If you visit any business website, you’ll always see something about how they’re the best. They have the best deals, the best products, the happiest customers, the highest quality… You get the picture.

If they want you to buy something, of course they’re going to persuade you that they’re the best.

But, does it really matter what they say? The ugly truth is…
No one cares how great YOU say you are. If you want to convince people, you need social proof.
Social proof is what other people are saying about a business, person, service, or product.

There are five common types of social proof, so let’s take a look at each of them this month, and learn how you can implement these into your marketing strategies.

Expert Social Proof
Expert social proof is when an expert in a particular field endorses a product or service. This could be in the form of a written testimonial, video testimonial, or even just a quote from an expert on your website or social media channels.

The benefit of using expert social proof is that it gives your target audience some third-party validation from someone they trust. After all, if an expert in your field says your product or service is good, then chances are it probably is.

This could also be in the form of an interview on a podcast, being quoted in an article, or being interviewed on TV. You could also submit guest blog posts to well-known industry publications. If you’re not able to get interviewed or quoted, there are still some things you can do.

Influencer Social Proof
We already know that influencer marketing works. 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations, and 70% of teens say that they trust influencers more than traditional celebrities. Furthermore, 70% of people say that they trust recommendations from people they don’t know.

So, when fine-tuning your marketing strategy, don’t leave influencers out. Having a brand social media presence is important – but so is generating social proof with the help of influencers.

User Social Proof
User social proof is when regular people sing your praises. This could be in the form of online reviews, testimonials, or case studies. Feature customer photos and videos on your website or social media accounts. (Make sure to get permission from the people in the photos first).

Crowd Social Proof
Crowd social proof is when you show that lots of people are using and enjoying your product or service. A great way to do this is by displaying how many users you have on your website or how many times your app has been downloaded on the app store.

Certification Social Proof
Certification social proof is when an expert organization endorses your product or service. This type of social proof can give potential customers confidence that they are making a good purchase decision. Think about awards or certifications that your organization has received. Those are perfect examples of certification social proof, so make sure to let your audience know about these and begin building trust with them.

Final Thoughts
All types of businesses can use social proof to increase sales, donations, contracts and engagement levels. Whether you’re choosing one or all of them, it’s important to get started sharing that content with your audience in 2023.