We all know the typical “best practices” for CRO. This includes using social proof, reducing the number of form fields, and avoiding image sliders.
I believe that so-called best practices are simply common practices that have been around for a while. I’m always testing to see how well they actually work.
First of all, what is social proof and does it work as well as people think? Secondly, why does social proof work? And finally, what is the best way to use social proof?
What Is Social Proof?
The idea of social proof is that people will copy the actions of others in order to be liked, accepted or seen as similar.
When you’re looking at a landing page and you see a positive testimonial from someone you respect in the industry, that’s an example of social proof. If you’re looking at a pricing page and you see that a well-known and successful company is already using the tool, that’s another example of social proof. If you decide to sign up for a demo because you see that the tool has already helped another company with a similar problem to yours, that’s yet another example of social proof.
Essentially, it’s borrowing third-party influence to sway potential customers.
3 Experts on Whether Social Proof Works
I researched a group of experts on conversion and growth whether they think social proof is effective. This is what they said.
Talia Wolf, GetUplift.co
Equipping your landing page with social proof elements such as testimonials, reviews, and trust icons can help boost your conversion rate by convincing potential customers that your product is worth buying. Social proof is effective because it illustrates to customers that other people have had success with your product, which in turn makes them feel good about themselves and more confident in their purchase decision. Ultimately, using social proof is a way to make your customers feel like they are part of something bigger.
The social proof you use can create different emotional responses. If you plan carefully, you can create emotional triggers that make customers feel positive about your brand and encourage them to take action.
Mat Carpenter, ShipYourEnemiesGlitter
As a landing page builder and tester, I always make sure to include some sort of social proof, like product reviews, testimonials, or social media share buttons. It’s an essential part of my work.
The study found that social proof was the most effective method of persuasion. A study conducted by the Wall Street Journal found that social proof is the most effective method for persuading customers to decrease their energy use in the summer by turning to fans instead of air conditioners.
The people who agreed to switch to fans said they were doing so because their neighbors already had. This means that social proof is very persuasive, especially when it is placed on your landing and important sales pages.
Joel Klettke, Business Casual Copywriting
Social proof, or testimonials from other customers, is one of the most important elements of a landing page. It helps set customer expectations, provides a comparison group, reinforces your messaging, and substantiates your claims.
Are there ever any absolutes in CRO? I can say with confidence that it is NOT always a good idea. It can be executed poorly- for example, choosing sources that don’t reflect your customers or choosing social proof that seems fake/flimsy.
Only in rare circumstances would humans not want to see social proof, according to Ryan Holiday, author of The Obstacle Is The Way. Most of the time, social proof is an effective means of persuasion.
This practice is still used by the best of the best, so let’s take a closer look at how it’s done.
6 Basic Types of Social Proof
There are six types of social proof that you will see practically everywhere. Decide on one type to use as your standard version. The type of social proof you use should be based on your specific industry and objective.
In his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini argues that people tend to copy the behavior of those around them. Cialdini believes that when people are unsure of what to do, they assume that those around them must have more knowledge and thus follow their lead.
On top of that, we often make judgments based on our overall impression of someone — A.K.A. the halo effect (named by psychologist Edward Thorndike). For example:
- We think anything that experts use is great because they are probably more knowledgeable than us in their area of specialization.
- We buy products endorsed by celebrities because we want to look like them.
- We trust user reviews because they have experienced the product or service, unlike ourselves.
Case Studies
This type of marketing is most effective for B2B software or agency services.
This short-form case study is one of the main ways that the people behind Case Study Buddy show off the results of their work.
Testimonials
Customer testimonials are a great way to increase conversion rates on landing pages, regardless of what you’re offering. Whether it’s a free eBook or a monthly subscription service, potential customers are more likely to take the plunge if they see that others have been happy with the product.
Don’t forget to make your testimonials credible by including a picture, name, and company role. This will make your product or service more credible.
Reviews
Reviews can be seen as more objective versions of testimonials. They can be useful for products that are very technical, or in industries where there is a lot of competition.
Customers don’t need an invitation to review your product or service. Check forums and review sites (such as Yelp and Google) regularly to see what is being said about you (as well as for landing page content).
Social Media
Make sure to save any praise you get for your product or service on social media. This will help provide social proof for your business, which is especially effective for B2C companies. Even if you’re a B2B business, this type of social media feedback can still be beneficial.
