What is Appeal To Ego Sharing?

There may not be a recorded history of the term "Appeal to Ego Sharing," but the technique is as old as marketing itself.

Essentially, it leverages our natural instinct to want to feel good about ourselves and appear impressive to others. The inclination toward social validation and one-upmanship can be very powerful, motivating people even without them consciously registering it.

Appeal to Ego Sharing is the use of marketing strategies that make the user feel good about themselves when they share content or products. It can boost traffic by motivating people to share with their networks, primarily because it adds to their personal image or reputation. This tactic can be remarkably effective as users will often willingly become brand ambassadors, spreading promotional messages among their friends or followers. They share more because they feel good, that they're doing something beneficial for both themselves and others.

Examples of Appeal To Ego Sharing

1. High-End Fashion Brands: Many luxury brands rely on this tactic by creating an aura of exclusiveness around their products. When customers share these products on their platforms, it amplifies their status among their peers.

2. Fitness and Health Apps: These applications often use badges, achievements, and public leaderboards to stimulate ego sharing. If you run your first marathon or achieve a personal best, the app would encourage you to share this success with your social network.

3. Online Courses and Learning Platforms: After completion of a course, these platforms encourage users to share their certificates or badges. This not only promotes the platform but also the user's commitment to self-improvement, appealing to their ego.

4. Charities and Non-Profits: When people donate to a charity, they often get a badge or post they can share indicating they've made a difference. This is an appeal to ego sharing: the sharer feels good and looks good to their friends.

5. Referral Programs: If a service gives unique perks for sharing and referring friends, like premium access or bonuses, it reinforces the sharer's image while promoting the service.

Marketing Tactics Similar to Appeal To Ego Sharing

• Influencer Marketing: This involves partnering with influential people to tap into their audiences. It works because followers value the influencer's opinion and want to imitate them.
• Gamification: It uses gaming mechanics in a non-game context to drive user engagement and sharing. Same as Appeal to Ego Sharing, it often involves earning rewards, thus boosting the user's ego.
• Content Marketing: Designed to provide value, it acknowledges the sharer's insightful taste - 'see, I found this great article/post' - which is a boost to the ego.
• Social Proof: Uses testimonials, reviews, and social media mentions. Just like Appeal to Ego Sharing, it taps into our desire to match or exceed others' behavior.

Link to this page

If you share this content in your blog post or email newsletter, you can use the tool below to quickly copy and paste the link.