If you’re out in public and have an emergency, “Somebody help me!” is a whole lot less effective than saying, “You in the blue jacket, dial 911!”

There’s an old psychology experiment (if someone can recall the source, please remind me, as I can’t find it) demonstrating that specific requests trump general ones. I was reminded of this experiment when I saw an article by the word-of-mouth marketing geniuses at GasPedal. In In “How to Get Your Fans to Take Action,” they say,

A large fan base is nice, but it’s when you get them to take action that it really pays off. Here’s how:

1> Be specific
2> Make it easy
3> Acknowledge them

1> Be specific
Get fans moving by giving them something specific to act on. Rather than asking for general support, ask for specific things like reviews, volunteers, testimonials, feedback on a new product, donation amounts — whatever. By keeping your requests specific, your fans will know exactly how you need help.

2> Make it easy
People are busy — and while they would love to help you, they don’t always have the time to join in complicated campaigns on your behalf. Make things simpler by removing unnecessary steps, giving them links to where they need to go, and outlining specific instructions on whatever you’re asking. The easier you can make the process, the more likely fans are to participate.

3> Acknowledge them
When a fan shows their support for you, make a big deal about it. Thank them, acknowledge them in front of other fans, and highlight the results of their efforts. Sooner or later, you’re going to be asking your fans to take action again — make it easier next time by showing everyone how much fan support means to your business.

Making Mediation Your Day Job by Tammy Lenski is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Based on a work at MakingMediationYourDayJob.Lenski.com.