Using social proof to improve your business is one of the best ways to put your mind at ease. Social Proof makes people feel like their interactions with you will be safe and suitable.
By allowing trust to be built into your business, you can end a lot of uncertainty that would otherwise be present in interactions with those you are marketing.
There are various kinds of social proof, each relevant in different situations. See how to recognize it in your customers’ lives for better marketing.
What is Social Proof?
Social proof is the phenomenon whereby humans determine what is acceptable behavior by observing the behavior of others.
Social proof is sometimes referred to as informational social influence or informational social influence theory.
People will model their behaviors after those around them. Social proof is a potent tool that can help increase sales and conversions, but it is important not to rely on it.
Social Proof has been used everywhere, from TV commercials to magazines and even in your blog posts.
Social Proof should be used in your content marketing strategy to increase the perceived value of your product and engender trust in your product.
Types of Social Proof
Many types of social proof can be used on your website, and each is vital for gaining more exposure.
Here are some of the most valuable forms of social proof you can use to increase sales and boost conversions.
Expert Social Proof
Expert social proof is when a business or brand relies on the fact that they have an expert to back up its claims.
It’s a great way to get more credibility, but it’s also a high-risk strategy. If the expert you’re working with isn’t doing a good job, your entire company will take a hit.
The critical point here is that if your client is going after well-researched and well-known experts within their field, this is one of the best ways for them to gain credibility.
Celebrity Social Proof
Celebrity social proof is a type of social proof that relies on the popularity of famous people to prove the quality of something or to persuade people to buy something.
It is a technique in which celebrities are used as spokespeople for a product or service. This means that the star’s name, face, and voice are featured in advertising for a company. The idea behind this is that if people like the celebrity, they will also like whatever they are endorsing.
User Social Proof
User social proof is when a user talks about their experience with the product or service. It can be in the form of reviews, testimonials, or even a personal video. This type of social proof can be powerful because it comes from an actual person who has experienced your product or service firsthand.
It also gives you insight into what your users think and feel about your product or service—which can help you improve it in the future.
Wisdom of the Crowds
The Wisdom of the Crowds is a phenomenon that occurs when people make decisions in groups.
The more people involved in a decision, the better the outcome is likely to be. This is because large groups can account for more information than individuals.
It’s the idea that it must be good if many people do something.
Wisdom of Your Friends
Wisdom of Your Friends is a type of social proof that refers to the opinions and experiences of people you know.
Your friends are essential to your life, and their opinion matters. They’re the ones you trust, and you know they’re not trying to make things up to get you to do something.
Certification
Certification is when the authorities state that a product or service has been tested and meets specific standards.
The fact that they have gone through the process of certifying something means that they have found it beneficial, so they’re willing to put their name on it.
This type shows that an outside party has certified or approved your product or service.
Ways to Use Social Proof in Your Marketing
Capitalize on Testimonials
Testimonials are the perfect way to show off your brand’s social proof and make people feel confident in your product or service.
You can have a testimonial on your website, social media pages, or even an email blast.
You can get testimonials from customers, but you can also create them by using influencers or other brands.
Customer Reviews
When you have customers willing to go out of their way to write reviews about your business, it increases the trustworthiness of your brand and products.
Customer reviews are one of the best ways to get a social proof in your marketing. You can put them on your website, on your products, or even on the packaging of your product.
The most important thing about customer reviews is that you need to make sure they’re authentic and honest. If you use them, make sure they’re from people who bought from you and used your product.
Influencer and Celebrity Reviews
If a celebrity or influencer has tried your product, they can provide excellent commentary on it and help you get the word out. Having someone with a large following recommend your product can be a great way to increase sales.
Be careful when using these kinds of reviews—you don’t want them to seem too sponsored or promotional.
Expert Reviews
When trying to sell a product or service, you must show how credible the source is.
This is why expert reviews are so effective—they prove that someone who knows what they’re talking about approves your product or service.
It will help your customers understand why they should trust you and what they expect from your business.
Show Ratings
The whole point of showing ratings is to show how much people like your product or service.
It’s no surprise that ratings are one of the best ways to use social proof in your marketing.
Endorsements
Endorsements are so powerful because people trust other people more than they trust brands.
If someone with influence says that your product is good, then there’s a chance that other people will believe them and try it out for themselves.
Influencer and Celebrity Endorsements
Influencers are people with a large following who have credibility because of their expertise, personality, and audience.
They’re also very connected within their industry, which makes them an excellent source for endorsements on behalf of your brand.
