The Rise of Social Proof in Content Marketing

Why should your content marketing include social proof?

In the marketing industry, there is no better way to promote your business or product than through social proof. By leveraging the power of social media and well-placed references, you can boost the credibility of your brand and make prospective clients want to work with you. 

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people rely on others to help make decisions. 

The idea behind social proof is that it must be safe or effective if other people are doing something. Therefore, many people will make choices based on what they believe others are doing instead of basing their choice on facts or statistics alone. 

The principles of persuasion of Robert Cialdini

Robert Cialdini, an American psychologist, and author, is known for his groundbreaking work on influence, persuasion, and compliance techniques. In one of his most famous books, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, he discusses six principles that affect our decision-making process. They include:

• Reciprocity– People tend to return a favor, and if you provide them with something first, they will be more likely to comply with your request later.
• Scarcity– persons place a higher value on things that are rare or difficult to obtain, so if you tell them that something is limited, they will be more likely to comply.
• Authority– People tend to follow authorities, and if you can establish yourself as an expert or leader on a topic, they will be more likely to comply.
• Commitment and consistency– Individuals want to be consistent with their previous actions, so if you can get them to commit to something, chances are they will comply.
• Liking- Persons are more likely to comply with your request if they like you, so it’s essential to make them feel comfortable and trust you before asking for a favor.
• Consensus (social proof)– People are more likely to commit to you if they see that others are doing it.

Benefits of social proof

There are several types of social proof; read on to learn about the top five benefits of using each type of social proof in your online content marketing efforts.

More natural form of marketing

Social proof aligns with the inherent need to fit in and conform to society. By encouraging others to do business with you, you effectively show them there’s little risk involved. They, therefore, trust that their peers had done well when choosing your company.  

With social proof, you have real-life data showing that people are already engaging with your product or service. This marketing method is much less pushy than traditional forms, like ads and commercials, which can be off-putting for some potential clients.

For example; rather than posting a posed Instagram picture from your latest product shoot, you post a screenshot of a glowing review from a customer that you pulled from a review website or your own direct messages.

Improves your SEO

With search engines now factoring in a page’s popularity, social proof helps you rank higher in SEO. If customers see that other people like your business, they’re more likely to trust it and do business with you.

On top of that, social proof draw, even more, leads to your site and improves your authority in search results. With all these benefits, it’s easy to see why marketers often call social proof one of their most powerful assets.

Increase brand trust

As a business owner, setting yourself apart is essential to building a reputation as an industry leader and showing that your company provides value. When you add social proof to your online presence, you give customers more reason to trust you. 

According to eMarketer, 95.6% of consumers say a company with an excellent online reputation increases their trust in the brand. They know you must be doing something right if so many people have rated your products positively in one form or another.

To increase brand trust through your content marketing strategy you could share user-generated content across your social media platforms, even if temporarily via your ‘stories’, to show that others trust you and use your brand.

Enhance brand credibility

Customers are social creatures, and their buying decisions often depend on what other people have to say about your brand. By harnessing social proof, you can shape online word-of-mouth to your advantage. 

If a review claims that your product works wonders or that it’s a scam, then customers will be more likely to buy it or not based on those reviews. You can share reviews across a paid advertising campaign, in your email marketing campaigns or integrated into your social media posts. 

Social proof will help increase traffic from people who want to see if what everyone else is saying is true. Brand credibility is increased if the people talking about your brand are industry influencers or experts.

Encourage purchase decision

When it comes to making purchases, consumers tend to have questions and doubts. The easiest way to eliminate these doubts is by hearing what other customers say. 

Using social proof, you can clearly understand what others think about something and decide for yourself. In fact, according to a survey, 93% of customers suggest that online reviews influence their buying decisions. And I know for a fact that I am one of those people.

One of the biggest social proof tactics for this is to let potential customers know via your content marketing how many others have already purchased your product. This makes consumers feel as though they are missing out and will influence them to make a purchase.