Quick Definition: Social Proof describes the tendency of people to look to the actions of others to gain psychological permission to try something new.
Has your mother ever said this to you: โIf all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?โ Or have you ever felt pressured to buy a specific brand of clothes, a particular model of phone, or a new car just to โfit inโ at work or with your friends?
If so, youโve experienced the power of Social Proof.
What is Social Proof?
Made famous by Professor Robert Cialdini in his book, Influence, Social Proof describes the tendency of people to look to the actions of others to gain psychological permission to try something new. As Cialdini writes, we look to two types of people:
- โMany Othersโ: Proof that lots of people are using this product
- โSimilar Othersโ: Proof that people we admire, identify with, or are part of our community are using a product or doing something
Social Proof is one of the most effective psychological tactics you can use to persuade customers to try something new. According to Nielsen research, 89% of consumers in 58 countries say they trust social proof over any other form of advertising.
Social Proof in the Real World
Consider the case of โcanned laughter,โ recorded tracks of crowds laughing often used in sitcoms. Everyone hates the sound of canned laughter, so why is it so popular?
Studies have found that canned laughter causes audiences to laugh longer and more often when jokes are delivered. As Professor Sophie Scott put it:
โWhat this study shows is that adding laughter to a joke, increases the humor value, no matter how funny or unfunny the joke is.โ
Audiences are feeding off the Social Proof that what theyโre watching is funny, so theyโre more likely to laugh. But interestingly, the same study found that while canned laughter does cause people to laugh, the sound of a real crowd laughing made a joke even funnier.
How to Apply Social Proof
To apply Social Proof to customer experiences, make customers feel like โeveryoneโs behaving this way or buying this product, except you.โ A few of the ways we can use Social Proof to do this include:
1. Reviews
One of the most potent ways to drive sales with Social Proof is by using product reviews and testimonials. According to Mintel research, more than 70% of Americans ask others for their opinions before making a purchase.
The younger the consumer, the more they seek out opinions. 81% percent of 18โ34 year-olds look for reviews before buying a product.
2. Stats and Data
Using quantitative Social Proof can help convince customers that theyโre in safe hands with your product in the form of numbers. A classic example of using data as Social Proof comes from McDonaldโs, which posted how many people its crew had served for years.
After a while, McDonaldโs had so many points of Social Proof that it had to keep changing its signs. Eventually, it amended every store sign to permanently read โBillions and Billions Served.โ
3. Designate Best Sellers
Studies have found that simply indicating an item is a best seller or โmost popularโ can help increase sales. For example, researchers studied the ordering habits of diners restaurants in Beijing, China. They found that simply labeling a product โmost popularโ could raise sales by 13% โ21%.
4. Use Quotes and Verbatim
When people similar to ourselves endorse or use a product, weโre more likely to believe it will work. And if that person is a trusted member of our community, even better.
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Examples of Brands Using Social Proof
1. Everlane: Using reviews to drive business
Everlane, an online clothing retailer, uses reviews to encourage customers to try its products. These reviews can help customers find the approval of the crowd before trying something new.
2. The Body Shop uses data to convince customers their lotion is iconic
The Body Shop, a beauty and cosmetics retailer, relies on data to get more users to try its Hemp Hard-Working Hand Protector. By telling customers that a tube is sold every 9 seconds, theyโre calling on the โmany othersโ as a proof point for their claim that the hand cream is โiconic.โ
3. Zapier uses testimonials from โsimilar othersโ to drive trial
Zapier, the automation platform, uses the power of โsimilar othersโ to gain new users. Their copy even references โpeople like youโ over real customer quotes, creating a potent combination of Social Proof triggers.
4. Capital One uses celebrities to call attention to its product
Brands like Capital One (below) use celebrities to endorse their products because theyโre seen as people whose opinions we should trust. Celebrities are likeable, successful, good-looking, and subtly reference that to be accepted in society, people should be more like them.
5. Use Social Norms to encourage healthier choices.
Using social norms in advertising can increase sales of healthy food. Research has found that telling customers that โevery day over 50 of our customers buy a saladโ results in more people making a healthy choice.
6. Yelp's business model is all about Social Proof
Use reviews to encourage customers to try a new product. Yelp provides user reviews for restaurants, bars, and even medical professionals like dentists. Yelp helps customers find the approval of the crowd before trying something new.
7. Hubspot uses quantitative evidence (aka, data) to provide Social Proof
Hubspot relies on numbers to get more users to join their mailing list. By referencing the size of their email list, they are appealing to peopleโs fear of missing out as well as their reliance on crowds to decide what will provide value.
The Bottom Line
According to research firm Nielsen, Social Proof is one the most effective marketing tactics. The best part about it? Itโs relatively easy and cheap to implement. You just have to reframe your marketing messages using Social Proof messages.
To apply Social Proof ask yourself:
- What are the risky moments in our experience? Can we include a social proof message to minimize the risk?
- Are there certain products customers might be willing to try if the risk were lower? Can we normalize the use of this product with our potential customersโ social group?
If you enjoyed this article, check out my podcast episode about Social Proof: