People use social proof to shape their opinions and constantly influence their decisions. Choosing a film based on the rating it receives on Rotten Tomatoes is a good example of social proof. You want to try a new restaurant, but a negative review of its hygiene standards makes you change your mind. This is also social proof that has an impact. Given the influence that social proof has on our lives, it is important for companies to take advantage of every opportunity to use social proof to positively influence their customers.
Social proof simplified
The positive impact you have by learning about other people’s experiences and the resulting actions you take based on this newfound understanding is called social proof. For example, you may choose to watch a movie or read a book that “everyone” is talking about. At the same time, you are unlikely to take actions that other people will regret.
When new visitors visit your landing page for the first time, they may be unsure if the offer is really worth their money. However, by providing customers with emotional data in the form of social proof, you can positively influence their buying process.
By adding various social proof like customer reviews and Twitter mentions to landing pages, companies can show their customers the positive things that other people who have tried their service are saying about it. This allows new customers to think positively about the offer, increasing the likelihood that they will complete the form and convert into a lead.
Without further ado, let’s look at some ways you can add social proof to your website’s landing pages:
Customer quotes
Including short quotes from some of your happy customers on your landing pages is a proven way to attract more leads. Add details such as customer names, contact information, and company/job title to listings to make reviews more credible.
Case studies
Case studies provide more insight than short quotes. Take the opportunity to show how the offer helped change someone’s life. New customers fill out the form hoping to benefit from similar benefits.
Embedded social media posts
Choose the social media posts that best reflect your brand. You can display these posts as social proof on your landing page by embedding them on the page. The method of embedding social media posts varies from platform to platform. Typically, you need to go to the post options or settings and then click/tap on the “Embed” option. On YouTube, you can access a video’s embed code by tapping/clicking on the Share button and then selecting the Embed option.
Number of shares
Social sharing buttons now pull social proof directly from your social media pages and profiles. You can view the number of shares your offer has received on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other popular social media. This gives a landing page even more credibility. In addition to landing pages, consider adding social sharing buttons to other content types, including emails, blog posts, web pages, etc.
Number of downloads/customers
Stating the number of times an offer has been downloaded is another example of social proof. Alternatively, you can also view the number of customers your company has served. Make sure you keep the numbers up to date.
Seal of trust
Seal of trust are another effective way to create social proof and give customers the confidence to convert. However, keep in mind that trust seals may not always be effective. For this reason, we recommend that you run A/B tests on your landing pages with and without trust seals to see if they actually lead to better conversion rates before integrating them into your landing pages.
Reach First is a digital marketing agency based in Edmonton, Alberta. We provide lead generation, website development, SEO, SEM, SMO and SMM services to clients from all parts of Canada. We have over a decade of experience helping companies reach their potential market first. Contact Reach First today.