The conference landing page for Social Media Examiner shows that many people are talking about the event throughout the year.
Trust Icons
If I had to question one form of social proof, it would be the placement of logos from news outlets or organizations on a company’s landing page. For example, if a company’s only reason for adding the TechCrunch logo to their landing page is because the outlet covered their Series A funding announcement from 4 years ago, that seems weak. The same goes for a company that belongs to the Better Business Bureau and adds their logo to the landing page without any other context.
The TechCrunch article and your BBB reviewers say that you lack social proof. You should take a cue from movie and book landing pages and add snippets of reviews instead of publication names or logos.
Data / Numbers
The number of customers that have been served, and the number of invites that are remaining, etc., can all be conveyed with a single number. When this type of social proof is combined with another, it creates an even more persuasive message. By including this information, you are effectively saying, “Not only have X number of people bought our product or service, but they are also loving it.”
Buffer uses the number of customers served as social proof to encourage conversions, as well as other impressive numbers such as blog readers and social followers.
Ways to Use Social Proof in Your Marketing
Let’s explore how social proof can be used in marketing.
Invite Experts to Take Over Your Social Media
If you want to improve your social media presence, one option is to have industry experts take over your profiles. This can help you tap into their influence and the positive association their followers have with them (i.e. the halo effect).
For example, if an expert in a certain field takes over your Instagram account to post educational content, your brand will be more positively received by people who know and respect that person.
Typically, these types of collaborations are beneficial for both parties involved. Industry experts benefit from increased exposure to your audience, while your audience gets to learn from the insights of the industry expert.
Example:
Some companies have experts or well-known people take over their Instagram account to talk with their followers and share informational content. Recently, Ryan Hoover and Niv Dror from Product Hunt took over a company’s Instagram Stories to show how they use Buffer and give their followers a tour of the new office.
Product Hunt also announced the takeover on Twitter, letting their followers know about it.
Collaborate With Experts for a Social Media Event
You can also involve experts in your social media events, such as Twitter chats or Facebook Live video discussions, to gain access to their positive influence and allow your social media audiences to learn from them.
Example:
A company hosts a Twitter chat called #bufferchat almost every week. They invite a guest who is knowledgeable about social media, marketing, or workplace culture to answer a series of questions about the chat’s topic.
Show Appreciation for Mentions
You may occasionally receive positive mention from the press, a large brand, or an influencer in your industry. This is an excellent example of social proof from an expert.
There are many ways you can share social proof on social media. Here are some phrases we like to use:
- “Grateful for the mention”
- “Honored to be featured”
Example:
Tesla was thanked with a tweet for receiving the Best Car Award in Germany for the third year in a row earlier this year.
I appreciate that the winners of the election showed their gratitude to the 124,000 people who voted for them.
Share Milestones
Not only does this help build social proof, but it also fosters goodwill and strengthens relationships. Showing gratitude for user or follower milestones is a quick way to create social proof. Milestones are a fun occasion to celebrate and a great time to thank the people who have helped you achieve that. This not only helps build social proof, but also fosters goodwill and strengthens relationships.
Here are some of the milestones you can celebrate with your audience:
- Reaching X users
- Reaching X customers
- Reaching X downloads of your app
- Reaching X followers on your social media profile
- Anniversaries
Example:
To celebrate their 5th anniversary, Piktochart tweeted a thank you to their users, as well as a contest with giveaways.
Experiment With (Micro) Influencer Marketing
Celebrity social proof can be a cost-effective way to market your product.
Micro-influencers are people with a strong social media influence in a niche area, who are sponsored by brands to post about their products. This is more prevalent on Instagram.
The social media influence of these people often leads others to see them as celebrities within their niche area. When others see them using a particular product, they tend to transfer the positive attributes they see in these “celebrities” to the product.
Example:
The Swedish watch company Daniel Wellington is known for its elegant, minimalistic watches. They often sponsor micro-influencers on Instagram to promote their watches and offer each one a unique discount code.
Explore Having Brand Ambassadors
The three types of social media ambassadors are industry experts, social media influencers, or passionate users.
Many ambassadors will include their ambassador badge on their social media bio and use branded hashtags in their posts.
Example:
Specialized sponsors top cyclists and passionate cyclists from all over the world through their ambassador program. They even offer social media and personal branding training to their ambassadors.
Their ambassadors often mention the brand in their Instagram posts, using the branded hashtag, #specializedambassador.