I’m usually focused on how to find and ditch your gravity. Today, I want to share a bit on how to use Gravity to your advantage.
Yes, sometimes Gravity is a positive thing for your business.
Gravity happens because we learn to like and be comfortable with certain things about our business and personal lives. We grow accustomed to (make that attached to) everything from our beliefs to our specific ways of doing things to the brands we buy.
That means as marketers we can use Gravity to our advantage.
I know, you thought I was all about defying gravity. I am – when it comes to your own business or personal life. But in the past few months, I’ve discovered another side of Gravity.
Marketers and sales folk can use the presence of Gravity to create stickiness for our brands and products.
Here’s an example of how vendors leveraged Gravity to create user loyalty – or ignored Gravity to just plain tick users off.
TweetDeck I have a love-hate relationship with TweetDeck. I know many of us do. It can be flaky, slow, frustrating as all get out. in my experience, HootSuite is a much more stable platform. And yet I keep going back to TweetDeck. Why?
Because I’m used to the interface. I love that black background. It’s how I learned to use Twitter. It’s what I grew accustomed to as my Twitter tool. And yes, Hootie has the Magnum theme that has a black background. But it’s just not the same to me. That simple TweetDeck interface is my Gravity – and it keeps me hanging onto TweetDeck no matter what. I don’t know if the folks at TweetDeck understood how to use Gravity when they created that reverse color interface – but it surely works to keep me coming back. No matter how ticked off I get when TweetDeck inevitably locks up my MacBook, I reboot and head back to the Deck.
Facebook and LinkedIn Here’s an example of not using gravity to your advantage. Let’s look at the same aspect – the Facebook and LinkedIn interface. They change those interfaces more often than I change my socks (oops, did I just admit that?). Yes, I’m being facetious. But the fact is, everybody complains about how often Facebook and LinkedIn changes things up – just for the sake of change.
That’s a huge hole that a competitor (such as Google+) can (and should) use to their advantage. Many high-tech vendors have learned the hard way that users don’t want their interfaces changed. They want to get and remain comfortable with the way they interact with applications – including social media. That’s user Gravity in action – and it gives us a leg up – if we pay attention and use it.
Apple If you want the ultimate example of using Gravity to create brand loyalty? Look at the Apple interface. The same great interface from your iPhone to your iPad to your Mac to….. talk about creating innovation and Gravity all in the same swoop. And you wonder why we Apple users are so loyal?
What aspects of Gravity can you use to create user stickiness for your product or brand?
