MMG: Social Proof
“If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?”
Yep, you probably would.
TL;DR: What Is Social Proof in Marketing?
Social proof is the idea that people copy the actions of others when making decisions. It's a powerful marketing tool used through reviews, testimonials, endorsements, and case studies to build trust and drive conversions — especially in small and rural businesses.
That’s the age old question.
You get caught smoking or doing something that you shouldn’t be doing, get caught by your mother and she asks that.
Of course we say no.
But in the situation itself, would you really say no?
No, we’d do it as well.
That’s because we’re wired to think that if everyone else is doing something and coming out alive on the other side, then it’s probably ok if we do it too.
Think about it from an evolutionary stand point, it’s very smart.
If you see someone eat a berry or pat an animal that you’ve never seen before and they don’t die, then it’s probably ok.
But if another animal was spotted and your buddies kept a clear distance away from it, then you’d probably do the same thing too.
All of this comes under the banner of Social Proof.
It’s a survival mechanism and it can be used very effectively in your marketing and business.
So what is social proof in marketing?
Let’s dive into another scenario.
You’re in the market for a new screwdriver. You don’t own one, you don’t know any brands, you don’t know anything about them apart from the fact that it can fix shit.
So you search on Google ‘screwdriver’.
Of the 100’s of results 2 catch your eye, one is $5 with 7 reviews and the other is $10 with 10000 reviews, most which are saying how awesome this screwdriver is.
Which one are you wired to buy?
The $10 one, even though it’s twice the price, 10000 people have had an awesome experience with that one.
It’s crazy how it all works really.
And it’s all in the power of Social Proof.
“The best converting landing page we ever had was an offer up the top then just an endless scroll of positive testimonials” - Daniel Fazio, Client Ascension
Social Proof is the backbone of business in rural areas, even if we don’t know that we use it.
When someone says ‘use this bloke for your plumbing, he’s great’, that’s social proof.
The trick is to move that face-to-face social proof into the digital realm.
How to use social proof in your marketing:
Google reviews: Google uses reviews as a ranking factor for your brand, the more positive reviews you have, the higher the chance that you have of being seen first in the searches (side note, people 72% of people won’t consider buying from a business if their star rating is below 4.2). I wrote a full blog post on how to ask for reviews without sounding like a weirdo, you can view that by clicking here.
Website Content: this can be as simple as screenshotting the reviews or using a simple review widget embedded on your home page
Endorsements: Getting a well known figure from around your town to endorse you and your business is an awesome way of getting people to know you. It’s kind of like a “any friend of yours is a friend of mine”
Brand stats: People are more drawn to buy products that others have bought so if you have a simple overlaid banner on one product that says ‘most popular’ or ‘1 million sold’ can really trigger people to buy as well.
Case studies: A sit down, interview style chat with someone you’ve worked with before, recording that conversation, writing it in a blog or posting a video to your YouTube channel is a great way of reassuring people that you’re the right one to go with
Social proof is all about gaining trust that you didn’t have to earn yourself. It’s one of the most powerful psychological triggers that we can use in our marketing to get people over the line and purchase from you. The best part is, it’s easy to collect and easy to show and can be automated as well.
Talk soon,
Adam | Founder
Adam James, Digital Marketing Co.
P.S, if you still are unsure, here’s is some simple questions I get asked:
What is an example of social proof in marketing?
Reviews, testimonials, and public endorsements are common examples of social proof in digital marketing.
Why is social proof important for small businesses?
It helps build trust quickly, especially for new customers who don’t know your brand yet.
