Social media and content work very closely together; using different social media channels you can create content, share it and of course engage with it too. The best types of content will educate the reader, inspire the reader, inform them or simply just entertain them.

Psychology plays a huge part in both social media and content; through social psychology you can explore the different ways in which people are influenced through their own perceptions and of course the behaviour of others.

Psychology-1 5 Amazing Psychology Principles Behind Effective Content Marketing

So when it comes to social psychology, can it help you to create more interesting content or devise a more effective content marketing strategy? Most definitely, these five principles will show you how:

Perception Gap

When creating content, you may think you know exactly what it is that your target audience want. This isn’t always the case though and what you may be creating may actually not resonate well with them at all. There is simply no point guessing.

The “Perception Gap” is exactly what it sounds like: the gap between what businesses perceive to be interesting and useful to their audience, and what is actually interesting and useful to their audience.

The answer? Research. Look at trending topics, look at communities in your industry and most of all, look closely at your audience – what are they already talking about and what questions do they have?

The Halo Effect

The halo effect is a cognitive bias that involves the way an observer can make an initial impression about an aspect of a person or business and translate that opinion to other aspects of the person or business, thus giving them a halo.

This works in digital marketing when it comes to thought leadership. If a brand makes a positive impression through a good piece of content that they have created, the result is that the company will receive some of the “glow” from the halo.

This means that other parts of the company will also be perceived positively and the company will gain authority and credibility on other similar topics too. By creating high quality, expertise content, your whole company will reap the benefits.

Social Proof

Social proof refers to the herd mentality that can affect groups of people. Life is full of social proof examples – just going to your local supermarket will show you how a group of people will all want the same discount pastries from a display, just because a few people may have spotted them first.

In many cases human beings may not know exactly what they are reaching for, but if many other people want it, then the chances are that they do too. It is simple psychology.

This works online too with social media and content and is the way that content can go viral – take Buzzfeed for example, once one person has taken a funny quiz and got their results, everyone will want to find out their results to compare.

Social Cues

If someone told you that someone they had worked with was an expert, you would believe them, this is just the way the human brain works. We rely on people around us to give us good recommendations and advice to guide us in the right direction. If the news tells us that something is incredibly important, then we will believe them.

The more we hear the same recommendation, the more inclined we are to take it seriously. If we are told someone is an expert over and over again, then also read about how expert they are on various online sites, this is going to seriously affect the way we judge that person or business.

These social cues are a great way to develop your business as a thought leader. By encouraging your audience and influencers to share and engage with your content, you are increasing its social power and helping the content to resonate.

Propinquity Effect

The idea behind the propinquity effect is that the more we interact with someone, the more we like them and want to be their friend. By creating conversation, brands can engage their target audience and build a relationship with them.

It is important for consumers to feel like they matter to their favourite brands, so ask questions, respond to messages and comments, and talk to your fans regularly; this will show your consumers that you care about them and want to make sure they are happy.

Developing brand advocates works in the same way as making friends. You wouldn’t expect someone to want to spend time with you if you made no effort with them, and consumers work the same way – show an interest and encourage communication.


Ultimately every marketing strategy should involve psychology and these are just some of the main principles you can incorporate into your next content marketing campaign.

Building brand trust and creating a strong base of brand advocates is a crucial part of business success. Providing value to readers through informative and interesting content and encouraging communication through social media networks will create strong relationships between the consumer and the brand