The Conformity Bias – from You are Not so Smart1, by David McRaney
TRUTH: It takes little more than an authority figure or social pressure to get you to obey, because conformity is a survival instinct.
Be aware: Your desire to conform is strong and unconscious. Sometimes, like at a family dinner, the desire to keep everyone happy and to adhere to social conventions is a good thing. It keeps you close and connected to the norms that make it easier to work together in the modern world. But also be aware of the other side – the dark places that conformity can lead to. Never be afraid to question authority when your actions could harm yourself or others. Even in simple situations, like the next time you see a line of people waiting to get into a classroom or a movie or a restaurant, feel free to break norms – go check the door and look inside.(pg 170)
Good advice. Be aware that in the context of business, marketing, and (dare I suggest it) social media, conformity may not have any rationality at all. The true warrior adds the Conformity Bias to their toolkit, and understands that the way of the prehistoric mind (which governs so much of our waking behaviour) is part and parcel of the hunt. Remember, kills equals new business. So how do you use the Conformity Bias to your advantage? Where is the authority figure in your landscape? Is there more than one? Who has the most influence? How do you get those authority figures to direct the traffic to you? This is where you really need to get to work. Get the authority figures you need pointing in your direction, and find many authority figures in many domains. Get conformance working for you. Watch out for your own conformance, and continually evaluate how conformance works to your advantage.
Now warriors, go out and get in line. So it has been written.