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There is no doubt that social proof is one of the most powerful tools in your online marketing toolbox. There is no better way to prove that your product or service is valuable than to have someone else testify to its value.
There’s been a lot of discussion about different ways to integrate social proof and reviews into websites, but there are a few subtle nuances that are worth paying extra attention to.
1. Negative Social Proof Rarely Works
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that negative social proof rarely works.
Negativity is a common strategy used when creating fear during the sales process. However, telling someone not to do something because of the negative consequences rarely work as well as telling someone to do something for positive reasons. As much as people are afraid of negative consequences, they are more urgently driven by the opportunity to gain positive results.
2. Positive Social Proof is More Powerful than Saving Money
According to several recent studies, positive social proof about your product or service is more persuasive than telling someone they can save money on your product or service. People are ready and willing to pay for items that they feel will benefit them. They will almost always choose to pay more for a product with social proof than pay less for a product without it.
3. Pictures Are the Key to Leveraging Social Proof
People naturally react to photos in a positive way, so, to make a third-party product review more persuasive, always include a picture of the person making the statement.
By putting a face and name with the quote, you will make the review more believable and more persuasive to potential buyers. Social proof alone is beneficial, but putting a face with the social proof gives it much greater power and impact.
4. People Want to Be Influenced By Their Peers
Along the same lines, people want to be influenced by their peers. Not only do they want to see an image of the person providing the quote or review, they also want to have something in common with them.
For example, if you are selling coffee then people want to hear reviews from coffee drinkers. Always try to provide social proof from resources which your audience can easily relate to. This makes the message you are sharing more personal and more persuasive.
5. Nothing is More Effective than Customer Stories
There are a variety of different places you can gather social proof from, but nothing is more effective than previous customer stories. Stories from customers not only put your product or service in a positive light to potential buyers, but they also make it easier for potential buyers to picture themselves gaining the same benefits.
Instead of adding a one or two sentences quotation from a satisfied customer, try to gather a more comprehensive background story. With a full background story, the positive results are easier to relate to and the benefits more tangible.
Social proof is incredibly powerful, but only when leveraged correctly. Since it is so valuable, there is no reason to undercut its utility. Always try to provide some positive social proof, provided by peers. Additionally, include a photo of the person providing the social proof and add a background story to make the end results more tangible and real.
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