Businesses both big and small are constantly seeking new ways to drive conversions and continue expanding. The first step to achieving this is building trust with your target audience, but many marketers struggle to do this. However, adding social proof into the equation makes it easier to move users through the conversion funnel.
Social proof is the psychological influence on consumers to copy the actions they see others take. So, if they see someone they know enjoying a product or service, they’re likelier to try it out in the hopes that they can replicate that happy feeling.
Types of Social Proof
There are a few different types of social proof to consider adding to your marketing strategy:
- Crowds: When a large group agrees on something, it’s easier to convince others of the same.
- Customers: Customers who detail their experiences with a product or service are likely to convince others to either buy or avoid.
- Influencers and celebrities: People feel bonded to influencers and celebrities they follow online, so when they endorse a relevant product, it sells well.
- Industry experts: If an expert claims that something is valuable, then consumers tend to listen and take action.
- Friends and family: It’s easy to trust loved ones’ opinions, so if they say they enjoy something, others are likely to listen.
- Certifications: If you have certifications or accolades, it proves your expertise and increases your credibility.
Whether you want to generate leads, increase sales, or expand your business, here are four ways you can use social proof to achieve your goals.
Reviews
Word of mouth marketing (WOM) is when consumers talk about products and services and share their experiences. It’s powerful because people trust people they’re familiar with. Whether that’s a friend, family member, celebrity, or fellow customer, consumers are keen to listen to other consumers’ opinions.
Around 69 percent of consumers use word of mouth marketing to share their experiences with brands with loved ones. You can add those experiences to your website to show new visitors why they should do business with you.
Testimonials
Client testimonials can take your business a long way in terms of improving engagement, increasing sales, and generating leads. Seeing real clients endorse your products and services pushes new visitors to trust your brand and stick around.
To get testimonials from those invested in your business, you can:
- Ask. If you know you have clients and customers who’d be willing to share a positive thought about your business, then don’t hesitate to ask.
- Search social media. People are keen to share their opinions about brands on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and more. You can find a wealth of reviews and testimonials by searching relevant keywords and hashtags.
- Use quotes from emails. If a customer reaches out to share positive thoughts about your product or service, you can ask to use it for your testimonials page.
- Sift through blog comments. You may not know it, but your blog comments could be full of praise from customers and clients alike. Make sure to go through them when collecting testimonials to strengthen your social proof.
If you don’t know how to display testimonials on your website, a tool like Smash Balloon can help you. In a few simple steps, it takes content from your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or other accounts, and embeds it onto your website.
Real-Time Activity
It’s easier to persuade your site visitors to take a specific action when they see others doing the same. That’s why displaying real-time activity on your website increases conversions and trust between your brand and its customers.
A tool like TrustPulse shows customer activity in real-time so users can see conversions as they happen. When they see consistent action taking place before their eyes, they feel more comfortable moving on with the buying process.
You can use a real-time activity plugin to display sales, email signups, contest entries, and more.
Influencer and Celebrity Endorsements
Whether we want to admit it or not, we trust celebrity and influencer endorsements more than we think. Nowadays, customers aren’t willing to shop with just any business. With so many options available, they have freedom in choice, so you want to be the one they turn to.
If you’re active on social media, specifically Instagram, then it’s likely you’ve seen influencer marketing in action. In exchange for influencers endorsing a product or service, they receive payment from that brand. If they have loyal followers who trust their recommendations, then it’s easy to sell a ton of that product and make a profit.
But influencer marketing isn’t only good for influencers; it’s great for businesses too. They build brand awareness, drive customers to their site, and improve overall engagement.
If it’s in your budget, consider reaching out to influencers in your industry to see if they’re willing to endorse your product. When people see it on social media, it’ll pique their interest and persuade them to check out your brand.
Back to You
Adding social proof to your marketing strategy doesn’t have to be a pain. If anything, it’s exciting to know that something so simple can boost sales, improve user engagement, and much more. If you have yet to add social proof to your website, then now is a great time to get started. What elements will you add to reach your goals?
Syed Balkhi is an award-winning entrepreneur and online marketing expert. He is the co-founder of OptinMonster, WPBeginner, MonsterInsights, and WPForms.