“Social proof” is one of those phrases you hear all the time without ever knowing if you really understand its subtleties. Because it can have such a profound effect on how your company is perceived, it makes sense to focus on brand awareness and how it is affected by this important phenomenon.
Social proof defined.
In a nutshell, the term refers to people’s tendency to rely on the actions and opinions of others when making their own decisions. Today, this validation usually comes in the form of paying attention to comments, videos, or testimonials made about your store by other customers. As any guide to online reputation management will attest, glowing feedback from others engenders positive feelings and trust in others, encouraging them to take the risk involved in making a purchase.
By the same token, negative reviews and criticism can quickly poison a store’s reputation and send customers running in the opposite direction. For that reason, it is vital that businesses actively monitor what is being said about them online so that they can react quickly and decisively to defuse a toxic situation that has the potential to go viral.
How to harness the power of social proof to benefit your business.
There are several popular mechanisms that you can tap into in order to integrate social proof into your customer relationships and marketing strategies. They include the following.
- Customer reviews on your website, social media pages, or on third-party platforms.
- Written testimonials contained in blogs, newsletters, or articles.
- Likes and shares on social media sites like YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok.
- Trust signals that raise your credibility. An example is the Trustpilot logo and star rating.
- Endorsements from well-known or even micro-influencers with an established base of loyal followers and credibility in your field or industry.
Especially for ecommerce businesses, social proof can work wonders in helping sales to skyrocket.
The symbiosis between social proof and online businesses.
If you have any doubts about whether the opinions of others provide powerful buying incentives, look no further than sales behemoth eBay. On every product page, the following information is prominently displayed: how many orders of the product have been processed so far, the number of people who are currently viewing the item, how many have viewed it over the past 24 hours, the number of customers who have reviewed the merchandise, and the seller’s rating based on those testimonials.
In a commercial environment where buyers can quickly compare and contrast items on a host of variables, businesses are scrambling to find ways to separate themselves from their rivals. Social proof has become the solution of choice because people’s opinions of products are shaped not by subjective advertisements paid for by the companies themselves but by buyers who have spent their own money on these goods in the past.
The bottom line is that written customer feedback and video testimonials are possibly your two most powerful advertising vehicles. When you use them effectively, they can rapidly translate into increased sales and positive brand exposure.
If we have convinced you that social proof truly can be a game-changer with the ability to elevate your sales and brand recognition, don’t wait another day. Take the first step toward maximizing the influence of your best customers by ensuring that they have plenty of places to express their love for your products and satisfaction with your customer service. In other words, take the time to establish and regularly update your dynamic, engaging social media pages, and your happy brand ambassadors will reward you with feedback that will entice others to enter into an ongoing relationship with your brand.
