Social Marketing Doesn’t Rely on Social Media
Do you believe human beings share certain fundamental traits that define “being human”?
If so, do you believe that human beings tend to behave in certain ways under certain circumstances?
If so, do you then believe since human behavior has these tendencies, it can often be predicted?
If so, then do you think perhaps the study of Psychology and Sociology might provide you some clues to creating successful businesses, campaigns, products, and services? While your friends and competitors are all iterating their way into oblivion?
On the web, time and time again, we see the same themes repeating. Yet with each introduction of a new technology, these themes tend to be treated like a new discovery, even though the theme has been well established in the past.
Norms of Reciprocity is a constant human theme. You may know the expression of these norms as “Sharing”. Web old timers will probably recognize this idea as “Give, then Take” from the I-Sales discussion list as early as 1995. In various forms, this theme goes back to the beginning of human history, all the way back to the handshake and other greeting gestures. This same theme is embedded in countless Religions all over the world: “Do onto others as you would wish them do onto you”. At least a couple centuries old, this idea.
Norms of Reciprocity simply means this: When you do something nice for a human being, help them in some way, this human tends to feel Gratitude towards “the doer” and tends to do something nice back. Gratitude drives the desire to Reciprocate, because it’s just what humans do, it’s normal, a “norm”.
Norms of Reciprocity.