What Is Social Proof And How to Use It In Your Marketing
Best ways how you can use social proof in your marketing to boost your signup and conversion rates!
In this article, we're going to talk about what is social proof and why you absolutely need to use it in your marketing if you want to improve your results.
Social proof isn't something invented by modern marketers. It has existed in many areas of our life for a long time and is based on a psychological phenomenon to look at others when we need to figure out the right way to act in an unknown situation.
Let's say you're looking for a place to have lunch in a city you haven't been to before. If you see a restaurant with only a few people inside, you may assume that the food there isn't great. While if you see a crowded place, you most likely will think that the food there is delicious and you're more likely to go there for lunch.
You may also check the recommendations for the restaurants online and decide where to go based on the ratings and reviews from other people.
Both cases are examples of social proof - offline and online.
What Is Social Proof?
Simply put, social proof is any piece of evidence from peers or authority figures that verifies a product, service, opinion, etc.
It works because people tend to copy the actions of others when they need to make a decision. Therefore, they consciously or subconsciously get influenced by the choices and opinions of other people.
Some brands and entrepreneurs realized that social proof has a huge potential in marketing. So, they started using it in different ways to influence the purchase decisions of their potential customers.
Think about it!
Your potential buyers will trust recommendations and reviews from other people more than ads from your brand.
That's why using social proof in your marketing can boost your conversion and ultimately generate more sales.
5 Types Of Social Proof
Building social proof is the best way for people to learn about your product. And here are various forms of social proof you can leverage.
- Expert social proof - an expert in your niche, like a blogger or an industry leader, recommends your product or service. For example, a highly successful affiliate marketer recommends your course about affiliate marketing.
- Celebrity social proof - a celebrity endorses your product/service. Celebrity endorsements are used a lot in TV commercials, but they also work great in online marketing. And while you may not afford to hire a world-famous celebrity, you can team up with influencers who have a big following in your niche.
- User social proof - this is one of the most powerful types of social proof. When your current users recommend your product based on their experience with it, it creates credibility and helps gain new customers.
- Wisdom of the crowd - showing that a large group of people is using or endorsing your product. Stating that a large number of people choose your product implies "so many people can't be wrong." That's why phrases like "Most popular post", "Most customers choose", "X users all over the world" are extremely persuasive.
- Wisdom of friends - people consider your product worth using because their friends are using or recommending it.
How To Use Social Proof In Your Business
1. Reviews & Testimonials
Ratings and reviews from your existing customers influence the buying decision of your potential customers drastically. Don't underestimate them!
61% of customers read online reviews before choosing to buy a product or service. Therefore, the more positive reviews you collect, the more proof your potential customers have that your product is worth buying.
You can place testimonials from your happy customers on your website so your prospects see them when they land on your page.
Even a short testimonial from someone who says your product solved their issue can help persuade your potential buyer.
Fortunately, there are enough social proof tools that help you collect testimonials and show them on your website. With the help of these tools, you can also display pop-up notifications on your website showing recent sign-ups or purchases.
2. Influencer Endorsements
One of the reasons social proof works so great is that people imitate the actions of others. And the people we respect have the strongest influence on our decisions.
That's why having an endorsement for your product from an influencer in your niche is so powerful.
You can often see such endorsements on the covers or first pages of the books. However, they'll also work great on your website.
A recommendation from an authoritative person in your industry makes fewer people question your product and more people buy it.
3. Badges & Media Logos
The "as seen in" media showcase is another classic example of social proof. If your product was featured or reviewed in one of the prominent news media, you may want to show it on your website to build even more credibility and trust.
The same applies to badges, awards, certifications, etc., that your product won. You may display them on your website as well.
4. Users Count
As mentioned above, people believe that if a crowd uses a product, it should be good. You can leverage this by showing the number of users, subscribers, clients, etc.
Take a look at the example below! The users count together with the names of big brands to help persuade website visitors to join the newsletter.
When people see the impressive number of subscribers, they automatically assume that the information shared in the newsletter should be valuable if so many people are reading his newsletter. So they jump right in.
5. Clients
Sharing your clients' logos (especially if you have big companies as clients) helps build credibility and trust. Again, your prospects will be more willing to purchase from you if they see that other companies use your product or service.
Besides the clients' logos, you can show their testimonials.
Social proof is undoubtedly a powerful tool that you can use in your marketing.
People always look for proof to justify their purchases. So don't make them search for it - provide it on your page.
Considering that we tend to trust the reviews and testimonials from other customers or influencers, leveraging this fact should boost your conversion rates.
Now, the only thing left to do is check out our list of the best social proof tools and choose the one that fits your needs.
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