Surely, you've had contact with customer reviews before making an online purchase. Other people's opinion of a product or service has a significant influence. It is exactly this subject that we will address here.
Would you like to learn more about the concept of social proof and how to leverage it to boost your sales? Keep reading this article!
What is social proof?
According to a study carried out by Serasa Experian, until March 2022, 389,788 fraud attempts were registered in Brazil. Compared to the same period last year, this number represents an increase of 18.9% in reported cases.
We can say that every 7 seconds, a person is the victim of scams in the country. This means that prior research before making a purchase is becoming increasingly valued by consumers.
Social proof has exactly the purpose of transmitting confidence to people who are interested in your product, but who have some hesitation that prevents them from completing the purchase. By using this trigger, you help your potential clients to speed up the decision-making process, as they will not need to carry out long searches for feedback on your work.
But what exactly is social proof anyway? In short, it is the psychological stimulus where other people talk about one of your products or services, validating its benefits and recommending your company.
Typically, people or companies qualified to generate this sense of authority are subject matter experts, recognized individuals in their niches, digital influencers, among others. After all, there is no better opinion than that of someone who understands the subject!
However, it's also a great option to use satisfied customers to talk about your business.
Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people consider other people's actions to make their own decisions. This perception occurs unconsciously, as well as other mental triggers.
When to use social proof?
It is important to be aware of the ideal moment to use these stimuli. Usage should be balanced and appropriate for the customer journey.
Social proof gives your brand more authority. There are different types of social proof that you can use in your strategies. Let's look at some examples:
Icons: are symbols that add value to your brand. They can be seals and certificates of recognition of courses or tools that your company has. They can also be logos of well-known companies that you serve.
Social media: these are compliments that customers make through social media, validating the benefits of their work and demonstrating satisfaction with the results.
Depositions: are brief reports from satisfied customers. They can be presented in different formats and reproduced in different materials.
Success Cases: they are more in-depth presentations on the benefits achieved by a client. This is the dissemination of a success story that should highlight the evolution of the work through concrete data.
Data and numbers: as they say, “there are no arguments against facts”! The data provide indisputable evidence that is worth more than many words. They can also be presented in different materials.
Boosting social proof can help your business increase sales by giving it greater authority and acceptance among your leads and customers. In addition, it promotes the acceleration of the purchase process.
