According to Cavett Robert, a famous marketing expert, 95% of the people are imitators, and only 5% are initiators. It means that people buy products based on other people’s previous actions and not by what the company offers as proof. Back in the past, as early as 1930, social proof was proven to persuade potential customers to boost sales effectively. And since then social proof has evolved and become widely used in digital marketing.
In the actual set up, a store full of people increase people’s curiosity about the products. It makes them ask more about the product and eventually buy it. It is the concept of the psychological phenomenon called social proof. Yet, as e-commerce grows massively, social proof digital marketing became a thing for most businesses. The improvements in new ways of marketing have changed the way brands perform in the market.
What Is Social Proof Digital Marketing?
Before knowing what social proof digital marketing is, let us define what social proof and digital marketing are. Social proof is a psychological and social phenomenon wherein people copy others’ actions in an attempt to undertake behavior in a specific situation. On the other hand, digital marketing refers to the advertising delivered through online or digital channels such as websites, social media, emails, and other mobile apps.
Social proof digital marketing is a marketing strategy used by the brand to boost sales without spending too much on advertisements. Simply speaking, it is social proof that is done using the digital platform. It is somewhat related to word-of-mouth marketing. Wherein people are driven by what their relatives say about the products. It can be done through online reviews, testimonies, social media followings, and online endorsements.
Essentially, it is advertising initiated by customer experiences. According to marketing researches, this technique is one of the most effective marketing strategies to make your brand known in the market. People tend to believe actual customer reviews as they perceive them as more authentic. In turn, it creates a psychological effect on the public to follow the action of the majority.
How does Social Proof work?
Social Proof shapes one’s preference and the choices we make. People will naturally give more authority when they see that number of different sources have one stand in a given situation. When a person is unsure whether to buy and trust the product, he will tend to look for examples around him. And by that time, social proof will create an effect on that specific person. What the majority of the community stands, will become his basis of the decision.
Moreover, social proof does not only work when people are unsure; it can also work even the person already has a conclusion in mind. When the social evidence is so strong, it can change people’s decisions and to eventually switch to your brand. People always tend to choose conformity over their own choices.
Social Proof Digital Marketing Techniques
Since most people already have broad access to the internet, it is an excellent opportunity for businesses to boost their online presence. There is a lot of compelling social proof digital marketing techniques you can use. In the digital set up, here are some social proof techniques that you can use. This can help you choose what strategies will best fit your brand. You can use one of these techniques, or with combination of other marketing strategies.
1. Positive Customer Reviews
In the actual market, it is easier for customers to decide what to buy because they can personally inspect the product quality. However, it is harder for customers to know what the product really looks like and how it really works on the online setup.
Unfortunately, brands’ own descriptions and advertising claims are not enough to drive customers to add your products to their carts. What really drives customers are the number of purchases, the customer ratings, and their review contents. In order to boost the number of reviews on your online store, you can send follow up emails to request feedback from them.
2. Customer Testimonials
Stating product claims is not enough to convince people to purchase your product. Another way to persuade them is to give them actual customer testimonials about their positive experience with the product. Most businesses in line with beauty, health, and fitness are the ones using this technique. Showing before and after photos and telling the detailed story will surely catch people’s attention towards the product.
But how can you encourage your customers to put up their time to create these testimonies? The most common way is to directly encourage them to write blogs and create content for your brand. Another effective way is to conduct an interactive competition to push your customers to create content for your brand. With this technique, you can have a collection of user testimonies without spending too much.
3. Influencer Endorsements
Back in the past, celebrities are the only known influencers. Now, as the social media industry flourish, the market became saturated with social media influencers. With their millions of views, followers, and unlimited interactions with the public, it became a great channel to advertise your products. Social media influencers became one of the most effective social proof digital marketing for all scales of brands. However, it will only be useful if you have adequately scrutinized which of the famous influencers were followed by the potential customers.
In 2019, research published in Adweek states that nearly half of the Americans based their purchases on influencers’ recommendations. This pushed brands to collaborate with different influencers with followers that fit their products. And since then, social media advertisements were widely used by brands.
4. Social Media Followings and Online Interaction
The activity of the social media accounts of your brands can also drive potential customers. When people see that the public is responsive to your post and promotions on your websites, it will prompt them to follow you. In order to increase your followings and online interaction, you must improve your social media presence, incorporate promotions and use interactive posts. Take note that any quantifiable metric attracts the people, such as the number of followings, shares, purchases, likes, and subscribers.
It is also a cost-effective method of advertising. Social media accounts are free, and post boosting is not too expensive compared to other paid advertisements.
5. Awards, Recognitions, and Affiliations
Another practical social proof is the awards, appreciations, and recognitions by trusted organizations. It is essential to display these things on all of your websites and social media accounts. Having strong evidence to support your product claim is an effective way to build consumer confidence in the products. These things make your brand trustworthy to the eyes of the public. You can also showcase on your websites the business affiliations and popular businesses you work with in the past. This will tell the page visitors that experts and known brands trust your brand.
6. Advantages of Social Proof to Digital Marketing
Social Proof gives your company a marketing edge in many different ways. It is a very effective way to stimulate the potential market to buy your products and eventually become loyal customers. Social proof is about trust, and when someone repeatedly sees that people are talking about a specific brand, it will persuade them to try it.
Aside from its effectiveness, social proof digital marketing will not require intensive planning, research, and budget. Your customers will become your content to use. And it has a domino effect; as they grow in number, your network will also widen. As your network continues to grow, you will reach more potential customers that will increase your sales massively.
Outperform Your Rivals with SocialPOP
Social proof was proven in different centuries; however, technology improvements give birth to another kind of marketing, which is social proof digital marketing. But don’t worry, SocialPOP is here to help you. With the help of SocialPOP, you can display your social proof in over 24 different types of notifications. There is no need to worry about managing and strategizing your digital marketing because they will do it for you. They will be extra hands on to your business, and in no time, target network and sales will be achieved.
