Let’s say you’re shopping for a new coffee table. While starting your shopping journey online, you may not feel confident about making a big purchase if you haven’t seen the coffee table in person. What if it’s too small for your space or is a slightly different color in person? Is it high-quality enough to last a few years? Can you trust the brand you’re shopping with?

Since you can’t see the coffee table, you likely read customer reviews or other third-party review websites to help you make a decision. 

This is what we call social proof.  

We’re here to walk you through why social proof is important and how you can use it to revamp your marketing strategies. 

Definition of Social Proof

Social proof is contextual evidence that companies use to persuade consumers to purchase an item or book a service. When a consumer sees other customers actively shopping with a brand or purchasing a product they’re interested in buying – it will likely persuade them to make the purchase, too. Social proof is a powerful tool businesses can use to increase conversions and establish credibility. 

Types of Social Proof

We live in a world where most shopping experiences start with a simple Google search. This is why social proof is so vital to a brand’s success. Businesses should use different types of social proof throughout their marketing strategy to continue to drive sales and conversions.

Here are some social proof examples you can incorporate:

• Customer Reviews
• Celebrity Endorsements 
• Case Studies 
• Press Releases
• User-Generated Content
• Influencer Marketing 
• Social Media Following 
• Quantifiable Data 
• Rating on Third-Party Review Websites 

When learning how to use social proof in marketing, you should use 2-3 different types of social proof throughout the buyer’s journey. This will ensure you can build a positive brand image that connects with your entire target audience. 

Benefits of Using Social Proof in Marketing

To truly understand the power of social proof, you need to step into your customer’s shoes. What persuades you to make a purchase? What’s the first thing you look for on a website when unsure about a product or want more information? Is it the reviews or social media? Are you looking for quantifiable data or a case study? 

Using social proof in marketing is a powerful tool that can provide the following benefits:

– Establish Credibility

Whether your brand has been around for a year or a few years – social proof is there to help establish credibility and build a positive brand image. Positive reviews, case studies, or a large Instagram following help establish your brand as an industry leader while giving new customers the confidence to shop with your brand. 

– Increase Conversions

Did you know adding reviews to high-priced product pages can boost conversion rates by nearly 380%? Social proof is a persuasive tool that can convert prospects into paying customers. By restructuring the user experience of your website to include more social proof, you can increase your conversions while building trust with your customers. 

– Showcases Other Customer’s Experiences

Showcasing your customer’s experiences with your brand allows you to share their excitement and experience with others. You helped your customer reach a goal, find the perfect t-shirt to add to their wardrobe or find a new pair of shoes they absolutely love. It’s a great thing to be proud of! When new customers come to your website, they’ll feel inspired by this excitement and will shop on your website with a new level of confidence. 

– Improve Buyer’s Confidence

When a new customer lands on your website and buys a product or service from you, they want to know they’re making the right decision. Adding different types of social proof throughout the buyer’s experience can help give your customers the confidence boost they need to complete a purchase. 

– Boost Revenue

There’s a reason companies will email you asking you to review a product or provide an incentive for filling out a survey. Social proof can give you that extra revenue boost and positively impact your bottom line. In fact, studies suggest that regularly using testimonials as social proof in marketing can help you generate 62% more revenue from every customer

How to Use Social Proof in Marketing Strategies

There are many ways to use social proof in your marketing strategy. When looking for creative ways to revamp your website or increase conversions, consider how you can add different types of social proof throughout the entire customer journey. 

Here are some ideas to help get you started:

– Enhance Your Email Welcome Series

Your welcome series is designed to nurture one-time purchasers into repeat buyers who know and love your brand. The emails you use are less about selling your products and more about building a relationship with the consumer. Adding testimonials, user-generated content, or even free case study downloads will help improve your email open and click-through rates. 

– Capitalize on the Persuasion of Influencer Marketing

Studies suggest that companies make roughly $6.50 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing. The ROI is comparable to other channels like email and paid marketing. Influencer marketing is one of the most popular marketing tactics you can capitalize on, especially if your goal is to reach a younger audience. 

With influencer marketing, an influencer actively promotes your brand’s products and services on their social media platform. This is a great way to improve brand awareness and entice new shoppers to explore your website.

– Revamp Your Product Pages

Are consumers adding products to their cart but not converting? It’s time to take a second look at your product pages and see if there’s an opportunity to add more social proof. Adding reviews, customer testimonials, or celebrity endorsements is a great way to persuade customers to complete a purchase and enhance the overall user experience. 

You can also A/B test your product pages to see if the conversion rates change for product pages with social proof compared to ones without to see what garners the best results. 

– Create Case Studies

Items or services with a high price aren’t always easy to sell. To persuade customers to make a purchase, you can create a comprehensive case study that individuals can download on your website. 

Case studies take a deep dive into a customer experience. It showcases your customer’s successes with your brand, which can help build trust and credibility. Case studies can also be reused in different types of content across social media, email marketing, and paid ads. 

Examples of Brands Successfully Using Social Proof

There are many ways to use social proof in marketing. Whether you’re looking to take a traditional route, including customer reviews on your product pages, or want to start looking into celebrity endorsements or influencer marketing. Each tactic can be used to improve your marketing strategy and get more eyes on your brand’s products and services. 

Here’s how three brands successfully use social proof in marketing. 

Patagonia

Patagonia is known for its dedication to high-end outdoor wear and making the planet a better place. To highlight both brand commitments, they use customer stories to help current customers and prospects get to know their brand. These customer stories help build credibility and show new customers that Patagonia is more than just another outdoor-wear brand.

Beyond Meat

Beyond Meat uses celebrity endorsements to get more eyes on its brand and enhance its marketing strategy. Using well-known names like Kim Kardashian and Sean Wotherspoon in their marketing campaigns is a great way to generate excitement, improve brand awareness, and increase the shareability of their content.

Puma

Puma encourages customers to share photos and videos wearing Puma on social media. The content is then added to a lookbook on their website, so prospects can look through and get a better idea of the look and feel of the shoes or clothing they want to purchase. This is a great way to engage with your current customers and build your library of social proof.

Capitalize on the Power of Social Proof With Kanbar Digital

Ready to learn how to use social proof in marketing like the pros? We’re here to help. The Kanbar Digital team is here to help identify opportunities and look for innovative ways to use different types of social proof in your strategy. 

Contact us today to learn more. 

FAQs

How powerful is social proof?

Social proof is an invaluable marketing tactic that can help individuals in the decision-making process. It’s a persuasion tool that appeals to our innate need to be accepted by others. 

How does social proof work in our decision-making process?

If a customer reads a testimonial or sees user-generated content on social media for an item they’re interested in buying, it will help push them to make a purchase.

What is an example of social proof?

One of the most common types of social proof is customer reviews and testimonials. With reviews, customers can get instant “advice” about a product and make a decision based on other customers’ experiences. 

What are the social proof techniques?

Social proof is all about getting customers to repeat an action. Reviews, social media, and testimonials are used to “influence” customers’ actions and encourage repeat behavior.