Social proof. You’ve probably had marketing experts telling you how important it is, but just what is social proof? And does it really work?
The simple answer is yes!
And we’re going to tell you why it works, and most importantly, how to implement it into your business marketing.
But first, let’s start at the beginning. What is social proof, and what’s the science behind it?Here’s how Sprout Social describes social proof:
Social proof is the idea that people copy the actions of others in an attempt to emulate behaviour in certain situations.
As human beings, if we’re not sure how to act in certain social situations, we’ll take cues from those around us. And because our natural instinct is to follow the crowd, using social proof in marketing is a powerful tool to help grow your business.
For instance, we think that anything an expert uses is great because they’re far more knowledgeable than us in their area of expertise. We buy products endorsed by celebrities because we want to be like them and have their lifestyle. And, we trust user reviews because they’ve experienced a particular product or service that we haven’t.
Makes sense, right?!
So, next time you’re browsing a landing page and see a testimonial from a client who’s had a great experience with that particular brand, that’s social proof.
Here’s four types of social proof that you’ll see, well, pretty much everywhere!
1. CASE STUDIES
What’s great about case studies is that they help your prospective clients see themselves in the stories of your case studies. And how does that help? Because people are far more likely to want to connect with someone they can identify with and relate to.
2. TESTIMONIALS
Testimonials are simple, short-form recommendations from happy customers, and they’re a form of social proof that work over and over again. Whether they’re in video or written form, testimonials will help increase your conversion rate … we guarantee it!
3. REVIEWS
Think of reviews as testimonials’ more objective cousin! Reviews, such as Google Reviews, are awesome when used for products or in highly competitive service industries. And remember, check forums and review sites regularly to see what’s being said about you.
4. SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media praise from past or current customers, such as Facebook posts or comments, is incredibly powerful. Make sure that you save every positive thing that people say about your product or service on your social media.
So, how and when should you use social proof on your website?
Well, now that we’ve shown you that social proof really does work, the question now is how and when to use social proof.
Social proof is useful for all landing pages of your website. Why? Because people will invariably trust other people more than they’ll trust marketers!
Every landing page on your website showcases your values and principles, which will help convince a potential client to opt-in for your newsletter, buy your product, or download your free e-book.
And the social proof you include isn’t there to simply praise your product or service. It’s there to speak to your unique selling point, which not only builds trust but also helps your audience understand what makes your business uniquely “you”.
How do you get social proof?
But what do you do if you’re just starting in business and don’t have any social proof yet?
If you’ve ever sat in on any of Terri’s webinars, you’ll know that she always says if you don’t know, ask. And most people would love to share feedback with you and will be honoured you’ve asked them.
So, be brave and give them a call or send them an email and ask previous customers to provide you with feedback on your product or service. Because you just never know what piece of gold you might uncover.
Summing up
Social proof helps you better connect potential clients with your service or product because they can see themselves in the shoes of another customer. Not only that, but social proof is a great way to showcase your unique selling points without having to spell it out yourself.
And typically, people will be talking about specific teams members, which adds that extra personal touch to your customer experience.
But remember, whatever form of social proof you use, choose the best fit for your business based on your specific industry and goals.
Yes, social proof is incredibly important, but it’s how you use it that can make all the difference to your business. And we’d love to help you! So if you’d like some advice about how to strategically place awesome social proof on your website, we’d love to hear from you.
