Imagine, you’re feeling adventurous today. You decide today is the day you change your hair. You search online for hair salons near you and a few results are shown. What do you check for? Hours, location, reviews. You decide maybe you’re not that adventurous and you need more information to see if they would be a good choice for you. Where to next? You decide to check their social media accounts.
On Instagram, one has almost no posts or engagement, it almost looks like a personal account rather than a business while another has frequent posts and testimonials on a highlighted story. Trying to decide which one to go to and whether or not they will be a good choice just got a little easier. That’s the power of social proof.
What is social proof?
“Social proof is the influence that the actions and attitudes of the people around us (either in real life or online) have on our own behavior” (Rouse & Wigmore, 2017). According to a study by Robert Schnuerch and Henning Gibbons, “it is assumed that we generally seek social proof; that is, we check our own actions and beliefs against those of others” (2015).
Simply put, social proof acts as social validation for the individuals who are making a decision, whether it is what outfit they should wear or how they react to hearing news when told in a group setting.
How social proof ties to social media
As seen in the example earlier, social media has amplified the effects of social proof. Individuals everywhere have begun to post and contribute to the different conversations online. These conversations can range from the places they visit to the music they have streamed throughout the year.
As social media platforms and technology advance, there are constant streams of communication connecting, not only, friends and family but also influencers and businesses to users everywhere.
Tactics to build social proof around your business
Businesses and entrepreneurs can use social proof on social media to boost the positive sentiment surrounding the company, increase engagement, and generate leads.
- Share consumer-generated content
If a consumer shares an image with your product or at a physical location and tags the company, it can be reshared by the company. This will demonstrate who is using your product or service or how it can be used. This gives other consumers a chance to relate to the community surrounding the company, as seen in the Tone and Sculpt Instagram (@toneandsculpt) example below.
- Encourage and share testimonials
Honest reviews build trust. Reviews and testimonials have the capability to showcase your strengths and how you respond to negative feedback. Furthermore, the feedback from other consumers is seen as more trustworthy than an advertisement in the eyes of the potential buyers because they do not think the consumer is after a sale. - Engage with consumers
Creating engaging content, such as asking questions in captions or using polls, gives the company the opportunity to gain insight into the consumers while also giving the consumers the opportunity to form additional opinions or deepen their current connection. Consumers are curious as to what others are doing, so when engaging content is offered, it will be taken advantage of. This is demonstrated with the poll by Thanya W. (@thanyaw) on Instagram stories.
- Celebrity and influencer endorsements
When an individual with a large and engaged follower base stands behind a person, product, or service, it acts as validation for others. Content distributed by influencers or celebrities tends to have more engagement and can help shape wavering opinions in either a positive or negative manner depending on the situation, in most cases, positively. - Share awards, recognition, and earned media
Awards and outside recognition can have a huge impact on social proof. When a consumer is attempting to finalize a decision, they will look at what others are saying on a personal level and how well the product or service is professionally rated. If the company gains earned media or recognition, it would be prudent to share it with the community on social platforms similar to Westphall PR (@westphall_pr) did on Instagram, as seen below. This essentially confirms the positive attributes and attitudes the consumers have assigned to the company.
When genuine and done seamlessly, social proof on social media can become a crucial part of the strategy in the social media marketing plan to drive and nurture leads while working to reach the business goals.
References
Rouse, M., & Wigmore, I. (2017). Social Proof. TechTarget. Retrieved from, https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/social-proof
Schnuerch, R., & Gibbons, H. (2015). Social proof in the human brain: Electrophysiological signatures of agreement and disagreement with the majority. Psychophysiology, 52(10), 1328–1342. https://doi-org.ezproxy.stedwards.edu/10.1111/psyp.12461