It is estimated that 87% of buying decisions start with online research. Many people typically seek social proof when searching for a new service or product online. Social proof is a psychological effect that inspires you to imitate the decisions of people around you. As such, several people conform to the expectations and opinions of peers without assessing them rationally, especially when unsure about a particular decision. There are many ways to leverage social proof to appeal to more clients in your marketing. Below are some of the most effective social proof tactics to consider for your business.
Highlight benefits with case studies
In the marketing world, it is common knowledge that clients are more interested in benefits than features. Luckily, case studies are a great way to explain your products’ benefits, especially if they are hard to understand. Case studies reveal precisely how your products have helped previous clients and specify how they work and what they do. As such, it is particularly effective in sorting promising leads from the rest to boost your marketing efforts‘ success.
Seek endorsements
Many experts agree that endorsement from creators, celebrities, organisations, athletes, and influencers is an excellent way to use social proof for your brand. These individuals have the attention and admiration of a large following that includes your target audience. Influencer marketing is perhaps the most well-known form of endorsement available to most businesses. You can scout the best influencer marketing platforms for the right influencer who can promote your brand to the right audience for the best results. Influencer marketing is particularly effective on Instagram, but you can enjoy great success on TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube as well.
Include customer reviews on product pages
A whopping 93% of consumers reportedly consider online reviews before purchasing items. Therefore, you can use this simple but effective type of social proof to increase sales and grow your business. For starters, consider asking your clients to leave online reviews. Then, display these reviews on your retail sites and product pages to make the customer journey more focused. However, it is crucial to note that you will receive negative reviews alongside positive ones. Negative reviews aren’t necessarily bad, but always ensure that they are slightly unbalanced by the positive ones to prevent clients from considering your competitors instead.
Share user-generated content
User-generated content is a potent type of social proof created by your clients and shared online, often through social media. This content can include anything, including a tweet, a TikTok video featuring your product, an image review on Instagram, and so on. User-generated content allows your brand to take the back seat while consumers and employees market on its behalf. As such, your marketing and sales effort become more humanised. Also, the content generated by your clients and employees is considered more authentic, so you will be able to convince people more effectively. For the most part, clients generate this positive content because they are so satisfied with your offerings that they want to spread the good word. Nevertheless, you can incentivise your customers to produce user-generated content through contests and giveaways. You should also consider using an image moderation service to make sure any user generated profanity gets filtered.
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