Internet Psychologist
Graham Jones 
Being a self-publisher is a dream for many people. For others, it is a reality as they produce their own books and place them on Amazon. But then the real issues kick in – marketing, PR, distribution. Few people who become a self-publisher think they’ll end up spending less time on writing than anything else.
Mobile shopping is a hot trend at the moment. The web is buzzing with stats and data about the surge towards mobile shopping. Advertisers are pushing their efforts towards mobile too. It is as though the desktop is being ditched. Yet the desktop is responsible for more transactions than mobile. The headlines mislead.
Giving people the feeling that they own a product before they actually buy it makes it more likely they will ultimately decide to make the purchase
Social media bias is well-known. The concept of “echo chambers” has been discussed widely in politics, for instance. However, the issue of bias on brand pages is also an issue. New research shows that brands are getting a biased view of their business if they use social media.
Wetherspoon has shut down all it social media activity with immediate effect. Is this sensible? Is it a publicity stunt? Or is it the start of a trend where businesses re-evaluate social media and find it lacking?
Psychological ownership is a familiar concept of consumer behaviour. If people think they already own something, they are much more likely to buy it. So you can get potential purchasers of anything you sell to feel more willing to buy if they already feel they own the product or service. By creating a sense of ownership, people are more likely to buy from you.
The All Purpose Required Internet Limits (APRIL) are being pushed through in a hurry before Brexit so that online activity can be controlled. Already, plans are advanced and the Federation Of Online Limiters (FOOL) has been established.
Are all your eggs in one basket? by Graham Jones
Artificial Intelligence and consumer behaviour go well together. Consumer behaviour is difficult to analyse as it varies a great deal. Often, you need in-depth studies to see what is going on. Artificial intelligence (AI) can cut through that and give you ideas on how to sell more.
Hashtags are highly popular yet most are, frankly, useless. Some appear to be able to garner huge support, such as #metoo, but others fade into obscurity. Hashtags also polarise and change behaviour. So they might not be as valuable as we think.
The question that I have been asked more times than any other this week has been “should I give up using Facebook?” Well, billionaire Elon Musk has done so, removing Tesla and his other brands from Facebook. The founder of WhatsApp (bought from him by Facebook four years ago) Tweeted …
Facebook is under fire from all directions. Business investors are losing confidence. Governments are threatening legislation. Users are engaging less. We could be witnessing the beginning of the end of Facebook. Or we could be watching the emergence of a new style social network. Either way, there are huge implications.
Outside working could have significant benefits for your business. Research shows that we learn more and remember more when we are in the open air, than when we are inside a building. It seems that being indoors affects our attention.
Next week I am off to the NEC in Birmingham to the “Internet Retailing Expo” where there are over 300 exhibitors and more than 100 speakers. Around 5,000 people attend the two-day event meaning there are a lot of Internet folk interested in seeing things in the “real world”. You …
It’s another week of coincidence. On Sunday evening, I was sent an email from Australia asking if I was interested in a “Guest Post” on my website about “cold calling”. Then, on Monday I had a request from the UK on my “newsletter question” page asking me about the same …