Social Commerce Psychology

There are six universal heuristics or learning methods that have been seen in shoppers and are now being seen in social commerce according to studies by psychologists.

Or as Paul Marsden of Socialcommercetoday puts it, "Understanding why it makes commercial sense to help people to connect where they buy and buy where they connect provides businesses with a strategic advantage; the opportunity to reap the rewards of a powerful insight-led social commerce strategy,  as opposed to merely deploying social commerce as a set of tactical tools."

Summarised these heuristics are as follows:

1. Social Proof
   The Rule: ‘Follow the Crowd’
2. Authority
   The Rule: ‘Follow the Authority’
3. Scarcity
   The Rule: ‘Scarce Stuff is Good Stuff’
4. Liking
   The Rule: ‘Follow those You Like’
5. Consistency
   The Rule: ‘Be Consistent’
6. Reciprocity
   The Rule: ‘Repay Favours’

This infographic from TabJuice illustrates the above:

Click here for a larger version

Reference: 

• How Social Commerce Works: The Social Psychology of Social Shopping