Recognizing False Consensus Effect in Social Media Marketing

Imagine you're developing a marketing campaign for your innovative fitness gear and you decide to market heavily on Instagram because all your colleagues and friends are avid Instagram users. Post-launch, you're surprised to see the campaign didn't perform as well as expected.

You wonder, "Why didn’t more people engage with our content on Instagram?" It doesn't add up until you come across a concept called the false consensus effect.

Understanding the False Consensus Effect

The false consensus effect is a cognitive bias where we overestimate how much other people agree with us, our beliefs, preferences, or behaviors. This effect can misguide marketers to believe their target audience shares their behaviors or that their products' appeal is universally recognized, often leading to underperforming campaigns.

Spotting False Consensus Effect

To notice where you might be falling for the false consensus effect, consider these clues:

  • Habitual Norms: If you're basing your marketing strategies on what's common amongst your peers or your own preferences, then you might be succumbing to the false consensus effect.
  • Alignment with Personal Views: If you design your campaign thinking that everyone will "get" your message because it aligns with your beliefs, this could be a red flag. The world is diverse, and not everyone will share your viewpoint.
  • Predicting Actions Based on Personal Decisions: If you're assuming most of your audience will take a specific action because that's what you would do, you're likely experiencing the false consensus effect.

Overcoming the False Consensus Effect

To overcome the risk of the false consensus effect, follow these steps:

  1. Do Your Research: Carry out comprehensive market research to understand your target audience, their behaviors, preferences, and dislikes.
  2. Diversify Your Team: Encourage diversity in your team to bring a variety of perspectives to the table that helps counteract individual biases.
  3. Test Your Assumptions: Continuously test and validate your assumptions with A-B testing, feedback, or surveys.

Activity

When planning your next social media marketing campaign, consciously question any assumptions you're making about your audience. Involve a diverse group in the planning process and back your decisions with data and research.

Conclusion

The false consensus effect can mislead you into believing your perceptions, ideas, and behaviors are more common than they actually are. By being aware of this cognitive bias, you can tailor your social media marketing strategies to be more relevant and effective for your target audience.

Test Your Understanding

Brands A and B both have a significant social media presence. Brand A analyzes their top-performing posts and bases their strategy on recreating them. Brand B, instead, interacts with their followers and caters to their expressed preferences. Which one is more likely demonstrating a better understanding of their audience:

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