Have you ever checked out user reviews before buying a product?
Has any celebrity or influencer endorsement led you to check out a brand?
Does your trust in a service provider increase if they have a high rating?
If the answer to all questions is “yes,” you, too, understand the importance of social proof and know just how impactful it can be in a sales decision.
If you’re new to the concept of social proof, then worry not—we’re rehashing the details on what social proof is, its benefits in marketing, and the types of social proof that exist (along with examples).
Let’s dig in!
What is social proof?
At its root, social proof is a psychological phenomenon in which brands use the influence of others (either customers or brand ambassadors) to emphasize the effectiveness of their product/service.
This phenomenon helps in uncertain situations (such as when customers are undecided about buying a product/service) and alleviates anxieties or doubts that discourage them from buying.
To make this process even more effective, businesses can use tools like Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement to manage customer reviews, track influencer endorsements, and collect user-generated content—all within one platform. This not only helps build trust but also streamlines the way brands can strategically use social proof to guide purchasing decisions.
For example, suppose you’re a customer trying to buy a dress from a high-fashion dressmaker. If you like the person’s designs and price range, you might also check out:
- Likes and followers on different branded social media accounts.
- User ratings of the company to see if they’re a credible business or not.
- Reviews of their dresses to know more about the quality of the fabric, fit, vibe, etc.
- User-generated content (e.g., photos of customers wearing dresses) to see how their products look on others.
These are all kinds of social proof that allow you to understand whether the product is a good fit for you. If a brand uses them often enough, they (social proof) help boost credibility and trust, too.
As a business, social proof is no longer a “nice to have.” In fact, in today’s day and age, it’s more of a necessity, considering:
- 97% of customers check online reviews when browsing for a local business.
- Users need at least a 3.3-star rating to consider engaging with your business.
- Almost 1 in 2 customers will purchase based on an influencer recommendation.
Benefits of using social proof in your marketing
We previously discussed how leveraging social proof in marketing helps reduce uncertainty in buying decisions. Not only that, if used correctly, it can also:
- Boost customer experience.
- Enhance customer confidence.
- Improve chances of purchases.
- Create an authentic environment (since social proof cannot be manufactured, and it has to be given by users or supporters of the brands).
Aside from these benefits, the more social proof you focus on (and the bigger the library of social proof you build), the stronger your brand’s foundation becomes. Each positive interaction or sentiment about your brand creates a positive perception of you.
Moreover, since review pages are entirely customer-led, they also foster a community-like experience amongst customers, which can again lead to higher purchase rates.
To make the use of social proof more strategic, we recommend using digital analytics. This will help identify which types of social proof are most influential, track how they drive engagement and conversions, and understand their overall effect on brand perception.
Read More: Everything You Should Know About Online Reviews
Types of social proof
This section reveals the six main types of social proof you can leverage for your business (along with examples!).
1. Customer reviews
You’d see these reviews on an eCommerce page (e.g., reviews on Amazon or Target) a peer-to-peer site (e.g., G2, Capterra, or TrustRadius).
Studies reveal almost 75% of customers “regularly” or “always” check customer reviews, with around 77% of them using more than two review platforms in their research.
Customer reviews are equally important in the B2B (business-to-business) world. According to Louisa Zhou’s data, 92% of B2B customers agree that positive reviews help them make purchase decisions.
Since prospects are often on the hunt for customer reviews, it makes sense to:
- Encourage customers to leave positive reviews. (You can always analyze areas for improvement in the review.)
- Use them in various places on your website or social media channels to build trust and credibility.
- Place them near places where buying decisions are made (e.g., near checkout carts or on the landing pages).
2. Testimonials
Unlike a review, which can be more snappy and to the point, a testimonial is often more long-winded and illustrates a customer’s complete experience after using a product.
And since customers often trust testimonials over vendor claims (or marketing speak), these are super helpful.
Not only is social proof like a video testimonial super helpful (especially when strategically placed near landing pages), but it also helps customers understand if the product/service you’re offering would be a good fit for them based on its features.
3. User-generated content
User-generated content can be anything—photos or videos of a brand (e.g., of their product/service or features), brand mentions, tags on a post, a review snippet of your brand, etc.
Since it directly comes from the customers and is not polished or paid for, this kind of content has more trust and credibility in your prospect’s eyes.
