Suffering from "game fatigue" yet? While many sites have slapped on badges and points to make things more engaging, the companies that "get it" have a better understanding of the psychology behind motivation. They know how to design sites that keep people coming back again and again.
So what are the secrets? What actually motivates people online? How do you create sustained interest in your product or service? We'll look at everything from game design to learning theories to neuroscience to understand what motivates--and demotivates--people over the long haul.
NOTE: This is a follow-up to the 2010 SXSW presentation "Seductive Interactions" where I focused primarily on initial engagement. Where that presentation discussed "getting to first base" with our users, this one looks much farther out at how to create "lifelong love and devotion."
LEVEL: Intermediate
by Ben McAllister and Kate Canales
When a friend invites you to dinner, you bring wine or flowers – not $100 cash – as a gesture of thanks. That goes without saying. But if a brand comes to dinner, what should they bring? When it comes to social media, there are unwritten rules for how to behave that many brands simply aren't getting.
Brands are grappling with social media as they try to find a place at our virtual dinner table. Some brands get it, some gaffe it. The rules, it turns out, are hidden in basic social psychology. The established behaviors of friendship are the prevailing rules of the road in social media: sharing valuable information, entertaining one another, support in a crisis, celebration of a personal achievement. But the established behaviors of transactions (the way we historically interact with brands) can feel awkward and forced in social media. So how can brands build trust with their networks while being social like a friend? This session will look at social media behavior and what brands can do to become a delightful guest and valuable contributor at our virtual dinner party.
LEVEL: Beginner