How to Use Social Proof to Improve Customer Trust

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Business owners know that if they want to build trust with their customer base, they must be aware of marketing psychology. There are plenty of interesting ways that human psychology directly links to the buying decisions of consumers. Today we are going to talk about social proof, and how you can use this tactic to build customer trust and loyalty.

Social proof is a phenomenon where people make decisions based on the actions of other people. For instance, has a friend every suggested that you buy a product, and you purchased it without question? That was social proof at work. Your friend told you the product worked well, and you bought it based on their review. Other factors weigh into the equation when accounting for the mindset of your audience. However, social proof plays a significant role in the buying process.

Let’s look at several ways you can build social proof on your website and social media profiles.

Show Reviews and Testimonials On-Site

First, let’s talk about how to build social proof on-site. When a potential customer lands on your website, do they see what other people are saying about your product or service? If not, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to build trust with your audience.

If you sell physical goods, you can add a review form at the bottom of each product so consumers can quickly leave feedback after receiving their product. SaaS companies should consider adding a testimonials page to their website. Depending on the type of business you run, it’s possible to use both of these tactics at once.

Reviews and testimonials will help show new customers that people have purchased your product in the past, and they were happy with their decisions. In many cases, your reviews could answer questions consumers have about the item such as size, function, and shipping time.

Work with Influencers

Influencers are a great way to build trust with consumers who have never heard of your brand. Depending on your niche and long-term goals, you may want to consider working with micro-influencers because of their higher long-tail return on investment. Essentially, influencers are people on social media platforms like Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter, who regularly post and react to content on an almost daily basis.

Their personality and niche will determine their audience. Search various websites for your keywords and try to find people who operate within the same space as your company as an influencer. These people are typically willing to take sponsorships from brands that align with their message and audience.

For example, if you sold shaving supplies, you would want to find an influencer who creates content about health, hygiene, and wellness. Social proof has a heightened effect when consumers think that a product is celebrity endorsed. The fans of these influencers see these content creators as celebrities, thus making their opinion valid. The consumers in that space will discover your brand and have some level of trust due to the connection with their favorite YouTuber.

Create Targeted Facebook Ads

Targeted Facebook Ads are an excellent way to build social proof, depending on how you use them. Marketers tend to send out blast ads to a large pool of consumers on social media. Instead of trying to market to everyone at once, you can create a separate ad campaign that consists of ads send to the friends of your current followers.

When consumers are scrolling through their social media page, they will see a notification above your ad that lists their friends who are current followers. This type of social proof relies heavily on the idea that our friends are a good judge of quality. Consumers think, “James, Lisa, and John love this product; I bet I would too!”

As a result, they start reading your blog posts and following you on social media. You’ve built trust with this consumer by having a positive impact on their friend’s lives.

Conclusion

Social proof is just as necessary as creating a valuable product, having stellar customer service, and a clean UX. If you’re not using this tactic to improve your visibility and trust with customers, now is a great time to start.

As your business evolves and you get more feedback and followers, you can use this information to build stronger campaigns. Create a custom advert that promotes your latest follower milestone — spotlight reviews on your social media page for new customers; the possibilities are endless. Focus on building a great customer experience, and the positive reviews and social proof will come.

Syed Balkhi
Syed Balkhi is the founder of WPBeginner, the largest free WordPress resource site. With over 10 years of experience, he’s the leading WordPress expert in the industry. You can learn more about Syed and his portfolio of companies by following him on his social media networks.

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