The Evolution of “Social Interaction” to “Social Marketing”
by Dan Fredricks
Humans are absolute social beings. We have evolved this trait over hundreds of millennia to ensure our success in the two major aspects of life—survival and reproduction. Understanding that we have been hardwired by evolution to be profoundly social is a major advantage to healthcare marketers. This knowledge will enable you to develop strategies and tactics for more effective marketing to patients.
Having a social marketing plan consists of more than simply participating in social media. While the likes of Facebook and blog posts in social media are a requisite in today’s world, there are other traditional marketing tactics available for you to employ to influence your audience.
The evolution of the social human being
Humans are hardwired to seek acceptance in the tribe rather than independence. Our prehistoric ancestors who were alienated by the tribe were doomed to wander the harsh, unforgiving savanna forests and grasslands of eastern Africa. It was a literal death sentence to be left alone to survive.
Popular consensus in science concludes one of the primary reasons humans developed such large brains—an estimated 700,000 years ago—was to facilitate the ability to interact socially. Advanced cognitive skills allowed our ancestors to interact, communicate, and deal with the many social matters that came with belonging to the tribe. The more successful they were at socializing, the more their chances of surviving and reproducing would increase.
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