Gary Vee Explained: The Science of Social

Dr. Paul Zak believes Twitter interactions are chemically the same as physical interactions to the brain.

Neuroeconomist Paul Zak believes that internet social interaction affects the brain the same manner as face-to-face.  His studies at Claremont Graduate University (as reported by Fast Company ) lend credible evidence to this claim through MRI tracking of the hormone oxytocin.

Oxytocin, Zak claims, is a hormone released during social interaction and increases the likelyhood of a test subject to report feeling:

• trust
• empathy
• generosity
• love?

The Fast Company article chronicles his findings in three studies (please read it for details).

• One in which the presence of oxytocin increased the likelihood of generosity toward an unknown person in the classic economics “ultimatum game” (versus placebo).
• One in which the presence of oxytocin increased the likelihood of giving to a chartiable organization after watching a public service announcement for that cause (again versus placebo).
• One in-progress study in which he hypothesizes that oxytocin blood levels will rise from the use of internet based social media.  There is anecdotal evidence presented in the article to support his hypothesis.

The implications of the three findings above are immense.

• Social media can trigger oxytocin
• Oxytocin increases the likelihood of
  • favorable feelings
  • trust
  • generocity

It is not a huge leap to assume that an internet interaction which closely resembles a social interaction could also generate the same favorable outcomes.

How do I make a web site feel more like a social interaction?

This is (finally) where Gary Vaynerchuck comes in.  What would a web site that mimics a social interaction look like?  It would presumably have a face.  Perhaps a talking face?  Perhaps it would feel like a conversation with a friend?

Gary’s web sites (http://garyvaynerchuk.com/ and http://tv.winelibrary.com/) are video blogs.  They are essential Gary’s steam of consciousness about subjects for which he has extreme passion.  They feel like having a conversation with a real-life in-person guy from Jersey (kinda annoying, won’t let you get a word in).

But because it feels like this, people (I suspect strongly) begin to feel as though they actually have a relationship with Gary.  How does he foster this?  He interacts with his readers!  His email address is easy to find and he actually responds.  His presence on twitter in far more interactive than anyone with any level of celebrity.  For the folks with whom he interacts, the online relationship is chemically identical to a real-world one.

Who are you going to buy from?  A corporation, or your friend?

Buy Gary Vaynerchuck’s book: Crush It!

Flicker Credit for Gary Vaynerchuck: Affiliate Summit