The Neuroscience of Social Media Success: 3 Counterintuitive Tips for Building Trust

When it comes to building trust on social media, particularly on LinkedIn, I've found that some of the most effective strategies align with Dr. Carmen Simon 's groundbreaking research on memory and attention. Let me share three specific tips that I've seen work wonders, backed by Simon's cognitive science insights:

Cognitive Load

Don't always include links in your posts.

This might sound strange, especially when we're often told to drive traffic to our websites or content. However, research shows that posts without links often perform better on LinkedIn.

This aligns with Dr. Simon's research on reducing cognitive load to improve memory retention.

By removing links, we're eliminating potential distractions and allowing our audience to focus solely on our message. LinkedIn's algorithm also tends to favor native content, and posts without external links encourage people to engage directly on the platform.

This increased engagement builds trust over time as your audience becomes more familiar with your voice and ideas.

The Research

Dr. Carmen Simon's research on cognitive load is crucial for understanding how we can effectively communicate and build trust on social media.

Cognitive load refers to the amount of mental effort required to process information.

According to Simon, our working memory has limited capacity. When we overload it with too much information or too many distractions, it becomes harder for people to focus, understand, and remember our message.

By reducing cognitive load - for instance, by simplifying our content or removing unnecessary elements like excessive links - we make it easier for our audience to engage with and retain our message.

This not only improves comprehension but also increases the likelihood that our content will be remembered and acted upon. In the context of social media, managing cognitive load effectively can lead to higher engagement, better retention of our key points, and ultimately, stronger trust-based relationships with our audience.

Rewarding Experiences

Focus on giving before asking.

In sales, we're often trained to go for the close, to make the pitch. However, on social media, this approach can backfire.

Instead, I advocate for providing value first, which aligns with Simon's concept of creating 'rewarding experiences' for your audience.

Share insights, offer help, and engage in meaningful conversations without expecting anything in return. Dr. Simon's research shows that people remember and engage more with content that provides value or positive experiences.

This approach may seem like it's delaying your sales process, but it actually accelerates it by building genuine relationships and trust. When you do eventually make an ask, your audience is much more likely to respond positively.

The Research

Dr. Carmen Simon's research emphasizes the importance of creating 'rewarding experiences' for your audience.

This concept is rooted in neuroscience and suggests that our brains are more likely to pay attention to, remember, and act on information that provides some form of reward or positive experience.

These rewards can be cognitive (like learning something new), emotional (feeling inspired or understood), or even social (feeling connected to a community).

When we consistently provide content that our audience finds rewarding, we're not just sharing information - we're creating positive associations with our brand or persona. This leads to increased engagement, better retention of our message, and a higher likelihood that our audience will seek out more of our content in the future.

In the context of social media, creating rewarding experiences might involve sharing valuable insights, offering solutions to common problems, or simply providing content that resonates on a personal level. By focusing on giving value first, we're not just building trust - we're making our content more memorable and impactful in the long run.

Emotional Connections and Storytelling

Be personal, but professional.

Striking a balance between personal and professional is crucial for building trust and credibility. Many leaders and salespeople make the mistake of focusing solely on pitching, selling, and engaging in transactional discussions when they first enter social media.

Instead, share personal anecdotes and experiences that relate to your professional life.

This approach aligns with Dr. Simon's research on creating memorable content through emotional connection and storytelling. By sharing personal stories, you're creating unique, relatable content that stands out in your audience's memory.

This helps your audience connect with you on a human level while still maintaining your professional image. It's this blend of personal and professional that creates authenticity and fosters deeper connections, making your content more memorable and impactful.

The Research

Dr. Carmen Simon's research on memory and attention reveals the power of emotional connection and storytelling in creating memorable content.

According to Simon, our brains are wired to pay more attention to and remember information that evokes emotions or is presented in a narrative format.

Stories and personal anecdotes activate multiple areas of the brain, including those responsible for sensory processing, emotion, and memory formation. This increased neural activity makes the content more engaging and easier to recall later.

Moreover, when we share personal experiences that resonate with our audience's own lives or challenges, we create a sense of empathy and connection.

This emotional resonance not only makes the content more memorable but also helps to build trust and credibility. In the context of social media, incorporating storytelling and emotional elements into our posts can significantly enhance their impact, making our messages stick in the audience's mind long after they've scrolled past

The Long Game

These tips may seem counter-intuitive because they don't align with traditional sales tactics. But in the digital age, where authenticity and relationship-building are paramount, these strategies can significantly enhance your credibility and trustworthiness. Dr. Simon's work emphasizes the importance of repeated exposure and consistent messaging for building long-term memory. By playing the long game on social media, we're creating multiple touchpoints that reinforce our message and brand in the audience's memory.

Remember, on social media, we're not just after immediate transactions. We're cultivating lasting relationships that will benefit you and your business for years to come. This approach aligns perfectly with Simon's findings on how to create memorable, engaging content that resonates with your audience over time.

By applying these cognitive science principles to our social media strategy, we can create more impactful, memorable, and trust-building interactions with our audience. The combination of focused content, a value-first approach, and a personal-professional balance creates a powerful formula for building lasting relationships and trust on social media platforms.

About the Author

Richard Bliss is the founder and president of BlissPoint, a social media consulting company that helps improve executives’ online communications and sales teams’ social selling behaviors. A LinkedIn Top Voices Influencer, experienced communications executive, and social media coach, Richard has helped thousands of people master social media tools and become fluent in social conversations, building their platforms and confidence to reach their audience and define their brand effectively.