![]() great example of social proof in action comes to us via, a dedicated Twitter account with the sole purpose of retweeting positive messages about the company.In fact, companies often even word it in a specific way, such as by saying, “Over 100,000 customers can’t be wrong!” A great example of this is Basecamp, which proudly proclaims, “Last year alone, Basecamp helped over 285,000 companies finish more than 2,000,000 projects.” This is the idea that if you can show that your product or service is already popular, people are more likely to trust in it. One of the most rudimentary (and also most effective) forms of social proof is the bandwagon effect. And now that you understand the underlying concepts behind social proof, it’s time to take a look at what it looks like in action. In fact, it taps into psychology concepts in what’s effectively a sure-fire way to make potential customers believe in you and your brand. The reason that social proof is so effective is that it fosters both trust and authority. You’ve seen it yourself if you’ve ever checked TripAdvisor or Amazon reviews before making a purchase. But now, in the 21st century, we have access to the internet and social networking sites, and they allow social proof to take place in larger volumes. It’s not too far-fetched to imagine two sailors in times gone by making recommendations on which inn was best to stay at in some far-off port. Social proof has always been around – or at least, it’s been around for as long as civilisation has. For example, if you needed to hire a window cleaner then you’d be more likely to follow a friend’s recommendation than to blindly believe in whatever marketing spiel you saw on some website. Social proof is the idea that we tend to trust other people more than we trust companies. For example, the British Royal Family has been awarding royal warrants of appointment to their suppliers since 1155, making these warrants one of the oldest forms of social proof. The good news is that social proof isn’t just some random flash in the pan but rather a known phenomenon that savvy marketers have been tapping into for hundreds of years. Remember when everyone said you should sign up to Vine and maintain a regular presence on Google+? And who can blame them? Marketing teams are increasingly overstressed, overworked and underfunded, and it’s often tricky to stay on top of the latest trends and best practices.Įven when some new trend does come along, it’s not uncommon for marketers to invest huge amounts of time into a non-starter. That said, social proof is also often misunderstood, and many marketing departments are failing to take advantage of its full potential. It builds trust in your brand and its products, boosts sales and conversion rates and can dramatically increase the reach of both your brand and its marketing campaigns. Social proof is without a doubt one of the most powerful phenomena that you can tap into as a marketer.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |