Social proof, primarily in the form of things like ratings, reviews, and testimonials, has a major impact on a company’s success. In fact, 88 percent of consumers say that they trust user reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations.
Gathering social proof for your business isn’t just about boosting your ego and improving your reputation. It can also help you to increase conversions and see more business growth.
Read on to learn more about the importance of social proof. You’ll also find some examples that will teach you how to leverage social proof to grow your business.
What Is Social Proof in Digital Marketing?
The term “social proof” refers to the idea that folks are more likely to follow the actions that lots of people have already taken. In short, people are more inclined to behave in a specific way because they’ve seen other people doing the same thing.
For example, if you’ve seen that lots of people are eating in one restaurant and another is totally empty, you’ll assume that the full one serves better food and provides a better experience, right? You’ll also be more likely to visit that restaurant yourself.
You can see how social proof matters in an in-person setting. It’s even more important in the online world, though.
When people are shopping online, it’s harder for them to differentiate between products. When they’re able to see reviews and ratings from past customers, though, they can have an easier time deciding which product will work better for them. In general, the more positive reviews and ratings one product has, the more likely it is to be a good fit.
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Why Does Social Proof Matter?
When a business is able to gather more social proof, it’s more likely to convert leads into customers and make more sales. If you have lots of positive reviews on your site or a good reputation on social media, for example, people will feel more inclined to buy what you’re selling because they’ll feel that they can trust you.
Social proof can also trigger an emotional response in potential customers. When they see that others have had a good experience with your product or service, they may have more positive feelings toward it. This, in turn, can influence them to make a purchase and become a paying customer when they were originally on the fence.
Social Proof Examples to Increase Conversions
There are lots of ways that businesses can leverage social proof to increase conversions. Here are some effective examples to keep in mind if you’re looking for inspiration:
1. User Ratings
When you’re shopping for just about anything online, you’ll be able to find user ratings for that product letting you know what other people think of it.
User ratings are a powerful form of social proof used by small businesses and major brands like Amazon. People generally trust the accuracy of these ratings and will be more inclined to buy a product that has a 4- or 5-star rating compared to one that has a 1- or 2-star rating.
The number of user ratings a product has played an important role in increasing conversions, too. After all, if a product has just one or two 5-star ratings, that information isn’t going to be as impactful as a product that has 1,000 5-star ratings.
Source: Amazon
2. Testimonials
Customer testimonials are another good example of social proof in action. Testimonials provide more insights into the experience other people have had with a particular product or service. It helps to personalize things and allows shoppers to see themselves reflected back to them.
Customer testimonials are especially powerful when they include images of the person who wrote the testimonial. Sharing a photo further personalizes the remarks and increases the level of trust another shopper will have in the company.
OptinMonster does a great job of using customer testimonials (with pictures) to showcase the benefits of their product and convince others to try it out.
3. Numbers
Numbers don’t lie, and there are lots of ways that you can use numbers to provide social proof and convince others to check out what your business has to offer. Remember the example of a crowded restaurant? Well, you can create a similar effect online when you leverage numbers in the proper way.
For example, when the company CB Insights invites visitors to sign up for its email newsletter, the pop-up lets you know that over 500,000 people have already signed up. If someone sees that half a million people are interested in what this business has to say, they’ll likely be more inclined to think that maybe they should sign up for the newsletter as well.
Source: CB Insights
4. Live Updates
Have you ever been shopping online and see a pop-up showing that someone has just purchased the product that you’re looking at? Does it get you more interested in making a purchase yourself?
This is an example of live updates, a type of social proof, increasing conversions. Live updates show that other people are actively buying the products or services that a business is selling. They prove that the product or service is popular, and they can even ignite a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) that encourages other people to go ahead and pull the trigger while they still have a chance.
The supplement company Legion Athletics uses this tactic with great success. The pop-ups show how popular certain products are and pique people’s interest, but they don’t feel intrusive.
5. Social Media
Social media is an incredible marketing tool for businesses of all sizes. It’s especially helpful when it comes to gathering and displaying social proof.
There are lots of ways that you can use social media to increase conversions. Collecting reviews on your Facebook page is a great example, as is sharing customer testimonials and Facebook and other platforms.
You can also use buttons on your website to combine the power of social media with the power of virtual crowds. If you feature buttons that show how many people are following you on certain platforms (as ShoutMeLoud does on their home page), people might be more inclined to hit the follow button themselves.
6. Case Studies
Case studies are a step up from testimonials. They provide more insights into a person’s experience working with a particular brand, and they dive deeper into what the brand did to help the person see specific results.
Case studies, like these ones shown on Weekdone’s website, are backed up with data, which makes them harder to refute. They help shoppers get a better sense of what they’ll experience if they decide to work with your business.
Source: Weekdone
7. Trust Icons
Trust icons are the logos of other businesses that are using a particular product or service. If lots of recognizable brands are pairing with your company, that’s going to get people interested in checking out what you have to offer and making a purchase for themselves.
Zendesk features a large collection of trust icons on its website. When you scroll down on the homepage, you can see that major brands like OpenTable, Uber, and Slack use Zendesk. Doesn’t this make you more curious about trying it for yourself?
8. Media Mentions
Another way to use social proof to your advantage is to showcase media mentions. Has your business been mentioned in any news outlets recently? If so, list those on your website with links so people can check them out and see what’s been said about your products or services.
The clean beauty brand, BeautyCounter, shares on the homepage of its website the fact that it’s been recognized as an innovative company by Fast Company. This boosts the brand’s credibility and gets more people interested in buying their products.
9. Celebrity Endorsements
Celebrity endorsements are very powerful. People trust their favorite celebrities and are always eager to buy the products that they promote, whether they’re paid to do so or if their endorsements come naturally.
The clothing brand Everlane, for example, saw a major influx in sales after Angelina Jolie and Olivia Munn were both photographed carrying a bag from their online store.
10. Customer Showcase
An endorsement from a celebrity is great, but showcasing customers using your products in the wild is also an effective way to leverage social proof.
When people post photos of themselves on social media wearing an item of clothing you sell or using your product in another way, share that photo on your website or social media platforms. You can even incorporate a hashtag on social, the way the shoe brand Rothy’s does with #rothysinthewild.
This helps people see what you’re selling in action and can create that sense of FOMO that we talked about earlier. All of this can lead to more conversions and a better bottom line for your business.
Start Gathering Social Proof Today
As you can see, there are lots of ways that you can use social proof to increase conversions and grow your business. Keep the examples listed above in mind as you start gathering social proof.
If you need help collecting social proof, Trustmary is here to help. From gathering a variety of reviews to automating the review management process, we’ve got everything you need to increase conversions and take your company to the next level.
Book a meeting today to learn more about what Trustmary can do for you.
