What is Social Proof and Why Is It Important?

Social proof. It's a buzzword thrown around a lot in the marketing world. But what does it really mean? The term is used most often when discussing the impact or influence of social media but in reality social proof is a lot more than that. It’s really a documented psychological phenomenon where people adopt the actions of others in an effort to reflect standard or acceptable behavior for a culture or situation.

We are hardwired to follow the crowd because we assume that if others are behaving in a certain way, it must be a good idea. Social proof is the reason that your mother used to ask the teenage you, “If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you follow them?” and if you were being truthful, you probably would have said “Yes!”

In the 1980's Robert Cialdini used the term in his book?Influence. In marketing, social proof occurs when consumers make purchasing decisions based on reviews, recommendations and stories from others who have used a product or service.

Why is social proof so important?

Social proof is word-of-mouth on steroids. It lends power to any marketing campaign by inspiring trust and giving you an edge over your competition. Customers are more apt to believe a positive review on a brand's Facebook page than a boosted post from the same brand. And that positive review can be a convenient decision maker if a prospective customer can’t decide between your product and a competitor’s. And in the end, social proof is relatively cheap and easy to leverage when compared to other marketing strategies.

Here's evidence of the power of social proof:

• 83% of consumers?recommend a brand they follow on social to friends and family.
• 91% of shoppers?read online reviews before making a purchase.
• 82% of Americans?ask for referrals and recommendations from family and friends before making any kind of purchase.

You can see from these stats that social proof is powerful enough to build positive brand awareness and perception, as well as sales. Let’s review some of the most common forms of social proof.

Testimonials

The most common form of social proof is testimonials. Positive customer testimonials are a powerful tool. That vote of confidence can be very impactful. According to recent research, 91% of consumers read online reviews and 84% trust reviews as much as a personal endorsement. If you have a Google My Business or a Yelp page, reviews are essential. I suggest implementing a regular feedback loop with your customers so that you are continuously asking for testimonials and updating your review pages with new social proof. Your customers are your best ambassadors.

Influencers

Influencer marketing has been considered the fastest-growing consumer-acquisition channel. Approximately $5 billion was spent on influencer marketing in 2022. 74.5% of companies with over 100 employees will work with influencers this year.? The market has expanded considerably to include both offline and online efforts as well as all types of people as influencers. They can be social media experts, bloggers, or super-fans of your brand. Gone are the days of needing a celebrity in order to drive influencer attention!

Organizational endorsement or ratings

For B2Bs and agencies, collecting endorsements and/or ratings from industry organizations or business leaders is an effective form of social proof. 57% of consumers will only buy or use a business service if it has at least a 4-star rating. While user testimonials can convey value or positive user experience, a business endorsement offers trust. Approach a couple of respected organizations and ask to make a deal that is mutually beneficial to both parties or apply to be evaluated for a standardized industry rating survey.

Certifications

Along the same lines as organizational endorsements, collecting industry certifications are important to build positive social proof. Website visitors will look for those logos on your site. Check out the Better Business Bureau for your company certification and don’t forget about industry and professional certifications for your leaders. This also includes making sure your social media channels are verified (within reason, cough ~ Twitter) if you’re in a very competitive industry or your competitors have similar names.

User Generated Content (UGC)

Testimonials and reviews are great but a photo is worth a 1000 words. This is absolutely true. A video is exponentially greater. But authenticity is important. Consumers are smart enough to recognize stock photos of plastic, smiling people masquerading as customers on your marketing materials. They want to picture themselves engaging with your brand, being inspired or having their burning problems solved. UGC can build your social media following and drive traffic to your website.

Encourage your brand ambassadors (aka loyal customers) to upload their photos and videos of them using your product to your digital platforms or to their own digital platforms using a hashtag. Ask them to be honest in their opinions, both good and bad. This gives you the opportunity to thank them for the feedback and address any issues publicly (if appropriate). UGC is especially impactful on visual social media platforms like Tiktok, Snapchat and Instagram.?

Community leaders

If your brand is location-specific, offline social proof is just as important as online. Leverage your relationship with local leaders who are well-known and respected. If they love your brand, ask them to recommend your brand to others, either through formal engagements like speaking opportunities at local events or informally through using your products in public.

Other ideas

There are an infinite number of ways to show social proof both online and offline. Any opportunity to collect, react to, and leverage customer goodwill is a chance to build social proof. It’s an incredibly effective method of promotion.

Next steps!

To illustrate the strategy, I am going to ask for your opinions and testimonials in the comments below! Please help me build my own social proof. What do you think of this article and my newsletter? What kinds of content would you like me to write about? Thanks!??