Week 11: Applying the Science of Persuasion to the Blogosphere

Three out of the six universal principles of persuasion are relevant to blogs: authority, liking, and consensus.

As the video states, "people follow the lead of credible, knowledgeable experts." Authority obviously plays an important role for bloggers looking to spread their knowledge to gain an audience. It's important that the author is considered an "expert" in their section of the blogosphere, whether they are a social activist blog calling for readers to protest for what they believe in or a food blogger using a new ingredient and persuading readers to try it. Having a legitimate "About Me" page will also help bloggers establish authority over readers. As long as that blogger shows authority–consistent, knowledgeable information–then readers are more likely to be persuaded by them.

The video tells us there are three important factors in the principle Liking. The factor most relevant to blogging is number one: "we like people who are similar to us." I think this principle is pretty straightforward. By displaying traits that readers can relate to, bloggers have an easier chance for persuading.

Lastly, we have consensus, which is defined by the video as the principle where "people will look to the actions and behaviors of others to determine their own." When a reader isn't quite sure about their opinion on a topic, he or she will often look to the Internet to research and formulate an opinion. Bloggers have the upper hand here; if they create a compelling argument, it is easy to persuade readers who are on the fence.

Out of all three principles that are relevant to blogs, I think authority is the most important. If a blogger cannot establish their authority, there really is no reason to continue reading their work. I want to read blog posts from a source with some level of credibility—then I can read on to see if I really "like" the blogger and look to them to see if I agree with their opinions.