Understanding the Fundamentals of Digital Alchemy
How to trigger a cocktail of brain chemicals that make online users like, trust, and buy from you repeatedly.
Happiness is a feeling we have when the brain spurts certain chemicals.
Every time our limbic brain sees something good and necessary for survival and perpetuation, Dopamine, Endorphin, Serotonin, and Oxytocin are released and then like a tap, turned off till they are required again.
Dopamine is responsible for the happy feeling we have when you find what you’re looking for.
Endorphin masks physical pain for a short time until we have the chance to reach safety.
Serotonin produces a good social feeling of being respected by others- pride if you like.
And Oxytocin produces the feeling of being safe with others and is responsible for building social bonds.
And then there’s Cortisol, which produces bad feelings of stress and anxiety when things are uncertain, threatening or uncomfortable.
So what do these Chemicals have to do with Digital Psychology and Persuasion?
Everything!
If there’s one thing digital psychologists have found out, it is that the brain isn’t able to differentiate a person’s physical interaction with another person and his interaction with an online presence (website, blog, or social media).
In other words, every time we interact with an online presence the brain isn’t able to tell that it’s not a real person.
This means that the same positive or negative reactions and feelings we have in in-person interactions is the same way our brain lights up when we are interacting online.
These neurochemicals produced in the Brain by our Limbic system are a survival mechanism that tells our body, “This is good for you, go for it!” or “This is bad for you, avoid it!”.
We have survived and perpetuated ourselves as humans largely because of our response to these neurochemicals released into our bodies to alert us of good to pursue or danger to avoid.
When something is good, we are rewarded with a feel-good and when our survival is threatened, we are notified.
These chemicals were designed to motivate different survival behaviors.
Dopamine motivates us to get what we want even if it requires tremendous effort.
That feeling of energy and fulfillment a runner gets in a marathon when he sees the finish line and runs towards it, is simply dopamine at work.
Endorphin motivates us to ignore pain so as to escape harm.
Without it, an individual who narrowly escaped a fatal accident wouldn’t be able to crawl out of the car wreckage in spite of the injuries he’s already sustained.
Serotonin motivates us to gain respect by propelling us to move up the social hierarchy.
Being respected triggers the release of serotonin which feels good leading us to seek more respect and get rewarded.
Oxytocin motivates us to trust others and find safety in companionship.
Every time we feel good about someone and can trust the person, it is oxytocin at work.
Having a sense of belonging and safety in numbers is serotonin too.
On the other hand, there’s Cortisol which is triggered by disappointment.
The brain alerts the body that our expectations have not been met and there’s a release of this “feel bad” neurochemical that is responsible for the stress and anxiety we feel.
What happens essentially is that the body motivates us towards things that trigger the release of happy chemicals and alerts us to avoid things that release unhappy chemicals.
This survival behavior may seem primitive; however, it’s kept us safe for centuries.
The big question then is how can smart online marketers trigger customers' emotions in a way that will release more happy chemicals and less unhappy chemicals?
Here’s how:
3 Happy Chemicals and their Unhappy Neighbor
1.Dopamine: Because this happy chemical is triggered in search of rewards and rewarding activities, online marketers should frame Value Propositions in ways that create anticipation of rewards and/or drive users to pursue goals with rewards.
E.g: “I will help you [Insert survival need] if you do …………….”, OR “I will help you avoid [insert a threat to survival].
The goal is to elicit emotions that trigger feelings of pleasure, curiosity, interest, anticipation, and excitement.
However, there’s a danger of habituation- when users become bored and experience fatigue from being exposed to too many cycles of promise and reward that they are no longer triggered to release dopamine.
Marketers should avoid this at all costs by introducing novelty and newness periodically to further increase curiosity.
There’s also the temptation by marketers to seem so different and novel that they become so unrecognizable and users are unmotivated because they see no potential reward.
2. Oxytocin: Because users interact with a website as they would a real person, it is important that practical bond-building steps be taken to create a perception of social alliance.
The goal is to trigger increased feelings of trust, connectedness, and perhaps loyalty.
Humanizing written content is one way to do this effectively.
Write like a real person using personable language and cues to establish a relationship and build feelings of trust.
Also, incorporating trust symbols and credibility cues like the founder’s story, professional expertise of key team members, a real office address, and phone number are easy ways to build feelings of trust.
Loyal users who act based on trust will result if these are done right.
3. Cortisol: Poor web design and incoherent site architecture can increase cognitive load leading to feelings of stress and anxiety triggered by the release of cortisol.
Threatening or degrading language in web copy also act as stressors for users too.
Public shaming, embarrassment, and negative social comparison should be also be resisted at all costs if the goal is to give users memorable experiences that are positive.
Users will never forget how they felt when they interacted with your online touchpoint!
Website errors, 404 pages, requesting too much information too fast, breaking conventions as well as impossible goals are all sources of frustration for the user.
Information architecture disaster and confusing users with option overload can also increase the complexity of the website leading to increased cognitive load and stress for the user.
To reduce website ambiguity, page-level User interface logic has to be consistent.
Also, buttons should have clear calls to action as well as making all key tasks simple.
Other ways of reducing stress (and cortisol levels) for the user include:
· Simplifying processes: wizards, checklists, checkouts.
· Error-free design is stress-free design
· Human Contact
· Humor and fun
· Entertainment
· Avoid trapping users
4. Serotonin: Feelings of superiority, pride, status, and climbing the social ladder are the result of the release of this neurochemical.
Leader boards and other gamification features that reflect hierarchy can trigger the release of this chemical from the limbic system.
However, marketers should exercise caution in attempts to trigger the release of this neurochemical to avoid a backfire.
Excessive social comparison, for instance, can trigger low-status emotions- anxiety, reduced self-worth, and ultimately lead to depression.
Moderation is the key here or else users will leave with a bad after taste.
In conclusion, when marketers design online experiences to trigger more happy chemicals and less unhappy chemicals, they will be rewarded with better conversions and more profit.
This is the 6th post in a series of 12 reviews I’m doing in fulfillment of my mini-degree in Digital Psychology and Persuasion at cxl.com. You can find the 5th Post here
