Pride

Pride really isn’t the sin it used to be. In the 21st Century, with the advent of social media, it appears that we more often ask, “Have you no pride?” when confronted with yet more drunken party photos, as if pride is a positive attribute (self-esteem) that arbitrates in matters of taste.

These days, the sense in which pride is bad is probably best summed up by the word hubris—arrogance, loss of touch with reality, overestimating one’s capabilities, thinking that you can do no wrong. In the Greek tragedies, hubris leads the hero to pick a fight with the gods and thus be punished with death for his insolence. These days, it’s called overextending your credit.

Provide reasons for people to use: If you expect that users will be conflicted about the product or service you offer, provide them with many reasons they can use to prevent cognitive dissonance and keep their pride intact.

Dispel doubt by repeating positive messages: Hearing the same positive message several times from different trusted sources will provide the social proof that helps users form a decision.

Personal messages hit home: Messages aimed directly at the user grab attention. Messages that come from friends and trusted others have even more effect.

Gain public commitment to a decision: Make a user’s decision public and they will feel more inclined to carry through with the action and defend the decision.

Change opinions by emphasizing general similarities: People don’t like to change opinions and will ignore counterfactual information. Instead, give them information that shows how similar your desired position is to their current opinion.

Use images of certification and endorsement: Membership of third party certification schemes is cheap in comparison to the conversions it can produce. Or just make up your own certification, promise, or guarantee.

Help people complete a set: The compulsion to collect, to be complete, drives people to action. Start them down the path by giving them some initial items in the collection “free”, then show them the empty spaces and the task they need to perform to fill those spaces.

Pander to people’s desire for order: Capitalize on people’s compulsion to be tidy. Make them “tidy up” by giving you the information you want or completing the tasks you require.