Marketers have a tendency to use a lot of nebulous jargon and buzzwords that probably aren't familiar to anyone who's not in marketing. Even for marketers, keeping all of these terms and concepts straight is a tall order, and social proof is no exception. 

Advocates of social proof in marketing maintain that its use of human psychology will allow you to increase lead conversion. The question becomes... how exactly does social proof do that? And is social proof actually the foolproof solution that many business owners have been looking for? 

Social Proof, Defined 

Social proof is, quite simply, when a business or brand owner leverages normative social influence in a marketing context.

Or to put it another way, social proof is trust-building content that makes prospective buyers more likely to imitate existing consumers' behavior. In marketing, this means a purchase is made. 

Whereas advertising content promotes a brand’s own message subjectively, social proof is “borrowing [objective] third-party influence to sway potential customers.” In practice, social proof means you're leveraging user-generated content—and the authentic perspectives therein—to back up your message. 

Psychology 

Humans are social animals that instinctively want to fit into social groups. While there are many reasons for this behavior, it really boils down to the fact that we conform in order to be accepted by people with whom we feel we have some level of kinship. In unfamiliar situations (like when you're considering buying a new product or service), potential buyers look to peers who have been in the same situation for guidance, referencing and even copying their behavior to find the best way to proceed.

Consumers buy things for a number of reasons, whether it’s to serve a purpose or need or to make them feel good. But when you understand the circumstances behind purchasing behavior, you can apply psychological pouches in the right way; you can encourage leads to feel positively towards your product or service, increasing the likelihood that they’ll buy from you again in the future. 

Since it portrays real-life experiences, social proof has much more significance than conventional advertising content, allowing you to promote trust and disinhibition by using real people and their real experiences to promote your company. 

Marketing Power 

Besides generating sales, social proof is very effective for search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing. By using your buyers' own words to communicate your message, your marketing campaign will speak to potential buyers as peers rather than as a business trying to win a sale. This gives marketing materials more credibility and authenticity since people trust their peers more than advertisements. 

Though simple in its potency, social proof isn't necessarily an easy thing to implement in your marketing. In fact, there are variables to keep in mind because they may necessitate a particular technique or approach to marketing campaigns built around social proof.

Techniques 

There are a number of ways by which you can make social proof work for your company or brand. However, the most relevant and effective for companies selling products or services tend to be case studies, testimonials, reviews, social media, trust icons, and data.

Case Studies 

Case studies can be a powerful marketing tool. However, when it comes to your target consumer(s), case studies may not be the best mode of delivery for your brand message. Since they're built on problem-solving and data, case studies are typically demonstrations of your problem-solving abilities and business acumen, making them more suitable for B2B than B2C audiences.

Testimonials 

Testimonials are snippets of praise about your product, service, or company with a particular focus on how the buyer’s expectations have been met (or exceeded).

The good news is that there are ways to encourage feedback and testimonials, including, for instance, by offering discounts or even free products. Alternatively, you might simply ask a few customers for feedback to build a library of testimonials. 

Reviews 

Though similar to testimonials, reviews are more candid and honest. As a result, they're more widely trusted by prospective customers. Additionally, reviews are particularly useful for competitive industries in which an exceptional customer experience can be a major differentiator between one company and another.

Social Media 

Social media provides a direct channel for communication between a business and the consumer. Positive comments from satisfied customers are not only more trustworthy than marketing content but easy to access, easy to digest, and easy to share.

It’s also worth mentioning influencers since they often have large audiences full of trusting followers and can be a source of significant social proof for brands. (Example: A single Instagram post has 4,100 likes.) In this scenario, the influencer's content is the social proof, serving to validate a brand partner's marketing campaign and as a resource to help them decide whether or not to make a purchase. 

On a side note, highlighting social proof by liking and resharing positive comments also creates an opportunity to engage with the audience, creating brand loyalty by making them feel acknowledged and important. 

Trust Icons 

Reviews from trustworthy agencies and organizations like the Better Business Bureau can be a way to give those “on the fence” a slight nudge in the direction of purchase since they're more credible and trustworthy in most consumers’ eyes. If you have a trust icon’s seal of approval, then a customer is more inclined to trust your company as well. 

Data 

Unlike testimonials and reviews, data is meant to be quick and punchy, alleviating uncertainty and driving the point home as quickly as possible. Remember: People don’t like to feel like they’re missing out on something. When you indicate your number of satisfied clients, downloads, or problems solved, you’re showing potential customers that there’s fulfillment and satisfaction to be had if they become one of your customers. 

In terms of application, data often works best as part of a call to action. For example, “Join our community of 10,000+ subscribers” draws attention to your large pool of successful customers and creates the desire to be part of that community; might they be missing out if they don't join them? Between the compulsion to belong and FOMO, the audience becomes more likely to convert. 

Dangers

Despite all the benefits, social proof isn’t a silver bullet. Like any tool, it should be used with care and with awareness of the potential pitfalls. 

Mismarketing 

The great thing about social media is that nobody is forced to follow anyone who he or she doesn’t want to follow. We follow users whose content is relevant to us; this can mean following individuals who are inspirational or aspirational (as with celebrities), but it often means we follow users in the same demographic. 

For social proof to work, the market or demographic that you're targeting needs to be able to relate to your brand, product, or service. When the marketing is done correctly, prospects form a connection to the brand rather than becoming alienated. For example, if you cite a client to whom a prospect can’t relate—a great example here—then conversion becomes far less likely. 

Exhaustion 

If you rely on it too heavily in your marketing, then social proof will become less and less potent over time. It's the law of diminishing returns. For this reason, rotating through different types of social proof at regular intervals will allow you to keep things fresh. 

Inorganic 

Regardless of the technique, social proof needs to come from credible and believable people. Because prospects follow their peers, not numbers; they look for content that reads as credible and isn’t visual spam cluttering the page.

Take Your Brand to New Heights with Alan + Company 

Social proof can be difficult to navigate, particularly for small business owners who are relatively new to building a consumer base. Whether you own a small business or an enterprise, Alan + Company is ready to help. Our boutique marketing agency can show you how to leverage a library of feedback in the way that works best for your company. 

Contact us today so we can help you build the perfect marketing strategy for your company.