{"id":1732,"date":"2023-09-01T09:00:19","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T13:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trustpulse.com\/?p=1732"},"modified":"2023-10-01T19:27:56","modified_gmt":"2023-10-01T23:27:56","slug":"social-proof","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trustpulse.com\/2023\/09\/01\/social-proof\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Social Proof: 9 Social Proof Examples To Add in Your Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"
You’ve likely encountered the term “social proof” and observed how savvy ecommerce businesses use it to their advantage.<\/p>\n
But what exactly is social proof? Why is it essential to integrate it into your website?<\/p>\n
And most importantly, how can you effectively use it in your marketing strategy?<\/p>\n
Social proof isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a powerful marketing tool with the potential to boost profits significantly.<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, many online merchants either underutilize it or overlook it entirely.<\/p>\n
My mission? It is to teach you all about social proof and social proof marketing.<\/p>\n
Let’s get started!<\/p>\n
Social proof is a psychological and social phenomenon wherein individuals look to the actions, behaviors, and decisions of others to determine what is correct or acceptable behavior in a given situation.<\/p>\n
Essentially, it’s the idea that people will conform to the actions of others under the assumption that those actions reflect the correct behavior.<\/p>\n
The concept of social proof is rooted in the principle that when individuals are uncertain about a decision, they will often look to others, especially large groups or trusted figures, as a guide for their own actions.<\/p>\n
Robert Cialdini popularized the concept of social proof in his seminal book, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.” Cialdini identified social proof as one of the six key principles of persuasion, emphasizing its power in shaping human behavior.<\/p>\n
Understanding and leveraging social proof has become essential for businesses and marketers in a world dominated by digital interactions.<\/p>\n
Social proof is important because of the following key factors<\/span>:<\/p>\n In essence, social proof is not just a marketing tool; it’s a reflection of societal behaviors and preferences. Leveraging it effectively can be the difference between a thriving business and one that’s struggling to gain traction.<\/span><\/p>\n Bonus content: Social Proof Statistics: 42 Reasons Your Business Needs Social Proof<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Social proof can be a powerful tool in marketing and business to influence consumers’ decisions. Examples of social proof in this realm include:<\/p>\n Testimonials top our list for social proof marketing. A\u00a0<\/span>testimonial<\/span><\/a> is a quote from past or current customers that put your brand in a positive light. In other words, this is a stamp of approval.<\/span><\/p>\n Even though most of your site\u2019s visitors won\u2019t know the person giving the testimonial, it doesn\u2019t matter. 91% of millennials trust reviews as much as However, to boost conversions, you should add a small photo of the person giving the testimonial. This makes their recommendation feel more personal and lends it more credibility.<\/span><\/p>\n Here is an excellent example of social proof, a perfectly crafted testimonial for <\/span>SEMrush<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n There is a photo of the speaker, a glowing testimonial, and the added benefit of a company name that many of SEMrush’s target audience would recognize.<\/p>\n Want to add some testimonials to your site? Check out this resource on ten customer testimonial examples<\/a> you can use.<\/p>\n Reviews are important for all businesses, but particularly for restaurants, brick-and-mortar shops, businesses selling through 3rd party sites like Amazon, and eCommerce sites. Regarding online reviews, two types can work in your favor: influencer reviews and customer reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n Celebrity social proof and\u00a0<\/span>influencer marketing<\/span><\/a>\u00a0reviews are incredibly powerful. If you\u00a0<\/span>get a celebrity endorsement<\/span>, you likely want to turn that into a testimonial or perhaps even a case study (which we\u2019ll discuss later).<\/span><\/p>\n Customer reviews<\/span><\/a>\u00a0can be just as powerful, but you need more to be effective. The average consumer reads up to ten reviews before purchasing a product.<\/span><\/p>\n Reviews typically have two parts: a 5-star rating system followed by some text describing the product or service. Here\u2019s an example of a review from <\/span>OptinMonster\u2019s homepage<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n 5-star ratings give readers a glance at the overall review, but written content provides more detail about what made the product or service good or bad. When you have both the quick-glance rating and detailed information, you have a killer review on your hands.<\/span><\/p>\n And chances are, people will read it.<\/span><\/p>\n Research shows\u00a0<\/span>83% of people prefer reviews over advertising<\/span><\/a>, which makes sense. You can speak highly about your product until you\u2019re blue in the face, but people take your words with a grain of salt, considering your connection to the business.<\/span><\/p>\n Seeing a client take the time to write either a positive review or a <\/span>negative review<\/span><\/a>\u00a0about your company inspires other consumers to take either a positive or negative action. Again, social proof is still powerful, even if the reviews are from total strangers.<\/span><\/p>\n When it comes to using social media to boost your social proof, there are three factors to take into consideration:<\/p>\n 1) The number of followers<\/strong>: The more followers you have, the more likely you are to gain more:<\/p>\n 2) The number of likes<\/span><\/strong>: Social media posts with more likes are typically shared more and help to boost engagement further:<\/span><\/p>\n 3) Overall interaction<\/strong>: If you\u2019ve strueck up a conversation or post online and many people are taking the time to reply, that can encourage more people to throw in their 2 cents on the subject:<\/p>\n Out of those three, which one is the most important?<\/span><\/p>\n None, because they should all work together.<\/span><\/p>\n Marketers are increasingly realizing that the number of followers isn\u2019t more powerful than the overall interaction taking place. An Instagram influencer, for example, may have four million followers, but if none are\u00a0<\/span>engaged with the brand<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or replying to comments, the brand\u2019s social proof is still pretty weak.<\/span><\/p>\n If you want to use social media, you should increase followers, likes, and interactions instead of focusing on only one metric. For example, trending on Twitter helps a great deal, but that is only temporary.