In this fiercely competitive world, earning the trust of your targeted audience is the challenge. This is where the concept of social proof comes in. Social proof is a psychological phenomenon in which people tend to do things or people want things that the people surrounding them use. Let us explain to you with a classic example a book that has written a best seller on its cover page is approximately a hundred times more sellable than a normal book in which no such accomplishments have been mentioned on the cover page. This is an example of social proof since people validate that the book is a good product as a result of which a large number of people have bought the book, so you are most likely to use or try the same product.
Social proof can be done in many ways. When you go to a marketing website or e-commerce website, you’ll find reviews and rating sections for each product. You can give the ratings in the number of stars out of five or ten and you can give a detailed review of the product. Suppose you have booked an Airbnb and then give a review of the stay. If you give a good review, then the stay will appear in the higher search for other users as well. Also if you use credible leadership in selling any product leader or a person who is recognized in that field the sellability of your product increases.
The more awards or certifications that you get from reputed organizations or leadership the more the product Your product can get the attention of the media not only in the traditional media sense but also in various social media platforms, the more the product will sell. Suppose your product has a YouTube channel, the more users or the more subscribers in this channel, the more YouTube channel search engine will display your video at the top of search and the more attention it will get in the public. This leads to the product becoming an example of social proof.
Social proof is simply a very important tool by which a brand or a company can prove its credibility, quality, and sustainability. It gives the customers a sense of confidence in the product. The brand recognition of the product gradually increases in the market. The more the product gets space in the minds or the lives of the people. The more the product will become a part of day-to-day conversations. Building social proof increases the engagement of the users in it.
Impact of social proof in digital marketing
Social proof helps in building trust and increases the credibility of the product. People often trust the customer recommendations that are given for a product. When the targeted audience reads the positive reviews, they automatically get drawn to the product. It also increases the chances of purchasing the product thus leading to increasing conversion rates. Increasing engagement rates in your social media marketing can be achieved by carefully including social proof features.
Products having a higher rating and a lot of reviews often have a higher chance of ranking well in the search engines. Google ranks the websites higher who have organic content and keywords. This can help in increasing your website\’s organic traffic and SEO effectiveness.
Digital marketing companies should create specific mechanisms to create social proof of their products. They must encourage customers to provide and leave reviews and ratings of their products. This can be in the form of cashback. Suppose you give a rating on this website, you get a cashback of this much amount. This will encourage and gradually everyone will join this process of creating social proof. Another way is using social media strategically. Instagram and Twitter can be used beneficially by companies to make their products stand out among the crowd. The product must be partnered with influencers so that they can get the attention of the subscribers that respective influencers have. If your influencer wears a certain product, you are most likely to wear the same product or search for it on the e-commerce website.
In this evolving digital marketing environment, social proof has become an important component of the strategy. Social proof helps in building trust and customer loyalty for the product. Discover how to use different kinds of social proof to improve the brand image of your company. Our team at 77 million, helps you understand what the target audience wants from your brand and how to achieve that. Connect with us now and start writing your success story.