Today I’m going to share with you some simple concepts on how to be more “influential” on social media. I’m not talking about being an “influencer” where you have thousands and thousands of followers and do duck face selfies every day. I’m talking about the idea that when you share something, people pay attention.

It’s not helpful to go down the spiral of, “well I’m just not that interesting” or “nobody likes me”…

If we stop thinking about ourselves, we can ask a different question, “how can I interact with people in an influential way?”

To find the answer, let’s look at the psychology of influence, studied in depth by psychologist Robert Caldini, and how it applies to social media specifically.

Principle #1: Reciprocity. When someone does something for us, we are inclined to do something for others. 

  • Would you like others to share your posts? Try sharing theirs first.
  • Leave comments for others, and they are more likely to do the same for you. 

Principle #2: Scarcity. People start paying attention when supply shrinks because they don’t want to miss out. Give an honest inventory of what you have “available.”

  • An example of adjusting an invitation to try your product would be something like, “Right now I’m helping my customers with [problem] and have been giving them samples so I thought I would also offer to my friends. I only have 3 samples left to send out this week. If you want to know how they work to see if it will be helpful to you to try let me know.”
  • If you are thinking, “Tasha that’s a lie!” just hold on. This is one of the reasons goals really matter in your business. If you don’t have a goal for how many things you want to do, you can’t communicate clearly to people, and they can’t move forward. I recommend setting clear targets for progress so that whatever scarcity you share is a true representation of your business.

Principle #3: Authority. People pay a little more attention when credentials are involved.

  • This is tricky in your social media field because bragging about your credentials isn’t going to make you more relatable.
  • Including a phrase like, “I have been in business for 6 years” and then going on with your post is a simple way to signal that you know what you are talking about without bragging. 

Principle #4: Consistency. This principle states that people are more likely to do things that are consistent with commitments they have made in the past. 

  • Someone who comments on one post is likely to comment on others as well. They get in a habit of engaging with you. This is why conversation starters like, “what are the best running shoes out there right now?” or “Settle a debate I’m having with my husband right now…” help your ability to influence. 

Principle #5: Liking. People are more willing to be influenced by people they like.

  • When we compliment people, they like us more. When we have things in common with people, they like us more. This is the principle I focus most on in my social media coaching because it’s the easiest to shift.
  • Be specific and genuine. Fake compliments will make things worse. Search for things you like and appreciate about people, and let them know. 
  • Finding things in common with people is easy when we just let people behind the scenes of our interests a little more. As soon as people find even just one thing in common with you, they relax and trust you more.
  • They think, “We are the same, so I can trust you.” Simple things like favorite foods, places you have visited, hobbies, or even books you have read, create commonality. In some ways it’s a compliment. If I say my favorite food is tacos, and that’s your favorite too, I am actually subconsciously communicating “your favorite food is the best, I agree.” If you want to have influence with people outside of your network marketing business, this means that you need to share about all aspects of your life. 
  • A majority of your posts (probably 8 out of 10) will be to address this principle of influence.

Principle #6: Consensus. Most people don’t like to take risks or enter into uncertain situations. We are wired to follow the pack because there is safety in numbers. 

  • When we invite people to things- webinars, a resource, I see a lot of people say “DM me.” Then that post has no engagement, and people think no one is DM’ing you, even if they are.
  • Switch that to “if you want details type “details” below” and you will get more traction. A side benefit is that you have more control to reach out to them, instead of waiting and hoping people will message you.
  • People will see that others are interested and feel safer also commenting with “details.” The first few people are the hardest to get to follow you. Once you get a few, it truly creates a snowball effect.

Those are the 6 principles of persuasion. Reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, liking, and consensus. I hope this sheds some light on WHY certain posts do well or don’t do well.

Shifting your communication from in-person which is something you have done your whole life, to online, which might be new takes a little bit of recalibrating. I’m confident that taking the time to reset and enjoy the process of connecting with people will help you in all aspects of your communication. You might even be able to use some of these ideas with your family to get them to pick up their socks. 🙂

When you are ready there are a few ways to work with us:

Step 1: Join our community of awesome network marketers at emergesalestraining.com/group. In this Facebook community, I do consistent live videos (not featured here) addressing community member questions, and you will have an opportunity to connect with me and my team. I really hope to see you there!

Step 2: Sign up for a FREE Focus Call. Fill out a brief form at emergesalestraining.com/chat and a member of our team will connect with you to chat through your goals, your current situation, identify the #1 obstacle that is holding you back, and give you an action plan. At the end, you will feel clear and confident about what you need to focus on in your business to reach your goals. If you want us to work with you to implement the plan, great! We will share how that works and get you set up so you can gain quick momentum. If not, no big deal, we want to make sure  you have clarity no matter what. Go to emergesalestraining.com/chat to schedule.


Step 3: Join the Emerge Surge. The Emerge Surge is our year-round group coaching program where you will be able to organize and implement your productivity, sales, recruiting, leadership, and social media systems at your own pace. Attend live coaching calls with Tasha 1x per week, watch simple “what to do next and what to say” videos to move into action immediately, and collaborate with other “doers” to hold yourself accountable and inspire you to be the best version of yourself. You never have to feel alone again. Join for your first 2 weeks for free, and only $47/month after that at https://emergesales.kartra.com/page/14days