Last Updated on June 13, 2024 by Paula
You have put together a great service or product for your community. Your website is amazing. Heck, even your mockups for your services and courses look great. But new clients are looking for something more before committing to spending money on what you have to offer.
There is a reason large companies like Amazon are asking for reviews for the products they sell on their website. People need to see that others are enjoying and using this product before they’ll jump in and buy. This is just one example of social proof, and it’s one of the largest influencers in what will get people to make a purchase.
What is Social Proof
To put it simply, social proof is the idea that people will copy the actions of others in an attempt to emulate the behavior in certain situations.
An example of this is when you see an Instagram post or tweet about a product by a celebrity or influencer. By having those influencers showcase how well the products work, viewers are more likely to purchase that product because they want to copy what the influencer they’re watching.
Another example would be if you saw someone who has really great skin use a particular product online, you are more likely to purchase a product recommended by them in hopes of achieving that same outcome.
Why you need it
As an expert in marketing, I find that many clients I work with aren’t leveraging the power of social proof on their websites. Something I advise that all of my clients do is gather social proof to place on their webpage.
Why?
- Testimonials and reviews add credibility to the products or services you will offer.
- People trust online reviews and use them to help influence their purchasing decisions.
- Social proof is good for SEO and adds favorable language around your brand.
These are just a few examples to show how powerful social proof can be for any business.
Types of Social Proof
There are many different kinds of social proof out there. However, there are a few main types that you should focus on. The type of social proof you choose should be based on the industry you’re in and what your goal is. At least one of these types should work well for your business.
Case Studies
Case studies provide your potential clients with an in-depth and data-driven example of the product or service that you provide a customer with. Other examples of this could be a portfolio or anything that helps your customers look at a specific piece of your service. These pair well when combined with client testimonials.
Testimonials
Testimonials work well in place of a case study. They are simple and short-form recommendations from customers who have had a positive experience working with you. They can be effective on everything from landing pages to content upgrades. This is one of the easiest forms of social proof and should be displayed on your website.
Reviews
A review is like the cousin of a testimonial. These are best used for products or things that are highly competitive. Many people use reviews to help them choose between options, so if your product has a lot of competition, this is a good place to start with social proof.
Social Media
In today’s digital era, praise from brand advocates and customers in comments or even tweets can be a good form of social proof. This type of social proof is most useful in B2C products and services, but you can use it in other forms.
Trust Icons
Have you ever been to someone’s page, and they have a long list of places they have appeared on or published their work on? This is an example of a trust icon! Those logos and icons are social proof, but they work best when paired with other options.
How to get it
Now that you know what social proof is, how will you get it? There are a variety of ways you can gather testimonials and other types of social proof to display or build for your brand.
Here are some ideas to help you get started:
- Send a survey to your past clients
- Encourage customers to share and post on social media
- Send your products to people with large followings
- Feature reviews from other sites on your site
You will build social proof with time, and if you’re just starting out, you may need to find creative ways to get your social proof.
As you can see, social proof is vital to any online business’s success. Social proof can be a way to get hesitant clients and customers off of the fence and into the checkout line! Hopefully, this post has inspired you to try out some of these different options and find social proof that works well for your business.
