Over the years, social proof has become one of the most powerful and all-important marketing tactics for all modern companies. Why? Simply put, you can’t hope to maximise conversions through customer acquisition and retention if you don’t earn the trust of the online audience, and if you don’t build an image of a reputable brand. This is achieved by building social proof, which aims to incentivise people to mimic the actions of others – meaning that if one person buys from you and are satisfied with your purchase, others will follow suit because you can be trusted.
Some of the leaders in the field of marketing psychology that provide concrete solutions, such as Cue, have mastered the art of building social proof through a variety of powerful tactics, so today, they’ll be highlighting the smartest ways to use social proof on your site to boost conversions.
Include testimonials
Unlike product review and ratings which we will get to in a minute, testimonials serve the purpose of conveying the customers’ sentiment about your brand as a whole. The testimonial is about the overall brand experience, and the testimonials section is where your past and current clients or customers will tell their stories and share their experiences working with your company. It’s therefore imperative that these testimonials be easily-digestible, and that they serve as a kind of an introduction to your main offering and your product reviews.
This is the first step to building brand loyalty with new customers, or people who are browsing your website for the first time. These potential customers need to see that others have had a good enough experience to share their success stories on your website in order to gain a sense of security right off the bat.
Add product reviews and ratings
Delving deeper into the subject matter, and we come across product reviews and quick rating systems. The former aim to give precious insight about the individual products and their benefits to the potential customer so that they can filter their options and narrow down their search, while the latter serves to give a quick overview of your top-performing products and help the customer navigate through your offering.
Needless to say, both are equally important in building social proof, because people want to see that others have used your products, and they want to see how satisfied they actually were. This is also a great way to innovate products down the line, because ratings and reviews will give you valuable insight into customer satisfaction as well.
Display the right cues at the right time
While it is important for people to see reviews, ratings, and testimonials on your website, it’s important to note that this information doesn’t actually tell them if the website is alive or not. In other words, new visitors need to see that people are interacting with your brand on a daily basis, which is why it’s important to integrate a social proof tool that will display the right notifications at the right time, and notify visitors whenever someone buys a product. This is a positive psychological cue that prompts them to check the product out for themselves, and it instils confidence in their decision to buy from you.
Numbers, stats, and relevant data
In the quest to persuade customers that you can be trusted, it’s important to show people that you have the numbers to support your claims. That’s why you need to track all of your marketing campaigns and your most important metrics, so that you can tell your visitors exactly how many people signed up for your services, how many joined your newsletter, how many downloaded your eBook, or how many people were satisfied with their brand experience across the board. The more the merrier, of course.
Allow comments to keep the conversation alive
Finally, a modern brand needs to engage with its audience in meaningful conversation on all platforms, and that includes your website. Don’t be a silent brand, instead, allow visitors to comment on your products, blogs, and even your portfolio; allow them to share their thoughts and ask questions, and be sure to respond to everyone in a timely manner. This will show them that you truly care about them, and that you are all about delivering a stellar brand experience.
Wrapping up
Social proof should be at the forefront of your branding and marketing strategies, as it has the power to take your company forward as a whole. Implement these solutions in order to build social proof and elevate your brand’s standing in your industry.
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