Think you’re shopping online and you’re buying a new pair of shoes. You see two almost identical pairs. The first one has 15 reviews with a 4.5-star rating, and the second, none at all. Which do you buy?
Exactly. The one with 15 reviews with a 4.5-star rating to give it more weight. That’s social proofing.
Image Source: https://trustpulse.com/examples-of-social-proof/
Social proof acts almost like an implanted cheat code to psychological behavior; it manipulates one of the simplest human instincts: the human desire for social community and wise decision-making based on what other people do or say. And as a smart marketer or entrepreneur, properly exploiting this behavioral tendency is one of the sharpest tools in your arsenal- if you get it right, it’s going to be a tremendous upsurge of trust, friction reduction, and conversions.
In this blog post, I’ll break down how you can apply social proofing strategies to your business, explain why they’re so effective, and give you actionable tips on how to get started today.
So let’s get started.
What is Social Proof, and Why Does It Work?
In its most basic sense, social proof is the road to least resistance: people do what others are doing. If the cool kids are into it, then you have no reason not to be. That’s because no species on earth is as desperate for validation and reassurance from peers as it is in Homo sapiens. No one wants to be left out or make a bad call when money or reputation is on the line.
That’s why we read ‘Yelp’ reviews before choosing a restaurant or check ‘Amazon’ star ratings before clicking “Buy Now”. We trust others’ experiences. And in today’s world of social media, online shopping, and endless content to digest, using social proof is no longer a nice-to-have but a necessity.
The 5 Types of Social Proof (And How to Use Them)
- The Proof Is in the Pudding: User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is, quite literally, gold. It’s real people demonstrating real passion for your brand, your products, or your services. And it’s content created by users, not by your marketing team-so there’s an authenticity baked into it that paid ads or branded content just can’t match.
Here’s where you can start using UGC:
- Use the hashtags on Instagram and TikTok: Urge your customers to tag you wherever they have posted about your product, post, or even in stories. Request their consent in helping them feature in your social media. Such engagement by potential buyers puts people at ease in buying from you since they can see other people using your product.
- Customer reviews in action: Show UGC on your product pages. Rather than a static five-star rating, be sure to show photos, or testimonials, from actual customers using your product. For beauty brands, think “before and after” shots; for fashion e-commerce, “styled in real life.”.
- Pro tip: When you are hosting a contest or giveaway, be sure to ask users for user-generated content as part of entering. You win, and they get to win something cool. It’s a win-win.
- Quick Confidence Builders: Testimonials
Who doesn’t love blowing their own horn? Let your happy customers do it for you. Testimonials are an easy, digestible way to add some credibility to your business. When done right, they rapidly build trust.
But not all testimonials are created equal. Here’s how to maximize their impact:
- Specific: “This product is great” is… nice, but so is the lawn outside. What you really want are testimonials that are concrete about how your product or service has solved a problem. “This software reduced our onboarding time by 50%” is much more compelling.
- Include pictures and names: Anonymous testimonials aren’t nearly as powerful. Where possible, ask your customers to give you their name, title, and perhaps even a headshot.
- Video Testimonials: This could break the scroll by trend of today in blocks of text. Very personable and real and adds depth to trustability.
- Proof with data: Case studies
But testimonial evidence in itself is seldom enough to win over another business. That’s where the case study comes into play. Case studies can be better described as social proof on steroids: storytelling injected with hard facts that describe how your product or service helped solve a specific problem.
Here is how to create a compelling case study:
- Problem Presented: Describe the problem that your customer was facing when they first started using your product or service. Create a structure that can easily be applied to your intended customer.
- Solution Explained: Explain in detail how your product or service solved that problem step by step through the use of visuals: screenshots, charts, and process maps.
- Prove it with Data: The best case studies are data-driven. Use metrics that will ring a bell for your audience-increased revenue, costs cut in half or more, and improved efficiency.
- Pro tip: Post those case studies on your website and use them in email newsletters and on social media. Don’t be cheap-they’re not a sales pitch exclusive.
4. Leverage Their Trust: Influencers and Thought Leaders
For, after all, influencer marketing has gotten totally wild over the last few years, and there’s a darn good reason for that. When you partner with someone who has already gained some sizable following and enjoys a trusted reputation, you are, effectively, borrowing their social proof. And their audience trusts them.
But it is more than just paying a Kardashian to hawk your product (although, if that is in your range, go for it). Here are some ways to do it, no matter your budget:
- Micro-influencers: They may not be as crowded with followers, but often, the ones they do have are highly engaged. It can provide authentic endorsements from that specific demographic.
- Industry Experts and Thought Leaders: Find those within your industry who are considered experts or thought leaders. Perhaps that would be through guest blog posts, podcasts, or speaking at an event.
- Collaboration and Partnership: Extend beyond the social posts; co-create a product, or service, host an event together with an influencer, or offer a discount via the influencer’s platform.
- Authenticity: Your influencer needs to believe in your product, or the audience will sniff out a sales pitch from a mile away.
5. Let the Stats Speak for Themselves: The Power of Numbers
Sometimes, math is the best social proof. If you’ve had awesome stats that back your claims, share them.
Examples include:
Customers: “Join 50,000 happy customers” feels much more appealing than “Buy our product.”
Sales Figures: “We have sold more than 1 million” is enough. People instinctively want to jump on something considered worthwhile by other people.
Performance Measures: If your product saves time, increases revenues or increases efficiency, let the world know.
Don’t be afraid to play these numbers like a fiddle. Use them on your home page, subject lines in e-mails, and your product pages—where appropriate. They are powerful, simple, and instantly compelling.
How to Use Social Proof (Without Being Obnoxiously So)
Great. Now that we’ve looked at some of the different types of social proof let’s discuss how to apply them. And you can see really how incredibly powerful social proof is, but it also can be pretty overdone. Don’t make a client’s eyes glaze over with too many testimonials and statistics.
Here are some practical tips for adding social proof naturally into your customer journey:
- Start on Your Landing Page: If there is a space to deploy social proof, then it is undoubtedly on your landing page. That is where everything from a client testimonial and review to any mind-blowing statistics you might be able to find for your product or service resides. Don’t waste this space.
- Scatter Proof the Entire Customer Experience: Instead of loading all social proof on a single page, let it be an entire journey for them. Put them on product pages, in your checkout process through reviews, and in your email sequence through case studies.
- Show, not tell: Do not keep shouting about how good your product is. Show it. Your social proof in videos, pre-post shots, or screenshots of comments on social media will breathe the desired life into your offer.
- Test and Optimize: As in any marketing strategy, never be afraid to test and experiment. Perhaps video testimonials would work better than the text-based testimonies. Or maybe focused attention on a specific case study will do it better compared to general consumer reviews. These elements need to be tested with A/B testing that will actually determine what would best work with your audience.
Trust is the Currency of Today
Social proof is not some gimmick but a psychological element most deeply ingrained in every human being. Applied correctly, you will change your business. You’ll increase trust and lead those people to conversion through the proper usage of user-generated content, testimonials, case studies, influencer endorsements, and powerful statistics.
You’re honest, not showy: it is real; you’re using real people, real-life experiences, and accurate statistics. And when it comes to building that trust, everything else comes together.
Having said all of that, what do you have to lose? Go ahead and give one or more of these social proofing strategies a try today to get all set to start watching conversions multiply.