<\/p>\n All of these social media metrics are a great demonstration of social proof.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s one of the main reasons why you might also want to consider adding social media share buttons across your site. This will help your site\u2019s traffic share your social media posts which will build even more social proof on that platform.<\/span><\/p>\n Our next social proof marketing example is to list any high-profile clients you\u2019re currently working with (or have worked with in the past).<\/span><\/p>\n Showing that well-known brands or influential people have worked with you in the past isn\u2019t bragging. It\u2019s simply leveraging the power of social proof in your favor. By displaying established and\u00a0<\/span>trusted brands<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that have worked with you, your brand can borrow some of their credibility.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example from\u00a0<\/span>AHREFS\u2019<\/span><\/a>\u00a0homepage showing the companies that use their software:<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever worked with recognizable companies, don\u2019t be shy! Display them proudly on your website.<\/p>\n A\u00a0<\/span>common eCommerce marketing strategy<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for building urgency is a\u00a0<\/span>countdown timer<\/span><\/a>\u00a0letting customers know when a promotion will finish. But if you want to use social proof, you need the exact opposite: a counter that goes up rather than down.<\/span><\/p>\n You need an active participant counter to show how many people have used or are using your site.<\/span><\/p>\n Kickstarter is an excellent example of a company that relies on this form of social proof to encourage donations:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The higher that counter becomes, the more effective it is. People who see that others have donated to a project are much more likely to contribute.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s another excellent example from\u00a0<\/span>Awesome Motive<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n Showing people in real-time how many customers are using your brand is a very powerful social proof strategy. It’s a perfect use of the FOMO (fear of missing out) tactic we talked about earlier. If people see so many others are using your products or services, they won’t want to miss out on the action. This will inspire them to buy from you.<\/span><\/p>\n We have already looked at how\u00a0<\/span>reviews and testimonials<\/span><\/a>\u00a0can help boost conversions, but\u00a0<\/span>case studies<\/span><\/a>\u00a0are another great social proof tool. They\u2019re like a long-form testimonial that details someone\u2019s success with your product.<\/span><\/p>\n Case studies usually take the form of a blog post, newsletter, or video, but you can make and distribute them however you see fit. The point is to dive deeply into a customer\u2019s experience with your product and allow them to share it with others through storytelling.<\/span><\/p>\n When creating a case study, the key is to be as thorough and detailed as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n A few questions your case study should answer are:<\/span><\/p>\n By answering questions like these, you\u2019ll build a case study that other consumers can read to sway them into purchasing with your brand.<\/span><\/p>\n 7. Word-of-Mouth<\/strong><\/p>\n They say that your best marketers are your happy customers.<\/p>\n And they\u2019re right.<\/p>\n The power of word-of-mouth shouldn\u2019t be underestimated. Plenty of companies have used word-of-mouth marketing to build their clientele. Companies like Uber, Airbnb, Transferwise, and many more offer incentives for signing up new customers:<\/p>\n When you share a company with a friend to get the reward, you’re also vouching for the company with your reputation, and that’s social proof marketing in action.<\/p>\n Since you’re likely only reaching out to friends and family with those deals, you’re acting as social proof on behalf of the company you’re suggesting.<\/p>\n You can do the same thing with your brand. Offer your potential customers an incentive to refer people in their social network, and you’ll build your brand’s social proof in no time!<\/p>\n Word-of-mouth is an excellent form of marketing, but when it comes to eCommerce social proof, it’s something you’ll need to focus on.<\/p>\n One of the best ways to provide your visitors with social proof is by\u00a0<\/span>displaying real-time action notifications<\/span><\/a>\u00a0as a popup. You\u2019ve likely seen these before:<\/span><\/p>\n While your visitors are checking out your site, they’ll be notified whenever someone makes a positive action, like making a purchase, viewing a product page, or signing up for your newsletter, to name a few.<\/p>\n This little dose of social proof affects purchase rates in a big way. It can boost conversions by up to 15% and is becoming a more popular social proof marketing strategy every day.<\/p>\n But what if you’re new to the world of eCommerce, and you still need to get social proof? Don’t worry. There’s a lot you can do to quickly gather reviews, testimonials, and social media followers in no time.<\/p>\n User-generated content (UGC) is a form of social proof that refers to using content created by actual users or customers to establish credibility, build trust, and influence among potential customers or clients.<\/p>\n UGC can take various forms, including customer reviews, testimonials, photos, videos, social media posts, and blog comments. It offers an authentic and unbiased perspective on a product or service, as it is generated by individuals who have direct experience with the brand.<\/p>\n If you’re starting out, here are five ways you can quickly build social proof:<\/span><\/p>\n You’ll notice a common theme among these strategies:\u00a0<\/span>engaging with your audience<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
9 Examples of Social Proof<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>1. Testimonials (Industry Expert Social Proof)<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\nreferral from their friends and family.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/span>2. Ratings and Reviews<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/span>3. Social Media Signals<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/span>4. Displays of Current Customers<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/span>5. Active-Participant Counters<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/span>6. Case Studies<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n
<\/span>8. Positive Action Notifications<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/span>9) User-Generated Content<\/span><\/h3>\n
How to Build Social Proof<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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