Traditional marketing has leveraged social proof for years.
We’ve seen orthodontists on TV recommending the best toothpaste for sensitive teeth. Or overly excited customer testimonials printed in newspapers and magazines.
But people don’t trust ads and brands anymore.
They trust other people more.
And the internet has made that increasingly possible.
With digital technology, using social proof to your brand’s advantage is easier and more important than ever. In fact, it has pretty much become a necessity.
This article will help you understand what social proof is, why it’s important, and how you can use it to grow your business.
What is Social Proof?
By definition, social proof is the concept that people are more likely to conform to the actions of other people.
Think about it. Would you choose an empty restaurant over one overflowing with customers?
Probably not.
You’ll most likely assume the empty restaurant isn’t good enough. Or that the restaurant with lots of customers inside serves tasty food.
That’s social proof in action.
In the online world, social proof can come from tons of different sources, including expert opinions, celebrity endorsements, social media, other customers, certifications, peers, and more.
And leveraging it smartly can do wonders for your brand.
Why Social Proof is Important for Your Business
Fun fact: Nearly 70% of online consumers look at product reviews before deciding to buy something.
The power of social proof is undeniable. People are constantly looking for evidence to make sure any product they purchase meets their expectations.
And they’re looking for it where they’re spending most of their time: digital media.
For online businesses, social proof is even more important. That’s because potential customers have no other reliable source to count on before making a purchase.
Without your product in their hands, they turn to the one source they trust the most; other people.
Now, even though you can’t always control the social discussions of your product on the internet, you can utilize positive social proof to maximize your business and marketing efforts.
Positive social proof can boost your conversions, drive more traffic to your website, increase your sales, and improve your brand image.
But remember, negative social proof can be just as powerful. And destructive.
Now that you understand how important social proof is, let’s find out how to turn it into an advantage for your business.
How to Leverage Social Proof for Your Brand
To benefit from social proof, you need to know how to use it properly.
If you don’t, you’ll miss out on a huge opportunity to increase your conversions, sales, growth, and more.
Tons of brands creatively use social proof to maximize the conversion rates of their websites, landing pages, social media, and ads.
Here are 7 proven strategies for leveraging social proof online for your business:
The biggest social proof is often the word of another customer.
In fact, around 92% of customers would trust a recommendation from a peer, whereas 70% would trust one coming from someone they don’t even know.
An effective strategy to drive conversions is to keep an eye out for positive testimonials and reviews by existing customers, and then showcasing them your website or social media page.
Here’s how Shopify proudly displays selected customer testimonials on its website:
Notice how the eCommerce giant made sure to accompany the testimonials with the customers’ names and company logos. This further establishes credibility and trust in the minds of new visitors.
Along with testimonials, ratings and reviews also go a long way in giving potential customers the confidence they need to make a purchase.
The skincare brand, Mario Badescu, encourages customers to leave feedback and ratings under each product.
The fact that these reviews are left by actual customers makes new visitors more likely to trust the good things they have to say about the products.
Of course, to get good reviews you first need to ensure your product meets customer expectations. If your product is great, positive reviews and ratings will follow.
Sometimes, just showing people evidence of customers actually using your product is enough.
“If enough people are using it, surely it must be good.”
User-generated content is a great source of powerful social proof for potential customers, and can be used in many different ways.
On Instagram, ASOS asks customers to post pictures of themselves wearing their products with a branded hashtag #AsSeenOnMe.
The retail brand then features selected pictures on their Instagram account, along with the username of the customer.
This strategy is extremely effective because it’s beneficial for all three parties involved; ASOS, existing customers, and potential customers.
The brand gets to showcase people using its products (more social proof!), potential customers get to see how these products look on other customers, and existing customers get tons of exposure to ASOS’s huge following. Win-win-win!
We’ve already discussed how people trust other people more than brands.
Influencers are “other people”, but a lot more powerful.
They are typically experts or opinion leaders in their niche, and people listen to what they have to say. They’re an effective source of social proof and can bring your brand tons of exposure with their massive following.
Daniel Wellington reaches out to influencers by sending them a watch and asking them to post a picture with a personalized discount code for their followers:
Reaching out to influencers in your niche, or even celebrities, can maximize the effect of promoting your product.
Instead of believing what a sponsored post on Instagram has to say, your customers would rather listen to their favorite blogger talk about the same product.
Influencer marketing has grown rapidly in all kinds of niches.
In fact, it has further branched out to include micro-influencer marketing, which is basically targeting relevant, niche influencers with a smaller, but highly active and loyal fan base.
Case studies can also be called long-form social proof.
They are high-authority sources of social proof full of real statistics and results. And they leverage the idea that such in-depth, comprehensive reviews are more credible and reliable than mere comments or testimonials.
A lot of business and marketing related brands publish case studies/success stories of their clients and customers with solid numbers to establish a good repute in their niche.
Here’s an example of a client case study published by BuzzSumo.
Numbers speak volumes, especially when it comes to businesses and brands.
A great way to establish credibility and gain peoples’ trust is to tell them they’re not alone. Feel free to flaunt the number of customers or users you have, or how many sales you’ve made.
Additionally, you can also display your social numbers, especially if your audience cares a lot about your online presence. This includes the number of likes you have, the number of followers, shares, and more.
Remember, you can always be creative when it comes to showcasing your numbers.
Here’s how Groove shows off the number of customers to encourage new users to sign up:
A word of caution: Remember, unattractive numbers can actually backfire and turn into negative social proof. If you don’t have a big, impressive following, don’t flaunt it just yet.
Another way to flaunt your numbers is to display real-time user/customer statistics right on your website. Here’s an example of how that works:
Not only does this build credibility and trust, it also encourages faster action by creating a sense of urgency.
Proof is a great tool for displaying real-time social proof on your website. It’s proven to increase conversions and is packed with tons of features to help you maximize your website’s effectiveness.
Ever seen important-looking icons like these at the bottom of a web page?
You can call them badges, certifications, trust seals, etc.
Here’s what they really are: meaningful icons on your website that establish your credibility.
If your business has any industry certifications or accreditations, feel free to proudly display them on your website. They’re a great source of social proof and are known to increase conversions by as much as 30%!
You can also display any professional certifications or badges if you work freelance and own a website. In that case, you’re a brand yourself and your badges can get a lot of people to trust in your skills and qualifications.
Similar to testimonials, showing off your clients is a great way to encourage new visitors to trust your business.
If your clients are well-known, the effect is naturally much more powerful.
Along with (or even instead of) testimonials, you can simply place the logos of your client companies on your website, like Web Ascenders does:
You can also display media logos on your website, such as if your company gets mentioned in a blog or a news platform. Or if your article gets published somewhere.
These are great for getting attention, especially since media outlets are typically more well-known than companies.
Are You Using Your Brand’s Social Proof to its Full Potential?
The strategies above have been proven to generate real results for brands in all kinds of niches. But they’re not the only ones out there.
The more doors digital technology opens for communication and interaction between customers and brands alike, the more sources of social proof emerge.
For online businesses, leveraging social proof is crucial. It’s one of the biggest factors that affect the purchase decisions of their customers.
Finally, not using social proof to your brand’s advantage can prevent you from maximizing your conversions. Don’t miss out.
What other strategies can you think of for leveraging social proof to grow your business? We’d love to know! Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below.
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