What is Social Proof and why care about it?

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Javi Del Campo's picture
Javi Del Campo
· 13/04/2022

Lily's seal of approval on 'How I Met Your Mother' is the only proof of quality that Robin needs to buy a product, whatever it is. If Lily recommends it, it's a product that Ms. Scherbatsky thinks is worth buying. This concept of approval is something that, in a very simple way, can be extrapolated to your company's marketing.

Other people's opinions are one more tool that we can use in our marketing strategy, and this is called social proof.

What is social proof?

When I used to go to the beach with my family as a kid, my father would always stop at the roadside bar with the most trucks parked. "He was looking for his social proof at that moment. 

From the point of view of psychology. Where this concept comes from, social proof (also called social informational influence) is a psychological phenomenon in which people assume that the action of other people reflects correct behavior in a specific situation. Truckers stop at that bar because the menu of the day is good and cheap and we, seeing that they stop, do so too.

In the marketing world it was first heard in 1984, in Robert Cialdini's book Influence. If we simplify the concept even further, we could say that we use a third party's opinion as a confirmation that this place is the right place. A crowded restaurant, the number 1 at the box office or the best seller of the moment are some examples of what social proof can do for us. 

What is social proof for in marketing?

To give you some context, here are a couple of facts. More than 40% of consumers find new brands online based on recommendations from family and friends and 91% of shoppers seek reviews before buying a product. Leaving out social proof and not giving it importance in your strategies means losing money.

Let's take a simple example to understand the importance of social proof. You are going on holiday to beautiful Edinburgh but there are several agencies that offer tour guide services. One of them has 271 reviews on their Google listing with an average of 4.6 stars. The other has 1 5 star review, which one would you choose? If we know that many others have tried it and liked it, it is easier for us to choose that option. 

In this type of case, humans associate higher quantity with better quality, which is why products that go viral on social networks such as TikTok or increase travel to countries that become fashionable are sold.

Social proof has a very important brand validation effect, which is vital in sectors such as services, but as well as serving to raise brand awareness, it also increases the confidence of the end consumer who has doubts when making a purchase. If a social proof is approved, it gives the consumer the confidence to finalize the purchase.

It is important that social proof occupies a place in our marketing strategy because in the 21st century and in the digital world in which we live, we must be clear about one thing: if people don't talk about us, we don't exist. If we use any social proof to our advantage, it will increase our sales.

Kinds of social proof and how to use them

Customer reviews or testimonials

You may have noticed that many websites include a "testimonials" section where customers give their positive feedback. Another option are reviews on your Google My Business listing for example, or on sites such as TripAdvisor. Using them is as simple as inviting your customers to give you a review after their stay. 

If you are a restaurant, for example, you can have an automation in your business thanks to which an SMS is sent to the person who booked the table (and whose phone number you have thanks to the previous reservation) reminding them that if they have had a good time they can leave a review on your Google listing with the consequent link to it. 

Expert Reviews

When we talk about social proof, we are not only talking about reviews on sites like Google or Tripadvisor. Product reviews, for example of a phone tested by the technology experts at "Topes de Gama", is a way to generate social proof for your product or service.

To apply it, just look for experts in your sector. If you sell beauty products, you can send a sample of them to an online magazine for a product review in which an expert narrates his or her experience with the product. If you have a hotel, you can invite a lifestyle journalist to spend an evening in one of your rooms, to give you a couple of examples.

Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is another great example of social proof. Let's think about the influence of two people: your brother-in-law and Maxi Iglesias. The former is your brother-in-law and family, yes, but the latter has almost two million followers on his Instagram account and is a successful and stylish public figure who stars on magazine covers. If one of these two recommended a way to wear a trench coat, who would you listen to more?

Using influencers for your campaigns, or even micro-influencers with high engagement, is a good idea because they are a social proof in their own right.

Success stories

Showcasing your success stories to potential buyers is a social proof tool in which you can include everything from sales figures to the reach of your campaigns or any other significant data that provides proof of the value of your product or service. 

Using data as a marketing tool allows us to raise brand awareness, as do any awards and recognitions we may have. Think of your company as an actor's book: we are not only interested in what you are able to do or what you sell, but how society or consumers value you. An Oscar Award is not hidden in a drawer, it is shown off to gain cache.

This psychological phenomenon that can be applied to marketing is extremely effective and its natural implementation in our strategies is much simpler than it may seem. If, after reading this article, you still have any doubts about how you can apply it to your business, we will be happy to listen to you and help you to put this work tool on your side.

Main photo: Ozgu Ozden 

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