Social proof marketing is a social evidence of correctness. What can social proof marketing do for you?

Robert Cialdini in his book "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" described six basic rules. Alongside reciprocity, commitment and consistency, liking and sympathy, authority, and scarcity, there is also social proof. You may have heard about it quite often. You may even use this term yourself without thinking deeply about its meaning.

Meanwhile, this rule, like any of Cialdini's principles, can be successfully applied in your business. Check out what you will gain from it and how you can do it.

How will you use social proof in your business?

What are people afraid of when making purchases? Making a mistake in their choice. So what will they focus on when browsing your offer? On any signals that can suggest to them whether it is a good choice in their situation. 

Will they believe your assurances? No. They know well that you want to sell them something. That's why in your texts, you cannot boast that your company is the best, the most professional, or the fastest. Unless you want to see the back of a customer who is running straight into the arms of your competition.

It's better to show it with examples. The most credible examples will be those coming from people who have already used your products or services.

Opinions are the most commonly used social proof in marketing.

By placing positive reviews from real customers on your website, you provide potential buyers with a solid dose of interesting reading. Thanks to this, they can see that you help solve specific problems and have evidence of it. The more similar the problem is to what you offer, the more important that opinion will be to them.

They will also learn about your customer service. They will learn about the results you provide and will want to receive the same. They will also read between the lines to see what sets you apart from your competitors. And from there, it's a straight path to making a purchase. That's why gathering reviews is essential for the development of your business.

Influencer marketing. Effective advertising or a big scam?

Recommendations from well-known individuals are a great example of combining the rule of social proof with authority. If you dig deeper into this topic, you can also find the mechanism of liking and sympathy, which R. B. Cialdini also mentions. As you can see, it's not worth applying his principles selectively. Using several of them can be equally effective.

In the world of social media, there are influencers. In the so-called real world - celebrities. You could say that we know them because they are famous, although that wouldn't be entirely fair. Famous actors often have outstanding film roles to their credit. Famous athletes perform feats that an average person may not be capable of even after extensive training.

What matters is that a group of fans grows around these individuals. If you manage to get a recommendation from a person whose fans are your target audience, your sales will clearly increase.

Numerical data. The rule of rationalizing emotional reactions.

Because social proof is based on sales psychology, it doesn't always work in a completely logical way. Remember advertisements. 9 out of 10 people choose our product over another. 89% of our customers have noticed a significant improvement. These slogans appeal to the imagination and increase trust in your brand.

Of course, it is best if the numerical evidence is supported by research conducted by a reputable institution. Then you can also use the authority rule.

Does social proof marketing only work in e-commerce?

No. The rule of social proof works always and everywhere. In the sale of products and services. In online and offline businesses. In companies... and in families. Of course, only when it is skillfully applied. 

Even a form of social proof can be a preschool slogan "everyone knows that...". Unfortunately, you are targeting your offer more towards adults. Even if the end users of your products or services are children. For this reason, it is definitely better to use social proof in the form of opinions, recommendations, and data, rather than empty slogans without substance.

Don't believe it? Try it out and see the results. Since the biggest companies on the market successfully use this rule, it's definitely worth doing, right?