shortcuts, so you need to become an authority on something and tweet about it. Write a book. Give a talk. Teach.  

Another way to get authority is to get twitter followers. I have almost 68,000 followers on twitter and when you see something from me I have more authority than someone with 52 followers.

If you can get the twitter @verified check mark that also gives you authority. Your links and contents can give you authority. The quality of your videos and website sends a message.

Also the language you use in your tweets can also be authoritative.  

• Scientists say ...
• Many famous people..
• Many doctors...
• Sam Harris says..
• According to economists..
• Many people know
• Most teachers think...
• Your neighbors..
• Sam Harris says ...
• Nobel prize winner ...

Scarcity

People value things that are scarce.  You can use terms that say something is scarce:

• Final days..
• only 3 left
• Limited time only
• secrets

Social Proof

We tend to have more trust in things that are popular or endorsed by people we trust

• Everyone...
• No one ...
• Powerful users following you
• Having many followers

Consistency and Commitment

We tend to stick with whatever we've already chosen. Consistency is a shortcut.

People who follow you, like a tweet, add you to a list are more likely to do you a favor if asked, due to consistency.

• Ask questions that get a Yes
• Who thinks that weight loss can improve your health and make you happier
• Would you pay $5000 if it could save your life?
• $5000 program to lose 100's of pounds, if you lose the weight you'll get $4500 back

Unity

Unity is Cialdini's 7th rule of persuasion relates to family. Using family related language can help to persuade:

• Welcome to my twitter family
• I give you the same advice I'd give to my family ...
• Here is what I'd advise my children to do
• To my brothers and sisters out there
• As parent let me suggest
• We are together like a family in ...
• I need some advice from you
• find something that can unite you and your follower
• ethnicity
• location
• political beliefs

Reciprocation

In many social situations, we pay back what we received from others:

• Follow back
• Retweet for people who retweet you
• Like for Like
• Give free sample
• Help others and they are likely to help you

Liking

We are more likely to comply with requests made by people we like

• Follow people who like you
• Say positive things about people's tweets
• Like people's tweets
• People like people who are like them
• Give honest complements

For example recently I was going to tweet something negative, that I thought was funny, about Scott Adams saying something like "Your daughter is beautiful."  referring to his girlfriend. Instead I tweeted 

.@kristina_basham @ScottAdamsSays
Best couple ever!

— Alec Berg (@alecberg) October 9, 2016

.@kristina_basham .@ScottAdamsSays Would make a great #president and first lady in 2020

— Alec Berg (@alecberg) October 10, 2016

and it worked. I got likes and replies from these tweets.

So remember the acronym ASSCURL to help persuade you way to twitter success.

If you liked this blog please retweet it or comment below, because it helps motive me to share more of my knowledge.

Thanks for reading!!