October 2013

Many, if not most, content sites today show how many social media shares each page or article has earned. This is a classic use of social proof, i.e., building credibility and earning additional shares by showing that others are doing it…

For most attendees of Pubcon Las Vegas, the best part of Matt Cutts's keynote was his measured and nearly genial response to the previous day's attack on both him and Google by Internet entrepreneur Jason Calacanis. Cutts heads…

Every marketer knows that social proof - showing that other people use your product, support your cause, etc. - is a powerful persuasion tool. It's one of influence expert Robert Cialdini's six main principles, and may be the best-known…

This is big news for guys. For years, I've gently mocked my half of the species for being far-too-easily influenced by female images. Babes in bikinis alter male behavior, but it doesn't always take that much. Simply including a photo of…

Want to double your success in persuading people to do as you ask? Four simple words, and even other phrases with the same meaning, have been shown to double the success rate in dozens of studies worldwide.

Here's news that probably won't shock you: sex is at the top of our unconscious minds. And, when marketers ask us, we won't come close to admitting it.