If you need to convince clients to buy your product or service by using something positive that will reveal they’re true nature, you need to use social proof. Elvis Presley’s 1958 album is a great example as used the phrase “50 Million fans can’t be wrong” to place curiosity on the fans. The album sold platinum due to the phrase that the marketers used to guide the thinking of the fans. This is proof that marketing using social proof is a great way to manipulate your buyers to bend to your will. Aileen Lee is a blogger and venture capitalist who came up with the phrase “social proof is the new marketing”. She describes social proof as a great foundation for any marketing agenda on the table. As such, it is undeniable that marketing using social proof is a goldmine as you have better conversion and profitability for your online business. Here are the types of social proof outlined by Aileen Lee.
TYPES OF SOCIAL PROOF
1. Expert social proof
By using this method, you get to use an expert who may be a voice of authority, blogger, or business leader, due to their influence in the industry. For instance, a popular food blogger can improve your conversion rate by recommending an ingredient among your products thereby increasing your sales.
2. Celebrity social proof
Celebrity endorsements are a great way to advertise and they do take some great effect online. Lee is of the view that endorsements by Nerida Joy and Jessica Simpson helped improve sales for Beautymint and attracted 500,000 visitors in a single day during its launch.
3. User social proof
Digital marketers consider this social proof tool to be a great way to use user experience to showcase success stories. Apart from case studies, many companies invite users to create videos showcasing how well a product or service has helped them.
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4. The wisdom of the crowd.
This is a simple formula that makes use of the popularity of a product to do marketing using social proof. For instance, using “X billions served” is a great example of the wisdom of the crowd. Other phrases include “most popular menu items”, “Most popular tunes”, and “most popular posts” to perpetuate higher consumption.
5. Wisdom of friends
According to Lee, this is “a killer app of social proof in terms of 1:1 impact”.
Headlines are not value propositions
1. Testimonials
Objectivity is what makes testimonials powerful. When someone outside the brand talks about the product, the credibility is higher for that product or service. For instance, if your family has been on an excursion and the guides as them for their thoughts on Yelp, this is a great way to get testimonials that may bring other clients to the establishment. A company can sprinkle out these testimonials on their website to ensure their products or services have been used by others and liked. When marketing using social proof with this method, clients provide valuable lessons that ensure that the next client is convinced to take up the services.
2. Ratings and reviews
Customer reviews are a powerful tool to boost sales and conversion rates. When you are marketing using social proof, you know how to make use of client reviews to make sales. While being similar to testimonials, reviews also have a 5star system that helps it easier to make the ratings and reviews.
To make ratings and reviews more powerful, it is necessary to reach a larger populace. An example is Sephora who sells beauty products online and collects plus displays product scores for customers who speak up about using her products.
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3. Influencer endorsements
Andy Crestodina postulates that “The more relevant and influential the endorser, the more powerful the social proof”. She adds that any compliment from an influential and respected person will add value to your products when displayed on the homepage of your website.
Influencer endorsements can be found in jackets, covers and opening pages of various EBooks. For instance, Jay Baer who is a best selling author endorsed Chris Ducker’s book “Virtual freedom”. This is a powerful way of marketing using social proof.
4. Badges
Also known as seals, certifications, badge and other names, this is a great marketing tool for establishing credibility. This is done using simple icons of known products. For instance, in the footer for www.bodybuilding.com, there is some badges displayed demonstrating recognition from media. Use badges that have the potential to market your product or service and create credibility for your business.
5. Media Logos
The phrase “as seen in” media is a great way to use social proof for marketing. Manufacturers often showcase news media where they have been reviewed, featured or mentioned insofar as their products are concerned.
Writers, photographers, and artists also showcase coverage that has previously been done by the media. Therefore, if you have an article published on top media brands such as the Wall Street Journal or CNN, you can place it in your blog.
6. Subscriber Counts
There is much comfort among people in joining the crowd. Use these numbers as a marketing tool if you can make them play to your advantage. Use an “opt-in” form and include these numbers in your mailing list when reaching out to your clients.
You can use a call to action mentioning that it is free and easy to join your product or service subscription. Also, provide the benefits of subscribing to improve persuasiveness. Also mentioned the number of subscribers you may have.
Your conversion rates can rise by over 1000% when you use the “Join X others in” phrase. Other methods you use for marketing using social proof include Social Connections, Social Shares, Clients, and Test Results.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you need to ensure that you develop the best manner of social proof you can use to sway your client’s minds. The above strategies are a great way to improve sales and conversion rates. If you make use of at least one or two of the above methods, you are assured that you will effectively market your product or services.
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