We’re continuing on the neuroscience theme a little bit longer, this time speaking to how the brain creates meaning, and how you can apply this to your social media marketing efforts.

To get the most from this post, I’d recommend watching this 6 minute 30 second video from Ted.com about how the brain creates meaning:

From this video, we learn that there are 3 places in the brain where meaning is created:
1) the ventral stream: identifying “the what” of an object- clarifying what it is and how it fits our mental models of other objects like it
2) the dorsal stream: placing identified objects into 3D (or physical body) space
3) the limbic system: processing emotional information and content

Our brains create meaning from a series of “AHA” moments, where information we learn or experience is slotted into existing representations we have. All learning occurs by assimilation and accommodation- which means we can’t learn anything new without first understanding how it fits into the knowledge we already have.

To get people to move ahead, you must create shared mental meaning and shared mental models.

You can do this in social media through use of images, text, and video.

When creating images, you want to be sure the images are visually interesting, and allow the eye to move easily over them, in order to capture the overall picture (or gestalt) view. This technique would also apply when creating compelling powerpoint presentations, similar to this one I recently uploaded to Slideshare.

Create a way to interact with your content- ask people to select their favorite image, or to write something down- this creates a new level of engagement and mental modeling. Finally, reinforce your message, using similar phrases, words, and images.

In social media, where you may only have a few seconds to capture interest, you need to find ways to rapidly create mental models. Using interesting visuals, encouraging people to try your ideas or interact with them in some way, and reinforcing key points several times are three strategies you can use to attract and retain attention.

Once you have gained attention, you can use these three strategies to help your visitors or viewers create new mental models. As you help them create new mental models and representations- that is, new ways to see the same old things- you create influence with them.

Which after all, is the whole point of marketing.

I just read an interesting article today on Dan Ariely’s blog about how confidence beats accuracy. Although we’d like to think that what we know really matters, what really convinces people is spin.

In other words, you can carry off almost any idea, if you have enough confidence.

I agree with this to a point, though I think all of us should back up our confidence with true results and true expertise. What I think is telling about this, at least for the world of social media marketing, is that we must be convincing if we want to build influence.

Too often, we soft-pedal what we know, or don’t state our case directly enough. Yet people are incredibly attracted to clarity and confidence. The goal for each of us is to share what we know as clearly and confidently and directly as possible- both online and offline.

As you build your social media presence, focus on how you can state your beliefs, opinions, and results confidently and clearly. In the crowded world of online promotion, the most confident and direct messages are the ones which are going to be heard.

Gain attention by using strong headlines, and convey your knowledge in the words you use.

Highlight strong examples which further build your case. Tell stories, because these are one thing people are always interested in and pay attention to.

If you want your investment in social media to truly pay off, you need to be confident, bold, and clear.

Attention is mediated by a structure in our brains known as the reticular activating system.

The reticular activating system (RAS) extends from the brainstem to the midbrain and is the primary controller of arousal and motivation in humans.

The RAS has afferent and efferent pathways, which means it sends data up the brain, and transmits data down the brain.

When sending information up the brain, it is functioning as a processing pathway. When sending information down the brain, it is driving action and behavior.

As the social media space becomes noisier and more crowded, getting attention is going to be more of a challenge.

The best way to get attention is to be relevant.

Adults focus almost exclusively on messages and information which will help them reach important goals, or which are immediately applicable to their current life or career situation.

The best way to get attention is to provide content and information which helps your viewers, visitors, or listeners make a behavioral change.

Whether you want them to start doing something, or to stop doing something, the more you can gain their attention, provide relevant and compelling content, and then make a recommendation for them, the easier it will be to create behavioral change.

And when you’ve been able to create behavioral change- whether it be in the way a person thinks, feels, or acts- you have gained influence with that person, and they are going to see you as much more relevant from then on.

Then your only goal is to remain relevant, which you can do by continuing to share powerful and useful information.

And so on.