November 22, 2010
Our social shopping research revealed a high propensity for influencers [and consumers] to want rewards for recommending a brand or reviewing a product/service. There is, unsurprisingly, a high demand for incentives that discount (75%). But the intriguing insight is how this is coupled with a need for recognition too. There is a long tail of demand for more experiential rewards in return for posting comments or giving feedback.
I came across the RSA’s rather compelling video animation that looks into employee motivations. It caught my attention. Why? Because there are parallels when compared to the motivations of influencers on a given topic in social media.
The animation emphasises how money has a limited impact in motivating or positively reinforcing a message. Don’t get me wrong financial reward can be important, but as the video of the MIT study shows, it only really works for short, straightforward tasks.
When it comes to motivating the more cognitive skills, skills required by influencers and reviewers, then the relationship needs to go beyond the transactional. We are demanding more conceptional and creative thinking from our influencers and in return they want deeper recognition and collaboration.
