How to leverage the power of social proof
Like, dislike or indifferent our every experience in life has a way of getting online. We read reviews before booking that trip away, we search Twitter for insights on that big company we so desperately want to work with and we upload photos of the delicious (or in some cases disgusting) dinner we ate at the restaurant the night before.
We seek assurances and guidance from peers and strangers alike when it comes to ‘word of mouth’ feedback and opinions.
The buzzword for these comments to a marketer is what they call social proof. It’s about the masses (or heard) having influence over your buying decisions by giving you a rationale for making that choice.
In my last blog, I looked at the way you can add value to your business through social listening. Well, social proof is what you’re searching for if you’re a company listening online.
“The biggest reason brand advocates are so powerful can be summed up in a single five letter word: TRUST”
If you’re a marketer then you’ll know all about lead nurturing. To those who don’t then it basically means push marketing is dead (no more SELL, SELL, SELL) and instead credibility, usefulness and trust are the key to turning a prospect into a customer.
And, what’s the best way to build trust? Get your existing customers to tell the story for you.
Examples of social proof
Most websites have a customer testimonials/review page. But, not all of these can be classed as social proof. Consumers are cynics. Anyone could type some nice words and post a fake name, right? You’ve probably heard about companies posting bogus reviews and giving themselves a five star rating to boost their profile presence.
Add photos of the customer and links to their own websites will add the credibility you need for your testimonial to become social proof. Video is even better!
A classic method of social proof is a counter on your website to show how many customers have ‘bought’, ‘viewed’, ‘liked’, ‘joined’ or whatever action you want your visitors to make. A great example is how blogs use the social share buttons like this article for example (*hint hint*).
If you want to drive more people to your social media sites then there are plenty of widgets and buttons you can use to embed on your own website. You can show thumbnail images of all your current page fans or simply add a counter of the number of ‘likes’ or followers.
I mentioned at the beginning that everything we do ends up online and this fuels FOMO (fear of missing out) because many of us (and I’m including myself in this too) can’t resist telling the world what we’re up to and where we are. Check-in apps and Facebook have made it easy to share this information.
If you have a physical presence where customers can visit then why not encourage people to check-in and use this as a counter on your website.
If you represent a company that has a physical product such as clothing, then showcasing customers wearing the latest lines is social proof on fire! Why not ask your customers to post their photos on your social media page and get them to tag a friend to get the image, and ultimately your product, to a much wider audience.
YoSushi offered a prize draw on Monday’s if you tweeted a photo of you in one of their restaurants. Needless to say I tried this many times (I’m still waiting to win).
The great thing about this idea is that you’re probably gathering testimonial snippets too – and don’t forget re-purposing content is hugely beneficial so take that snippet and image and create a new shot for Instagram.
A fairly new social proof concept is about leveraging experts. To me, this is an extension of celebrity endorsements. It’s about getting the experts in your industry to create a buzz for your brand.
Have you seen social proof in action?
I’d love to hear if you have seen a great example of social proof in action. The more creative, the better. Tweet me @Somecallme_Jem