The term “social engineering” first surfaced in 1894 in an essay written by JC Van Marken. Although rare then, social engineering has been in the spotlight since the late 1990s, mainly due to its use in cyberattacks.
Despite the nefarious connotation associated with the term, social engineering is not only used by those trying to access information they shouldn’t. It is also regularly used in marketing in an attempt to boost sales or drive traffic.
If you’re interested in social engineering or are wondering if marketers have ever used it on you, join us as we look at how social engineering typically appears in marketing.
What Is Social Engineering?
Essentially, social engineering is the ability to manipulate, influence, or deceive people to gain access to classified information or do something you, as an engineer, want them to do.
Because social engineering targets psychological weaknesses to play on your emotions, it is commonly referred to as human hacking. In other words, it causes people to react or behave in the desired way by whomever is employing the tactic.
Social Engineering in Marketing
Although it is unclear when exactly social engineering made its way into marketing, influencing people to make purchase decisions has been around for generations. There are seven main ways it is used in marketing.
Each uses a unique method to connect with consumers and plays on various emotions to make the advertisement appealing enough that consumers who see it will act upon it.
Scarcity Marketing
Scarcity marketing is one of the most common forms of social engineering found in advertising. This refers to a brand or company creating a sense of urgency to purchase a product or service. Typically, this is done through limited stock quantities or sales valid for a short period.
While this may seem commonplace, it is a form of social engineering that stimulates the emotion of fear among consumers that they may be missing out on the deal of a lifetime. This creates a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) that encourages impulsive purchases that may not have been made if no time or quantity limit was present.
Reciprocity
It is human nature to reciprocate favors to those who extend them to us. Reciprocity marketing exploits this tendency by offering free samples, trials, and simple gifts in exchange for encouraging a purchase or subscription later on.
This tactic is widely used by companies ranging from service providers to the online casinos found on casinos.com. Although it yields excellent results for companies, it has also been known to backfire when some consumers begin to exploit it to take advantage of free trials or gifts using different accounts.
Social Proof Marketing
Despite our individuality as humans, the need to follow the crowd is ingrained in many of us. Social proof marketing knows this well and exploits the desire to fit in with others by using testimonials and reviews offered by people who have already purchased a product or service.
Endorsements, such as those by celebrities with a significant following, also fall under social proof marketing. By endorsing a brand, these celebrities can influence fans to make purchases even if they are pricier than the usual brand the consumers would support.
Influencer Marketing
Like social proof marketing, influencer marketing takes advantage of a person’s influence over others to encourage them to purchase in a particular way. This marketing method has become increasingly popular recently, with many influencers signing deals with companies to promote their products or services.
Unlike social proof, this marketing method doesn’t rely on a person’s actual experience using a particular brand. Instead, it depends on the trustworthiness or authority of the influencer to encourage the purchase—regardless of whether they use the item themselves.
Association Marketing
Association marketing (or liking) uses social engineering to generate a positive association between consumers and a particular brand through sharing relatable stories and scenarios, content, or humor.
This type of marketing exploits the tendency of consumers to be influenced more by things or people they like. By creating this liking, consumers may find themselves more willing to make a purchase.
Emotional and Empathetic Engineering
Despite being used more by non-profit and social benefit organizations than companies, emotional and empathetic marketing yields great results. This type of social engineering uses a specific message or content to tug on consumers’ heartstrings and encourage them to donate or make a purchase.
This is done by activating a variety of emotions, including nostalgia, heartbreak, pity, fear, or playing on people’s dreams and aspirations. Each of these can influence a person’s willingness to act and drive sales or donations.
Personalization
Personalization marketing has grown significantly in recent years due to preference tracking online and data mining undertaken by companies. As a result, it has allowed brands to offer more personalized ads to consumers that relate specifically to what they want, like, and need.
Not only does this type of marketing allow consumers to find what they’re looking for more quickly, but it also exploits people’s interests and behavior to make them feel more valued and noticed. This, in turn, encourages purchases and influences decisions regarding which brands to support.
Conclusion
Social engineering may still be predominantly referenced in how it is used in cyberattacks and hacking. However, it is used (possibly even more so) in the day-to-day advertising consumers see to try and influence their purchasing habits.
By cleverly exploiting human emotions and tendencies, social engineering marketing ensures that companies can increase sales while building a perceived connection with each consumer.