Consider these stats from Nielsen’s latest Global Trust in Advertising & Brand Messages report about what sources of advertising are trusted most:
#1 Word of mouth: a whopping 92% of consumers say they trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising – an increase of 18 percent since 2007.
#2 Online Consumer Reviews: the next closest at 70% – a 15 per cent increase in the last 4 years.
Third and fourth were editorial content (58%) and branded websites (58%). And traditional forms of advertising such as TV, print and radio didn’t get a look in until 6th and onwards.
(And it wasn’t a small survey – 28,000 respondents from 56 countries took part).
So what does this tell you?
Social proof is more important than ever.
Social proof (aka testimonials, star ratings, reviews, endorsements and even social engagement stats) is all about instilling confidence and trust in those who visit your website or other online platforms and providing additional proof that your claims are true.
With the end result being a higher ability to persuade and influence the purchase decision.
Social proof really can mean the difference between high converting sales pages or poor performers.
Aileen Lee, Partner at venture firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, said it best – “social proof is the new marketing. It’s a powerful marketing tool that when done correctly can lead to conversions as high as 68.7%”.
Think about it – nowadays, who has the time (or inclination) to research the best option? And who wants to make a decision without the comfort of a recommendation and be at risk of making a great big mistake?!
I’m sure like anyone else in sales or marketing, you already know that word-of-mouth is your most powerful ally.
But have you taken the time to combine the power of word-of-mouth with the potential mega-phone that’s your online platforms?
If not, why not?!
With the power of the internet at their fingertips, consumers can find out an immense amount of information without ever having to visit your cellar door, restaurant or business or speak to a salesperson.
And online social proof speeds up the word-of-mouth process. You’re not solely relying on your loving customers to pass on how great you are – it’s literally there for the world to see.
How can you use social proof?
Social engagement numbers
What’s an easy way to show potential customers just how many loyal fans you have?
Making your numbers visible for subscribers, followers, fans, tweets, likes, and other social shares. (This works if the numbers are there – if they’re too low, people can think you’re not popular enough and it can negatively impact trust and confidence).
Social plug-ins
Facebook has plug-ins you can add to your website and blog content such as the Activity Feed, Recommendations and Likes to show visitors to your site images and/or names of people they know who have already interacted with your content.
Then there’s embedded tweets – if someone tweets something positive about your company, you can embed it on a relevant webpage to create more social proof.
cheers @bizeez for a great day at Legends behind the Barrels. Great event good work everyone #barossa — Yelland & Papps (@YellandandPapps) April 4, 2013
Celebrity or expert endorsement
Getting approval or a positive review from an expert in your field or celebrity can definitely help your cause and drive more interested & engaged traffic to your online platforms.
And if it’s on your site – you instantly give your social proof a boost.
15 Fan-tastic Facebook Post Ideas by @bizeez bit.ly/QzCPVS It’s a good read, Tania 🙂 — Ching Ya (@wchingya) October 19, 2012
Media Mentions
Don’t forget about the more traditional form of social proof that is media mentions!
Keep your press room up-to-date and make it social so people can easily share the positive press you’ve received.
Testimonials
Without doubt, testimonials are still one of the most persuasive forms of social proof you can use. But you need to be careful how you use them.
- Don’t fake it – whatever you do, don’t be tempted to write your own testimonials. It’s dishonest, and when you get found out, there goes all of your credibility.
- Benefits are best – the best testimonials point out how your product has solved the problem for the customer. In other words, it talks about the benefits, not the features.
- Put a face to the words – online testimonials work better with pictures because it increases trust. Just make sure you use high-quality pics where the person looks inviting & friendly!
- Stories connect – interesting anecdotes, case studies or customer stories are relatable, persuasive and trustworthy, and stick in our minds more than stats and averages.
- Video it – with online testimonials, you don’t have to be limited to words on a page. Why not test out video to see the impact on conversions.
- Know your target market – if your testimonials or reviews are from people who don’t resonate with your target audience, they’re not going to convert. In short – people are influenced by those they perceive to be similar to them. So try to find a customer that truly represents what you believe is your ideal customer.
Facebook for Business is invaluable for businesses wanting to understand the ins & outs of social marketing via Facebook. It gave us a better insight into how the medium works and how to better use it as a marketing tool. Claire Wood, Careme Traditional Pastry Testimonial from a happy workshop attendee.
Social proof is only effective if it’s visible.
So that means its time for you to start leveraging your social proof wherever you can!
Make sure you’re including your testimonials and stats throughout your social media channels, website and blog, as well as in other marketing collateral and email marketing communications.
Until next time…..
