Leveraging Maslow’s Pyramid

Apple has been making tech since the 70s. But when they launched the first iPhone in 2007, they created a deeper need… Belonging. And it wasn’t about the phone itself. The need was about being cool enough to be an iPhone user, being part of an elite crowd who were in the know. The iPhone user was the interesting, creative, and well-respected person in the room. And everyone wanted to be this person. Early adopters are often what causes a product “Tipping Point” that then reaches the masses. Apple leaned into that hard and was able to launch an enormous community through their ecosystem of products– The Apple Community. So even though Windows, Samsung, and all the other competitors sell great products for half the price… Apple users generally stay with the Apple family.

Creating this shared identity was powerful because people love being Apple users.

That’s why today, we’re looking through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to understand why it’s smart to meet multiple needs. Especially the need to belong.

Let’s dive in.

The Psychology of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow gave us a hierarchy of needs that drive human behavior.

Here’s a fun fact. Maslow didn’t believe you have to fulfill each need 100% before moving up the hierarchy. He thought the priority of needs could change depending on the situation.

As a lens for understanding what people “need” from your videos, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is very useful.

Especially because modern research suggests people are influenced by these types of needs simultaneously.

Now, I hope your viewers have their physiological needs met. So let’s assume videos are a practical way to meet the higher-level needs.

Here are some examples:

• Safety needs– finance or workout content
• Esteem needs–public speaking content
• Self-actualization–personal growth or productivity content

But few videos make us feel like we belong and that’s a missed opportunity.

Inside Your Viewer’s Mind

Your viewer has a primary need, the reason they found your video. They expect you to meet that need. But their other human needs don’t disappear.

So most people will take the chance to connect with you if you create the opportunity.

Humans are built for community and they yearn for the sense of being understood.

Creating reliability with your videos and remembering not to ignore our basic desires for relationship and being part of social groups is crucial to not only attracting but retaining viewers.

The most successful brands and entrepreneurs try to build a sense of belonging for their audience. Like Apple did.

Now How Do We Apply This to Video?

When it comes to Strategy:

First, know your version of “the iPhone user”, figure out what they care about, and build your ecosystem for them.

Viewers should know instantly if your community is or isn’t for them.

At Hot Sauce Video, we use the Solar System Methodology to check that everything we publish is for our core audience.

We then know all of the following about our video:

• What it’s about?
• How to package it?
• Why we made it?
• Who we made it for?
• Where it will live?
• What job it will do for us?
• How we will measure the results?
• What changes we will make to insure the next video is better?

When it comes to Story:

Information is nice, but stories are powerfully relatable. People need to relate to you if they’re going to feel a sense of community and belonging.

Kylie Sakaida is a registered dietitian on Instagram who shows people how to make healthy eating easy. And she taps into our need to belong well with her “what I eat in a day” stories.

A lot of nutritionists use that same story to show how their diet is healthier than ours (for credibility). It feels like judgment though, not a sense of belonging.

Kylie’s different. She shows us that she eats the same foods we do when she doesn’t have a lot of energy. Like frozen food.

That makes her relatable as she shows us how to make this frozen meal more nutritious. So now she’s someone we want to know, like, and trust.

When it comes to Confidence:

Your confidence helps viewers decide if you are “safe” to connect with.

2 things can show you’re confident: looking like you belong on camera and creating opportunities to connect with your audience.

That can look like:

• Asking your viewers questions
• Sharing personal stories
• Responding to your viewers’ comments
• Being vulnerable and occasionally self deprecating
• Collaborating with other creators instead of trying to “one up” them

And here’s the meta part. When you show up confident, people see and respect that.

You are climbing Maslow’s pyramid naturally through your content.

This helps you meet your higher-level needs for esteem and eventually self-actualization when your work feels aligned, meaningful and uniquely yours.

Bringing a community along with you for the ride!

In A Spicy Nutshell

Your videos should meet the practical need that brought people in — but don’t stop there.

To leverage Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:

• Understand your version of the iPhone user and how your content ecosystem meets their needs.
• Design a message that makes viewers feel like they belong in your ecosystem.
• Create real opportunities to connect so people can know, like, and trust you.

Until next time, keep it spicy.

P.S. Check out this video explaining the entire Solar System Methodology.

P.P.S. Click here to skip all this, and work with us directly.