05 - Social Proof: Part 1 - The Power of Testimonials, Reviews, and Data

Trust is critical to earn and easy to lose in today's trust economy. As a founder or marketer of a SaaS company, you’re no stranger to the power of social proof—you understand how important it is to showcase satisfied customers to build credibility.

But here’s the real question: Are you using enough social proof, and is it compelling enough to influence prospects?

There are five key types of social proof that SaaS companies can leverage:

1. Customer testimonials?
2. Positive reviews and ratings from reputable review sites
3. Numbers and data (e.g., customer count, NPS scores, impacts)
4. Case studies demonstrating measurable results
5. Logos of well-known clients or partners

Today, we’ll focus on the first three: testimonials, reviews, and numbers and data. While you may already be using some of these, the real question is whether they’re positioned prominently and are impactful enough to sway prospects.

Why Testimonials, Reviews, and Numbers Matter

Let’s break down how testimonials, reviews, and data can work together to build trust.

Testimonials and Success Stories

Testimonials are powerful because they showcase the success others have had using your product.

Great testimonials don’t just praise your SaaS - they show how it’s helped users overcome real challenges. The best testimonials let prospects envision themselves having similar success.

Example 1: Notion

Notion is a productivity and note-taking web application developed by Notion Labs, Inc.

Their marketing team takes a clever approach to testimonials on each of their customer persona pages. They highlight multiple use cases on the same page and display a tailored testimonial for each.

This not only allows potential customers to find a use case that resonates with them but also shows how versatile and effective the product is across different needs.

This variety ensures that prospects from various industries or departments can see themselves in shared stories.

Here's what this looks like on their Notion for small business page:

Example 2: Rounded

Rounded is a simple invoicing and tax app for sole traders in Australia.

You can find a hero testimonial on their home page, strategically chosen to showcase why the customer prefers Rounded over a competitor's product. This is followed by a series of additional testimonials.

Reviews on Third-Party websites

Reviews on third-party platforms like G2, Capterra, Trustpilot and even Google Maps are essential because they typically offer unbiased, independent feedback.

Prospects who see consistent, positive user reviews on trusted platforms gain confidence that your product works.

Example: Ahrefs

The following screenshot from ahrefs.com shows how Ahrefs effectively uses user reviews from third-party platforms like Capterra, G2, TrustRadius, and Crozdesk as social proof directly on their website. Here’s how they are leveraging this:

1. Prominent Display of Ratings: Ahrefs prominently highlights its?star ratings?from each platform, allowing visitors to quickly see how they’re rated by real users. This helps build immediate credibility and trust.
2. Multiple Sources for Reviews: They provide a well-rounded view of their reputation by showcasing ratings from multiple review platforms. This reinforces that the product is consistently well-rated across different third-party sites, adding more weight to its credibility.
3. Clear and Up-to-Date Data: Adding “Data supplied as of January 2024” ensures transparency and shows that the ratings are current. This helps potential customers feel confident that they see the latest and most relevant reviews.

Numbers and Data

Numbers tell a compelling story.

SaaS companies often display numbers like "Over 1,000,000 satisfied users" or "4.8/5 average rating from 5,000+ reviews."

Whether it’s the number of customers, customer Net Promoter Score (NPS), impacts made, or the total number of reviews, these figures paint a picture of your SaaS’s credibility and reliability.

Seeing these data points helps prospects quantify your success and reassures them that your product or service has been widely trusted.

Example 1: Hubspot

This screenshot highlights how HubSpot effectively leverages numbers?as?social?proof on its homepage.

How might your brain react to the news that 228,000+ customers?in over?135 countries?are using HubSpot to grow their businesses? (Mine kinda went, "They can't be faking those numbers." Did yours?)

By prominently displaying this large, specific number, it showcases the scale and trustworthiness of its product, acting as a powerful trust signal.

Example 2: Convertkit (soon to be Kit)

You can see from the screenshot below of the ConvertKit website how they subtly share that 600k+ creators are using their product. (Personally I'd like this to be less subtle as it can easily be missed)

Example 3: B1G1

This screenshot shows how B1G1 uses impact numbers as a powerful social proof. By prominently displaying that their members have created over 359 million global impacts, alongside specific contributions like 21 million days of access to education and 950,573 trees planted, B1G1 demonstrates the tangible results of their mission.

These data points quantify the scale of their positive impact and create an emotional connection by showing real-world outcomes.

Pro tip: If your company values giving to causes as part of its business practices, check out how B1G1 can make this easier.

How to Use Testimonials, Reviews, and Numbers More Effectively

If you already have testimonials, reviews, and critical data points, are you using them to their full potential?

Here are a few strategies to ensure your social proof is compelling and visible:

• Make them highly visible: Don’t bury your testimonials, reviews, or key metrics in obscure places on your website. Highlight them on high-traffic areas like your homepage, product, or pricing pages.
• Incorporate visuals: Use customer photos or video testimonials to make your social proof more engaging. Numbers are great, but real faces and data create a stronger emotional connection.
• Leverage third-party reviews: Don’t rely solely on your own website. Encourage users to leave reviews on trusted platforms like G2, Capterra, or Trustpilot, and make sure you display those ratings prominently on your site.
• Show your numbers: Highlight key data points such as the number of customers, NPS score, impacts made, or total reviews. Numbers add concrete credibility and allow prospects to see that others already trust your product.
• Update regularly: Keep your social proof fresh by regularly updating your testimonials, reviews, and data to reflect your recent successes.

Now over to you: Are you using testimonials, reviews, and data effectively on your website? What types of social proof work best for building trust with your clients? Let me know in the comments!

Next Week: In Part 2, we’ll explore the other two types of social proof, case studies and client logos, and how these can further enhance your credibility and drive long-term client loyalty.

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This edition was drafted with the help of ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity AI. Image generated by LinkedIn AI.