What Is Social Proof And How Your Business Can Use It To Increase Sales

What Is Social Proof Marketing?

Every day we are influenced to make different decisions from what shows to watch, what clothes to buy, to even what we choose to eat for lunch. Among other decision-making triggers used by your customers on a daily basis is called social proof. Social proof exists because we are social creatures who are influenced by the choices and actions of those around us.

Social proof is a powerful force that you can use to convert leads to paying customers, build trust with your audience, and reduce uncertainty about your product or service.

Whether you know it or not, you experience social proof marketing every day. Before we continue to look at how your business can integrate social proof into your online marketing strategy, let’s take a look some real world examples of social proof in various industries.

• Restaurants limit the size of indoor waiting areas, so people waiting for their table need to stay outdoors. Having people waiting outdoors is a form of social proof to people driving by the restaurant that the quality and popularity of the restaurant.
• Stores post images of sexy models wearing their clothes throughout the displays. This tells their customers that their clothes are worn by fashionable and sexy people. These product displays also tell clients that if they wear the clothes, then they will also be sexy and desirable.
• Country clubs need members to join a waitlist before joining. This waitlist is sometimes used to prevent too members from entering at once, but it is also used as a sign of exclusivity and a buffer between members and nonmembers.
• TV shows play laughter at specific parts of each show. Recorded laughter and applause elevates the perception of comical segments and situations in the show. The TV audience is more likely to laugh because they hear laughter
• Online stores use customer reviews and star ratings to show the quality of their product. These reviews and ratings also state that a potential customer is not the first person to be interested in making the sale.

Those examples of social proof are used to increase desirability and enhance the perceived value of a product. But what if your business does not fit into a traditional industry that would use social proof in their marketing?

Well, no problem! Social proof offers a range of benefits for your business no matter what industry you are in. Social proof advertising is a free and effective way for your business to build trust with your customers and increase your online sales.

Why Social Proof Matters For Your Business

No matter who your target audience, they are conditioned by people around them. If your business uses social proof in your marketing and promotional material, then you will be able to persuade the actions of your audience with those actions of other customers.

People like to trust others who they consider similar to themselves. This is why your business needs to have customer personas that focus on the needs and desires of your clients.

Once you know who your customers are, then you can concentrate on social proof that will have an impact on a particular segment of your market.

How To Apply Social Proof To Your Business

The first step when using social proof is to understand how effective it is and who your target audience is. Once you understand the power of social proof for your business and who you are working to reach then you can begin to align your marketing strategy with your customers.

The great thing about social proof is that you can showcase your business to direct future buying decisions. Some of the easiest social evidence that you can use for your business usually integrate with a winning small business social media plan, include:

1. Social follower count
2. Stats on downloads
3. Certifications
4. Customer testimonials
5. Ratings & Reviews
6. Influencer mentions
7. Celebrity endorsements
8. Awards & Rankings
9. Social media interactions
10. Real life examples of your products in use
11. Relevant social media posts
12. Success stories

Social proof advertising is best used on your business homepage and specific landing pages throughout your website. You can influence your audience based on their interests and intent. To do this, you can place testimonials on your homepage and ratings & reviews on your product pages.

Persuasive marketing using social proof taps into the emotional needs of your customers. Tapping into the social understanding of your clients you will be able to capture a larger audience and develop a lasting relationship to increase sales.

Build Trust

The Internet is a crowded place, and your customers are bombarded with thousands of advertisements each day. Their clients are also desensitized to companies working for their attention. Instead of competing with your competition, you can use social proof advertising to develop a relationship based on trust with your customers.

No matter if you are a startup or an established business in your city, your customers need to trust you and your brand if you want them to buy from you. Social proof is one way to position yourself in an organic way in the purchasing journey of your target audience.

Social Proof Removes User Anxiety

Your customers have more ways to research before they make a buy. The fact that over 81% of consumers research online before buying shows that your customers are smart and have some anxiety about what they are purchasing.

If you want to increase conversion rates on your website, then you should own your part in their purchasing journey. You can have a dominant role in increasing sales by relieving their anxiety. Shaping the emotions of your customers when they think of your business, products, and services then you will have a better chance to close more sales and increase your revenue.

Reinforces The Purchasing Decision

Your customers want to feel secure and confident with their sale once they engage with your business. From the first moment that your audience engages with your brand, you only have a window of time to build trust, overcome anxiety, and to drive them to a purchase decision.

Social proof helps reinforce confidence in your customers before making a decision, during the acquisition, and even after your clients make the final purchase. Your business can use social proof in your online advertising to make your customers feel secure and confident when buying from your business.

Integrate Social Proof Marketing Into Your Business Today

If your business wants to increase online sales, then you need to develop trust and increase online sales by using social proof on your landing pages and product pages. Finding a new way to package your business successes will help you power your marketing efforts and power your online sales.