If you have been using the internet for a very long period, then you have probably heard of the term social proof. We hope that you know a little bit about it as well.
If not, then you have come to the right place because we are going to talk about it a little bit. There is not a single speck of doubt about the fact that this article is going to help you understand every single thing about social proof.
Let us imagine this one thing here. It is a Sunday afternoon, and you are searching for a place to have you brunch at noon. There might be someplace nearby. Some of them might have people in it, and there might be some that are empty.
So, you would like to visit one of the restaurants. Which one is it going to be? The one with the people inside or the one that is empty?
In case you think like most of the people out there, you will be visiting the restaurant that has more people in it. This is where the psychological phenomenon of social proof comes to play. This is exactly what we are going to be talking about in here.
To begin with, we are going to provide you a little bit of understanding about the concept of social proof so that you can have an idea of what to expect. So let us get started with its people.
Table of Contents
An Introduction To Social Proof
Have you ever wondered what exactly social proof is in the first place? Well, you are going to get all your answers right here.
Social proof is just a proper concept which states that people are bound to follow everything that the masses tend to do. The main idea here is that since there are so many people following one concept, then there must be something good in it.
So let me take you back to the example of the restaurant right there. Shall I tell you the reason why you wanted to visit the restaurant with the people inside instead of the empty one?
It is because you assumed that the restaurant with people inside will have better service, good food items since there are already many people visiting it. On the other hand, the empty restaurant didn’t appeal to you because you thought it was not as good.
You didn’t even think for once that the empty restaurant might have better food or better service in there and just followed the others. Hence, this is the concept of social proof, and it is certainly not something new that we have in here.
There are so many examples of the particular topic that we are talking about in here. People are most likely to have a confirmation to the groups where there are more people.
Hence, there is no doubt that social proof exists in the best way. It can also help the businesses and the brands in the best way, and we are going to get to that in the next part.
Understanding the Importance of Social Proof for Digital Marketing
Well, there is no doubt that social proof is one of the most important things for digital marketers these days. Yes, in the online world, there is much more important for social proof for sure.
But then some people might think that is not true. Here we are going to have a discussion that will change their point of view in the best way.
In case you want to go shopping from a store which is made with brick and mortar, you can see the products and then decide whether it is good or not. There is also an option of comparing the products to see the better one.
However, in the online world, it is not possible to do that. It becomes even more difficult to compare the products from two different brands if they are online.
So, what do you do at that point? Of course, you will go and check out the reviews of the website on some other platform and see which the better one is.
The website that has more positive reviews about the products will be the site that you will choose. Here you are completely relying on the words of strangers that you don’t know. This is one of the common reasons why websites need to gather social proof.
This is a proof of their credibility and worth. The businesses all over the world want people to trust them as anyone else. With the help of online reviews, they will be able to get the trust of the customers in the first place. So, having amazing social proof is something that will help them out for sure.
This is one of the main reasons why companies and businesses all over the world want to make sure that they have enough social proof to make people believe that their products and services are great, to begin with.
This is one of the best ways to get more customers and increase the profits of the company in the best way. We would suggest that if you have an online business, then this is something that you need to look into for sure.
There are six different types of social proof that you need to pay heed to, so let us have a look upon those-
Types of Social Proof
#1. Customers as Social Proof
Your existing customers can act as your social proof, and you can use them in case studies or testimonials.
#2. Experts as Social Proof
If your industry experts rate your products and services top-notch, it will for sure make your products and services more credible.
#3. Celebrities as Social Proof
Celebrities or influencers who have purchased or opted for your product or service can really be an effective Social Proof for your business.
#4. Crowds as Social Proof
Having a large number of people as your fans or followers also acts as a powerful Social Proof for the businesses.
#5. Friends as Social Proof
Friends of your site users and visitors also act as your social proof.
#6. Certifications as Social Proof
Having a certificate that talks about your expertise makes you more trustworthy. That is why certifications are also very important social proofs.
How To Increase Conversions with Social Proof
Here is the most interesting part of the article people.
Do you want to make sure that you are able to gather more customers and get more conversions for your website? Well, in that case, social proof can be all the help that you need.
When it comes to getting customers and increasing the conversions of websites, there are some things that people need to keep in mind.
We have some tips and strategies which are going to be a great help for sure. Do pay attention to this part as you don’t want to miss out on the information for sure.
Best Social Proof Strategies
#1. Show Real-Time Stats
This is one thing that you can try out, and we are pretty sure that it is going to work for sure. You can provide information in the form of stats about the people who are currently using the website of yours.
You can provide the details about the existing number of customers that you have that are purchasing your services and products. That is one of the best forms of social proof that one can get.
You need to make sure that you always post such stats in relevant websites where people will be able to see it for sure. There are some other pieces of information that you can provide, such as registration, customers, purchases, and so much more.
#2. Show Testimonials From Customers
Here is a very common form of social proof that most companies tend to use on their website in order to make sure that they have more conversions when people visit their site in the first place. You can provide the testimonials from the previous customers that you have had.
This will increase the chances of getting customers. About 70% of people always tend to trust the recommendation of other customers.
This is one of the main reasons why businesses from all over the world want to showcase the testimonials of their previous clients and customers on their website.
#3. Celebrity Endorsements
Well, celebrities are one of the best ways to make sure that people want to choose the products and services that you have for them. If you get a celebrity to endorse your product, there is a chance that more and more people would want to buy the product for sure.
Celebrities for us are like role models. So, if they ask people to buy a product, then it is pretty sure that they are going to buy it without any thinking.
So, there are so many different brands that often tend to go for celebrity endorsements in order to make sure that their products become more popular for the people.
#4. Case Studies
When you want to gather some actual social proof so that people are able to trust that your brand is good, this is another one of the methods that you can try in order to have the best results.
Case studies often tend to provide very high authority when it comes to the social proof of the website.
So, there is no doubt that more and more people would want to get your product because you will be providing them with evidence in the form of case studies. We suggest that you try this method out and then see whether it works or not. We are pretty sure that it would.
#5. Rating and Reviews
Use of rating and reviews is considered very important when it comes to using social proof for influencing audiences and converting them. We all make purchases on e-commerce sites after going through the ratings and reviews of the products.
Reviews and ratings help in making favorable opinions of a large population. Companies and businesses around the world use this Social Proof Strategy.
Some other Social Proof Strategies that need your attention are-
- Influencer Endorsements
- Media Logos
- Badges
- Subscriber Counts
- Social Connections
- Clients
- Social Shares
Conclusion
In the end, we would like to say that social proof is certainly very important for the websites these days in order to get more conversions.
So, in case you want to make your brand known to people and you want more customers, then gathering social proof would be the best thing to do.
Which type of Social Proof do you find most beneficial for your business? Tell us in the comments below.
Liked this post? Check out the complete series on social media marketing
