3 Examples Of Social Proof (And The Benefits For Your Business)

What is social proof? It’s a term born from the world of marketing describing how people are influenced by the actions of others. In other words, consumers are more likely to become customers if there’s proof from other sources that the company can be trusted. 

There are different ways to implement social proof, though it tends to be most effective on your website. This is where people go to purchase things or get in touch with you. Therefore, it’s the ideal place to seal the deal. Some good social proof can be the difference between gaining or losing a new customer. 

How should businesses use social proof – what do you need to do? Below, you’ll find three examples across different industries showcasing how to use it effectively. 

Reviews

Displaying reviews of testimonials on your website will immediately build trust with consumers. A roofing company with lots of five-star reviews and detailed testimonials from previous customers will generate more sales. Why? Because consumers learn how good they are by looking at what other people say. 

The same goes for any business. Trust is important and reviews play a significant factor in building trust. Online retail businesses can use reviews on Google or other sites to encourage traffic to their websites as it proves they’re trustworthy. 

Trust Icons

A trust icon is a badge or something that people associate with trustworthiness and reliability. As an example, your accounting firm is a member of the Better Business Bureau. This is a highly established organization that vets companies and grades them. Displaying your A+ rating instantly shows you can be trusted. 

Likewise, you have all sorts of certifications that show a business is better than others or should be considered. An investment firm with a GIPS Performance certification establishes trust while a plumbing company with the right gas-safe engineering certification also gains the trust of consumers. 

You get the idea; find certifications or accreditations and other badges you can add to your site. 

Stats

Use statistics to your advantage as a form of social proof. Show data on your website relating to your work. This can be anything depending on what you do. A marketing firm could display data showing how many clients they’ve worked with and how many new customers they’ve helped generate. 

Stats build trust and confidence because they showcase what you’re capable of. They can be displayed alone on your landing pages or via case studies where you go into more detail. Just make sure you single out the stats and data points most valuable to potential customers. What do you think they’d like to know?

Social proof exists to establish your company as one of the businesses people can trust. It’s all about making people take a leap of faith. This isn’t possible if they have no way of knowing who you are or why they should spend their money. Incorporate as much social proof as possible on your website as a way of closing the deal and convincing your web traffic to go one step further.