For example, another user’s before-and-after photo of your service will help customers see the changes they, too, could get. Or, if customers conduct reviews of your brand, they’ll provide others with their own experiences and insights.
As references, consider brands like Apple and GoPro, which effectively use UGC (user-generated content) to showcase genuine customer experiences, strengthen brand loyalty, and attract new customers.
Are you thinking about the GoPro Awards and the iconic “Shot on iPhone” campaign?
Other brands, like Canva, host yearly contests and create distinctive hashtags to encourage UGC, build a community, and generate new ideas.
To expand your UGC campaign, we recommend relying on AdTech tools. These tools automate and optimize social proof in digital ads, ensuring personalized and credible messages reach the right audience, and boosting engagement and conversions.
4. Trust badges
Trust badges are digital icons that immediately increase the credibility of a website. For example, if you’re on a checkout page giving your credit card information, would you prefer:
- A website with a VISA badge, McAfee Secure badge, and Norton Secure badge?
or
- A website that has nothing?
Consider your customer in the same shoes as you, and make a similar decision for them. While you’re at it, it’s also important to:
- Showcase these trust seals and certifications prominently, especially near checkout buttons, to alleviate purchase anxiety.
- Regularly update and verify the trust badges to ensure they remain valid and reflect the current security standards.
- Pair logos with meaningful descriptions or reviews to create more authentic social proof.
5. Endorsements
Endorsements, especially if they come from the right people (e.g., celebrities, influencers, industry thought leaders, etc.), can have a lot of meaning as these people have influence, credibility, and audience pull—and you can use all of this goodwill to your benefit.
For example, Cadbury appointed Amitabh Bacchan, a well-known Indian actor, as its brand ambassador after a crisis that led to its stocks dropping. His goodwill and image helped Cadbury regain its original position in the industry.
Suppose you specifically seek out endorsements with people who match your brand values. In that case, these endorsements will come across as even more authentic, and you’ll find a good mix of your target audience within their follower count/reach (this is also why influencer marketing can lead to increased engagement and sales through authentic connections).
6. Case studies
The concept of case studies is powerful and can be applied to any industry because it combines real customer stories with tangible results and shows how your product/service helped in the process.
The set-up of an ideal case study looks something like this:
Part 1: Engaging narratives that highlight customer challenges.
Part 2: Solutions and key outcomes are provided with the help of quantitative data and customer feedback.
Part 3: An insider’s look is given into how your product/service became the bridge between the problem and the solution.
You can take these case studies, turn them into snippets, and post them on your social media channels or website sections, or even upload full-sized versions of them on your blog (the latter is more common, by the way).
Doing so will allow customers to understand exactly at which juncture your product/service can come in to solve their problem and how you, as an expert in your niche, can help solve it.
How Keyhole can help track, measure, and leverage social proof
You’ll be surprised to know there are tons of positive conversions happening about your brand on social media….the only caveat is that you don’t know much about it because you hardly ever use social media listening tools to keep track of all the conversations happening online.
Once you start using social listening tools, you can easily tap into all the good (and not-so-good) conversations surrounding your brand, competitors, and industry—this is great for collecting social proof and can be super handy when conducting research.
Read More: What is Metaverse Marketing? 5 Key Strategies to Implement
Wrapping up
In this article, we touched on the basics of social proof, including its importance, benefits, and types. If you’re ready for more advanced, practical applications and want to start using and tracking your social proof directly, book a demo to understand how we can help you monitor your online presence, streamline social media management, and leap beyond basic metrics.
Author Bio
Divashree builds high-authority backlinks for SaaS brands. She is the founder of SAASY LINKS, a white-hat link-building agency catering to SaaS brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is social proof important in marketing?
Social proof helps customers alleviate their fears and doubts about buying a product and encourages them to see positive sentiments about your brand.
2. What are the disadvantages of social proof?
Social proof, such as customer reviews or ratings, is insufficient when focused on as a sole strategy. Other strategies are imperative to build customer trust and brand authority.
3. What is an example of negative social proof?
Examples of negative social proof are a negatively written customer review, bad company ratings, low engagement on socials, etc.
4. What is social proof in everyday life?
Suppose you want to go to a new restaurant or try a new brand of detergent. You’d always check online reviews, ask family or friends for their recommendations, check brand mentions online, etc. These are all examples of social proof being used in daily life.
