Imagine you are surfing on Amazon in search of a shirt. You shortlist a few options. Now this makes you confused about which one to choose. What will you do next? You will check reviews and pick the shirt with the best reviews and ratings. 

It is a psychological effect called social proof, where your mind is tricked into buying a product that is approved by other people.

What is Social Proof

The term ‘Social Proof’ was coined by Robert Cialdini in his book ‘Influence’ where he talked about 6 principles of psychology. ‘Social proof” is one of them. This is a psychological effect in which a person tries to copy others in order to imitate them in a certain situation. 

For example, if a certain trend is going on Instagram reels, then every other creator will try to follow that trend and you end up listening to that audio the whole day. 

In marketing, social proof means something similar. When a person is influenced to buy something just because of its good reviews or testimonials. 

This is the reason why online sites focus so much on the reviews and brands they have worked with. 

Types of Social Proof 

1. Case studies: 

1. This is the best way of social proof marketing. This is a data-driven and thorough analysis of your product or service. 
2. You can make case studies about the companies or projects you have worked on. You can mention the work you had done for them and mention the outcomes of it.
3. With this social proof marketing strategy, your potential clients would be able to make out what kind of work you provide and what kind of results they can expect. This creates goodwill in the markets.
4. Above is an example of Hootsuite, about different types of projects they have worked on and displaying it as a case study on their page. Here the user could easily get an idea of what kind of work they had provided and what was the outcome. 
5. Testimonials or reviews:

1. You might often get some feedback after you deliver your product or service. These are called testimonials or in simpler words, reviews. They can be positive or negative. Positive testimonials encourage us and negative testimonials teach us where we lack. 
2. One of the ways of social proof marketing is posting testimonials on your social media platforms. You can add more details to it (type of product or service). 
3. This lets your audience know what your customer thinks about your brand. This shows that you actually care about your clients and their opinions. It not only improves engagement but also draws them to your company.
4. For example, the above image is the Reviews and testimonials page of Ahrefs. It shows how people from different industries are benefited by their services. 

3. Current Clients
   1. Mentioning your current clients and previous clients in your website or social media helps to build your website. 
   2. For example, WebEx has mentioned the brands it has worked with previously.
   3. Adding big names to your companies creates a good impression in front of your potential clients. 
4. Trust Icons – Awards or recognitions

1.  If you are awarded or recognized by some prestige associations helps people know about your brilliance. 
2. You can add photos or logos (if provided) on your website or social media platform
3. For example, Amazon has been awarded with ton of awards and has been recognized by esteemed organizations. 

5. Data and statistics
   1. Adding numbers and statistics adds a good impression on your site. For example, you can add information about the number of clients you have worked with, the number of projects, client retention, and how long you have been running this business. 
   2. Users are generally data-driven. Adding numbers to your website would instill trust among the users. 
6. Influencer marketing 

1. You can tie up with famous influencers and ask them to show off your brand on your social media platform 
2. People follow these influencers to get inspired by their lifestyles and the products they use. You can this opportunity to give your brand exposure to a large audience. 
3. Keep in mind to choose an influencer who fits with your brand and promotes the type of industry you are into. 

Why is social proof important? – Social proof statistics and data 

By now you would have understood that social proof plays an important role in marketing of your product. Here are some social proof statistics to get a clear idea:

• 87% of people first research online before purchasing a product
• An average customer reads at least 10 reviews before buying a product
• 88% of customers trust user reviews as much as a personal recommendation
• A buyer only believes a company’s rating after reading an average of 40 reviews
• 85% of people believe that reviews older than 3 months are not relevant
• Conversion rates are increased by 34% after posting testimonials

Conclusion: 

Being up to date with the reviews and maintaining them can play the cards in your favor. With everything being online, Social proof marketing is a great way of indirect marketing. Contact us to boost up your social proof.