Small business owners face a common struggle. That is to attract new customers and a loyal client base. In our digitally-connected world, one solution stands out.
And that is leveraging social proof to boost conversions. If you haven’t done this yet, this post is for you.
Here, we cover everything you need to know about social proof to take your business further. Let’s explore this in more detail below.
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Social proof is about our purchasing decisions being impacted by the views, comments, and opinions of others.
With such a large number of online consumers, they need to see from others what experiences they’ve had with a business, product, or service to determine if they’ll spend their hard-earned money there, too.
Social proof is based on four main principles. They are uncertainty, similarity, expertise, and numbers.
With uncertainty, social proof helps us decide to buy because we see others’ opinions and experiences as valid. Regarding similarity, we look to others in a similar boat as us to determine if we’ll buy.
Then there’s expertise. Seeing celebrities or influencers we trust using a product or service can influence us to purchase something.
Finally, there’s something to be said about the power of numbers. The more people we see using, liking, or commenting on a product or service, the more likely we will trust their word, influencing us to hit the “buy” button.
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Having a large pool of social proof can do wonders for a small business. User likes, comments, shares, testimonials, etc., influence potential customers to buy. That’s because of social proof:
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Social proof can come from many different sources. However, the main ones are the following:
Testimonials from current and past customers are some of the best ways to promote your product or service. These people know and use your offering and are best positioned to indicate their experience with it, building an important level of trust.
There’s also something important to be said about being endorsed by industry experts.
Having these industry authorities mention your brand in a positive light can convince others to buy from you. They add an extra layer of reputability and reassurance regarding your offering.
Celebrities that endorse your brand have a massive following.
When they mention your brand favorably, you will likely see an uptick in sales and conversions. Their followers trust their opinions and views, which carries over to your brand.
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Like celebrities, influencers also tend to have large followings. Conversely, micro-influencers have smaller followings, but they pack a punch when it comes to niche expertise.
Just ensure they align with your brand and niche when you partner with them.
Having recommendations from friends, family, and personal connections about a product or service can be a great way to boost your conversion rate. These are people whose opinions we trust and value. Having them spread the word about your business is invaluable.
Social proof isn’t always derived from people.
Having reputable organizations endorse your product, getting industry-recognized certifications, and even industry awards can play an important role in attracting potential customers to your business.
Earned media is when journalists and media outlets focus on your business and publish positive stories about your brand. Having it appear in reputable publications is a strong endorsement that also adds trust to your business, plus value and credibility to your brand.
There are many types of social proof. Examples include testimonials, user-generated content (UGC), social media followers, likes and shares, trust badges, ratings and reviews, and much more. So, having collected your social proof, how can you use it to your advantage? Here are some proven methods that work:
Examples of social proof you can display on your website include:
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Social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn Premium, and Instagram verify your business’s account. The blue checkmark on your bio strongly signals that your business is credible and legitimate.
First, make sure that your company has official social media channels. After verification, you can display customer photos and UGC on your profiles to create stronger engagement and social media strategy.
This can include the number of people who purchased from you or products selling fast.
Landing pages can be another great way to showcase social proof. Use testimonials and case studies there to add more credibility to your sale.
Product pages will greatly benefit from social proof because that’s where many purchasing decisions are made. When potential customers see others who have bought the same product with high ratings and positive reviews, they’re more likely to convert.
Your ads and video content should not be left out of your social proof strategy. These are great places to add testimonials and customer reviews to help earn the trust of your prospective customers.
Celebrity or influencer endorsements or even trust seals are great ways to do this.
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Email marketing is a powerful way to promote products and services.
By using testimonials, reviews, ratings, and influencer or expert endorsements, you will use one more marketing channel to bring your brand to potential customers in a favorable light.
Leverage the right email marketing platforms to help you achieve this goal.
Other strategies you can follow include:
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Naturally, you want to know that leveraging your business’s social proof works for you.
Ultimately, you need to track your conversion rates. These include any desired action after your prospects encounter your social proof. Here are some key metrics to keep track of:
Social proof can significantly increase conversions through the power of psychology and “herd mentality.” People naturally follow the actions of others.
Because of this, positive social proof and encounters with your business builds trust and credibility.
There are many benefits of displaying social proof related to your brand.
For example, social proof can build trust and credibility, reduce the feeling of risk for prospects, enable easier purchasing decisions, increase the sense of urgency to buy, encourage quicker decisions, etc.
Social proof is an essential element of digital marketing.
Positive feedback, testimonials, ratings, reviews, and other strategies are powerful ways to convince prospective customers to buy. They show that your product or service is reliable and trustworthy.
Social proof is a powerful way of using others’ positive experiences with your brand to convince prospective customers to buy from you.
There are many types of social proof that you can leverage to convert prospects into buyers.
There are also many ways you can achieve your conversion goals.
Ultimately, when it comes to social proof, you need to use it to your advantage. And, of course, once you’ve implemented a social proof strategy, you need to track its results.
Overly relying on social proof is not a good approach, and it should be used in conjunction with your other digital marketing efforts. However, it can play a key role in boosting your sales and building credibility and trust in your brand.
Nikola Baldikov is a skilled SEO expert dedicated to helping businesses thrive. He is the esteemed founder of InBound Blogging, where his expertise lies in search engine optimization and crafting effective content strategies. Throughout his career, he has had the pleasure of collaborating with a wide range of companies regardless of their scale and has consistently aided them in accomplishing their objectives online. During his leisure time, he enjoys engaging in football matches and dance routines.