Posting strategy: how Machiavelli would use forums
I see some instances where good posts can get lost.
Here are some tips on how to post effectively:
- Post during a lull to get most interest: the more the open threads, the more you're dealing with divided attention
- Post when there is less interesting stuff going on to attract the best minds: if there are juicy threads the top contributors are busy with, those threads will get most attention from them. Post when there is little going on and you get the FULL attention
- Breadcrumb your new threads: the more threads you open, the more it feels like you're asking / taking. 3-4 new threads in 2 days frames you as a taker EVEN IF those threads are valuable to anyone.
Plus, you cannibalize yourself with many threads open in a row.
- Contribute to other people's posts, then post the day after: basic give and take, but Machiavelli wouldn't be too obvious about it
- Use "you" in the title: "how do YOU do X" beats "how TO do X" as people feel personally asked, as well as more valued -and ultimately, more likely to share-
Albeit these are good for the individual poster, they're also good for the community.
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Another Machiavellian social exchange power move:
- Frame your problem as big: the bigger the problem, the bigger the (emotional) reward to solve it, the bigger the status boost people get in the community, and the bigger incentive for people to help
- Frame your problem as a major stumbling block for you: similar as above, but focused on you. Now people have an incentive to help because it means more credit with you. Of course, that only works if you've been thanking people
NOTE: but still you gotta deliver this high-power and emotionally controlled, you want to avoid the "cry wolf" approach that is quite low-value
For example:
Guys, I'm looking for ways to train power dynamics and PU techniques.
I've been wreakign my brain on how to best internalize and make these techniques become more natural, faster.
But so far I'm stumped and couldn't come up with much.
Only:
- List
- list
How have you guys learned this stuff, or how are you learning it?
Any tip you can share?
As usual, it's best to only do these things when they're real.
Many people have a natural instinct at sniffing Machiavellian takers over time -and especially the higher-value people-.
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- Post during a lull to get most interest: the more the open threads, the more you're dealing with divided attention
I tried doing that, and I ended up never posting those threads because I run into some other power move situation.
Now I have a bunch of posts lying in my notetaking app.
It might be a good thing though.
It means that I'm not taking up too much value.
- Post when there is less interesting stuff going on to attract the best minds: if there are juicy threads the top contributors are busy with, those threads will get most attention from them. Post when there is little going on and you get the FULL attention
This forum seems to always have interesting stuff going on.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Although there's certainly a luller period from time to time.
I think the problem for less regular posters is that they don't monitor the forum so often.
- Breadcrumb your new threads: the more threads you open, the more it feels like you're asking / taking. 3-4 new threads in 2 days frames you as a taker EVEN IF those threads are valuable to anyone.
Plus, you cannibalize yourself with many threads open in a row.
I think this is okay when all the threads have value-adding intentions.
Am I reading this correctly?
Although I can also see a benefit of spacing out your value-adding posts.
It reminds people that you are consistently value-adding.
The problem is again the above.
I put the idea on my notetaking app then I realised I got some new other idea.
Then, I decide to post that idea instead.
So nowadays, I just post whenever I want.
- Contribute to other people's posts, then post the day after: basic give and take, but Machiavelli wouldn't be too obvious about it
My strategy is to contribute regularly so I get the reputation of adding value.
Then, I can post whenever I have rainy days.
Thanks Lucio, this is very helpful!
When using swearing in the forum:
Customer reviews are more persuasive when they contain profanity.
Some websites (e.g., Amazon, TripAdvisor) don’t allow reviews with profanity, but a new study shows that profanity is damn persuasive (Lafreniere, Moore, & Fisher, 2022).
Turns out, swearing is persuasive because:
- Stronger Meaning. Swear words (e.g., damn) communicate more intensity than standard adverbs (e.g., very).
- Reviewer is Passionate. Taboo words are socially risky, so the reviewer seems more passionate about their feelings by taking this risk.
Based on 300,000 reviews from Amazon and Yelp, reviews with a small amount of profanity received more helpful votes (Lafreniere, Moore, & Fisher, 2022).
This is from Kolenda.
So, if you agree, your takeaways as a forum poster would be:
- Use Some Profanity: Profanity is helpful in small doses. But posts with many swear words become less persuasive because readers attribute this behavior to the poster's personality (vs. genuine feelings).
- Avoid Censoring Your Profanity: because censored statements (e.g., d*mn) weakens the emotion OR
- Censor With Multiple Asterisks: if you'd prefer to censor your swearing. Since profanity is persuasive, you should emphasize these words and multiple asterisks (e.g., holy s***) might grab more attention than a single asterisk (e.g., holy sh*t) OR
- Replace With Euphemistic Versions: as an alternative to censorship (since censorship reduces persuasiveness because it dilutes the intended emotion). If possible, replace profanity with euphemisms (e.g., frick, friggen, darn).
*Based on Nick Kolenda's recent research on the effects of swear words.
Yeah, overall it seems to make sense.
I wouldn't necessarily agree with the censoring, but adding more asterisks does seem to be more "eye-grabbing" though.
Overall, it's a bit like the "passionate dominance" with Sgarbi's example in PU (yelling and swearing in parliament).
Yes, it grabs attention, though depending on the situation, I think you may lose some authority.
A like may say "it grabbed my attention" and "this man's passion is contagious", but it doesn't necessarily say "he comes across as high authority", "he comes across as very knowledgeable" or "you persuaded me".
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Quote from Lucio Buffalmano on September 22, 2022, 7:21 pmA like may say "it grabbed my attention" and "this man's passion is contagious", but it doesn't necessarily say "he comes across as high authority", "he comes across as very knowledgeable" or "you persuaded me".
Good point.
Not exactly a forum, but still an interesting case of asking a question:
He asks under a post.
And TPM's Twitter is small enough that any "like" would register.
It would have been so easy for him to click "like" on the post he's replying to before asking.
When he doesn't, not only it's a missed opportunity, but it sub-communicates very loudly that he doesn't get that give and take are the foundations of fair win-win (and of respect as well, since being short-changed makes the other person a sucker).
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