6 Simple Ways to Use Social Proof To Instantly Power Up Your Marketing
brand direction & styling by us for Alicia Voelker Design | photo by Nina Ruth Photography
Did you know that 91% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase? This is why social proof is powerful. (Bizrate Insights)
So, what is social proof? It includes reviews, recommendations, and ways that others have used a product before making their decision.
And why do we heavily rely on social proof when we purchase? It’s mainly because of how saturated online ads have been and how people continue to feel that they are being bombarded and overwhelmed with ads that are seen as sleazy and sales-y. This is why people start to look for other people like them, who are also consumers, for guidance and assurance before they make the decision to hit the “buy” button.
This makes social proof a crucial part of your marketing. It makes sales.
Now, how do you use social proof in your business? Here are 6 simple ways to utilize them to power up your marketing -
1. Create a “Testimonial” page or section on your website
By having a dedicated page, your prospective customers can easily find it when they are specifically looking for review and assurance while they decide if they should purchase. With a URL link directed specifically to your top reviews and testimonials, you can also easily include this link in emails and places where you want to further emphasize credibility and showcase other people’s experience with what you sell.
2. Include it in emails strategically
The URL link from #1 should also be used especially when you are responding to an inquiry from a prospective customer. Besides replying to their specific questions, add this link and refer your recipient to check out other people’s results and experience with your products or services.
The link to your testimonial page should also be included in your emails when you are pitching partnership opportunities, collaborations, media features, and podcast interviews, etc., which helps build authority and trust.
3. Share it through social
Whenever you receive a positive review via emails, comments, or social media content, screenshot them and reshare them across all the social media platforms you are on. You can also share them in different forms on the same platform, such as Instagram posts, Instagram Reels, Instagram stories and highlights, Facebook posts, Facebook stories, and TikTok videos, etc.
4. Share via email newsletter
Turn testimonials and reviews into success stories, and share the customer stories or your experience working with them through emails with your email subscribers. This is a great way to promote what you do without directly selling it as you highlight all the great things that the customers share in the social proof.
Instead of a more extensive customer story, you can also share screenshots of several more casual positive reviews your customers share in social media comments, direct messages, and their posts or stories directly in your emails to subscribers to keep building their trust in your product or service.
5. Include it in marketing collateral
In any collateral that you send to customers and partners, such as catalog, pricing list, and PR media kit, include a section of your top customer reviews and testimonials that help boost authority and credibility, which is key to winning over customers’ and partners’ trust.
6. Turn it into a customer case study
Turn your testimonial into a longer-form, more in-depth case study. You can follow up with the customer who provided the testimonial for a phone or video call and create a case study that describes their challenges and problems when they were searching for a product or service like yours, how your product or service solved their problem, and what they love about it.
This case study walks people through a more vivid journey with you, and it helps the person reading it to relate to your customer. It can be shared on your website, with your email subscribers, and anytime you reply to prospects or reach out to partners or media outlets as needed.
Go get those testimonials from your happy customers and let them do the selling for you!
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