If you’ve ever wondered how to give your site visitors that gentle nudge to do business with you then look no further than social proof.  It’s the perfect way to increase the love for your business with the potential to turn leads into conversions and make a positive impact on your bottom line.

Did you know? 81% of people use the internet to research purchases before making them – which means social proof is the ideal secret marketing weapon for your business!

Of course, these days you don’t just want to get visitors to your website – you want them to stick around and convert into real life leads and customers. But with so much online information out there, it has become difficult for customers to know who to trust and that is exactly where social proof comes in…

What exactly is social proof?

Social proof is the idea that people are influenced by what other people do. Yes (as surprising as this may sound), in a world where we pride ourselves on individuality we actually pay close attention to what others are doing. It totally explains why something like a video goes viral – if others are watching it and spreading the word, we want to check it out too.

Social proof in the marketing world means tapping into this herd mentality and using it for the greater good of your business. By harnessing each person’s urge to connect with other users on the web and be influenced by their behaviour you can create positive connections with your business.

This means that rather than think you have the bragging rights when somebody arrives on your landing page, you need to give site visitors a glimpse into what consumers really think about you and your products, services and/or special offers if you’re going to win them over.

How to use social proof for your business

Businesses are increasingly using social proof in their online marketing efforts to create positive customer responses. And by adding social proof to your landing pages you can widen the reach of your marketing efforts and give the impact you have with your target market a real boost. Here are our top tips on what to feature on your landing page to increase trust and engagement of customers and prospects alike…

1. Customer testimonials

2. Case studies

3. User-generated content

4. Embedded social media posts

5. Number of shares

6. User stats and downloads

What social proof do you use and how has it worked for you?