Celebrities are like influencers in that they have a lot of followers who believe what they say.
You may not be able to hire celebrities for endorsements like you can with influencers. You can try contacting them and see if they’d be interested in working with you.
Expert endorsements
When trying to convince a potential customer that your product is the best choice for them. Expert endorsements are an easy way to prove your case.
The advantage of expert endorsements is that they create trust between your brand and the consumer.
They also help establish authority over other brands offering similar products or services.
Share Case Studies
When you share a case study, you show off other people’s results from your product or service.
You’re not saying that your product is good—you’re showing how it can improve people’s lives.
Encourage customers to leave reviews and ratings.
Asking for reviews is important if you’re selling a product or service with a lot of competition or trying to attract new clients.
When you encourage customers to leave reviews and ratings, you show them that their opinion matters.
You can ask for customer reviews on your website, social media, or email campaigns.
Encourage social media sharing.
Social media is all about sharing, so this is a great way to get people to talk about your brand and what you offer.
You can do this by offering incentives or asking them to share. Tell them that if they do so, they’ll be entered into a drawing for something unique.
This will increase the reach of your message, giving you more exposure and leading more people to buy from you.
Highlight your User Number
It’s when you highlight a metric that shows how many people use your product or service, like the number of users or sales.
If you have a lot of users, it makes it easier for new people to trust your product. If someone sees that many people have used your product and liked it, they’ll be more likely to try it themselves.
Upload User-Generated Content (UGC)
UGC is any content your customers create and then share on social media. The most common types of UGC are photos and videos.
To make the most of this strategy, make sure you have a system in place. Collect and manage all your user-generated content so you can access it when needed.
You can also create a dedicated page on your website where customers can submit their UGC. You can even use an app like Instagram or Snapchat to encourage people to share photos or videos of themselves using your product or service.
Milestones
One way is by showcasing milestones that show how far you’ve come. If you’re a startup, this could include when your company was founded, when it launched its first product or service, and any other significant developments along the way.
If you’re an established business, this might be something like how many employees you’ve hired or new offices you’ve opened up.
Whatever it is for your business, make sure it’s something that shows how much progress has been made since day one.
Showcase Awards and Certificates
Awards and certificates are a great way to show that your company has been recognized for excellence. It can help increase trust in your brand.
If you’ve won an award, showcase it on your website or social media pages to show your success.
By including them in your copy, you can also use awards and certificates as social proof in emails and other marketing campaigns. This makes it clear that you’ve got the experience and expertise necessary to meet your customers’ needs.
Show Appreciation for Social Mentions
If someone has shared your post or tagged you in a post, don’t write them off as an internet stranger—take the time to thank them!
A simple “thank you” on their post will not only make the person feel appreciated. It’ll also help increase the likelihood that they’ll share something positive about your brand again in the future.
Displaying Media Coverage
The media is a great way to get your message and brand noticed. Display it on your website or social media accounts if you’ve received a write-up or mention.
This will help build credibility around your company and make potential customers more likely to come in contact with your brand.
Partnership with Well-Known Brands
Many people are wary of online purchases from businesses they don’t know.
Suppose you can show off your company’s relationship with well-known brands. It can help to reassure potential customers that they’re not getting scammed by an amateur operation.
Link to Partner Logos on your Website
This is a great way to show that you are one of the best at what you do and show off the companies that trust you enough to partner with them.
It makes clients feel better about doing business with you as well.
Work with Trusted Publishers
When you partner with trusted publishers, they’ll share positive reviews of your business on their social media pages and websites.
It will show potential customers that others have had positive experiences with you.
Conclusion
Social proof is excellent for developing credibility and building trust in your brand. You can implement high-quality social proof into your marketing efforts in several different, unique ways. The examples we’ve listed above are by no means the only options available to you.
With some creativity and experimentation, you’re sure to come up with new ideas of your own that ultimately prove beneficial. In the end, though, it all comes down to achieving the goals of your business or personal brand. By using social proof on your website and creating effective social media profiles, you can be confident that you have a competitive advantage over those who do not adequately employ it.
Referwo
Are you looking for a way to connect with your customers in a more meaningful way?
Are you sick of hiring influencers who don’t fit your brand, or ignoring the ones that do?
We know how frustrating it can be to find the right influencers to work with. But we also know that when you find that perfect person, it’s worth all the trouble.
That’s why we created Referwo: a platform that connects brands and influencers in a way that makes sense for everyone involved. Now you can connect with influencers who are already fans of your brand, keep tabs on your earnings and monitor performance.
