At Revved Digital, we understand the importance of leveraging your brand & audience to boost your credibility, and there are a number of ways we achieve this for our clients. One of the most effective ways to amplify your credibility and facilitate explosive growth is through social proof.
What is social proof?
Social proof is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when people are uncertain about how to behave in a given situation, especially when it comes to making purchasing decisions. In order to reduce this uncertainty, they look to the actions of others to guide their decisions, and this is where social proof comes into play. Because, after all, wouldn’t you be more likely to make a purchasing decision if you knew that you were buying the same product a celebrity uses to solve your exact problem?
At the end of the day, social proof is extremely powerful in helping brands and personalities amplify their reach and credibility. By leveraging credible third-party sources to endorse your brand or product, you can create a powerful social proof effect that will help you stand out from the competition.
Examples of social proof at play…
Some examples of social proof would be testimonials — whether written or video format — from happy customers, user-generated content (UGC), or influencer marketing. Additionally, case studies may also qualify as social proof, as they can help to legitimize your brand and product in the eyes of potential customers.
2021 Dunkin’ Donuts x Charli D’Amelio: A Case Study on Influencer Marketing
In 2021, Dunkin’ Donuts partnered with Charli D’Amelio (the #1 most followed TikToker in 2021) to promote their brand. The collaboration between the brand and the TikTok creator partnership resulted in a 57% increase in Dunkin’ Donuts rewards app downloads and a 45% increase in cold brew sales that could be directly traced back to the influencer marketing campaign.
2021 Rowse Honey #FeedTheBees Campaign
Another excellent example of social proof at play, Rowse Honey (in partnership with Bottle PR) utilized a network of 9 micro-influencers in the garden & foodie industries to produce a series of instagram stories, reels, and grid posts over a 2-week period, resulting in over 90,000 website sessions, a 25% increase in social media followers, and a 548,000 paid reach via social media influencer partnership campaigns.
What impact does social proof have on ROI?
Social proof has a substantial impact on ROI, as it can help to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic and conversions, and boost product sales. In fact, a study by BrightLocal found that 82% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
By leveraging the psychology of social proof and the engaged audiences of influencers & micro-celebrities (or actual celebrities, if you have the budget for those kinds of partnerships), then your brand can experience a significant boost in online credibility and reach which can be easily tied back to significant ROI.
How to leverage social proof in your marketing:
Take a look at your brand, competition, and landscape. Are you in the right industry? Are there active influencers and engaged audiences you can tap into? Do you have competitors who have already done this?
For brands & businesses…
As a brand or a business, leveraging social proof and relying on the opinion of credible sources in order to boost your own credibility is a no-brainer. And, fortunately, there are many different ways to do this. Testimonials, user-generated content, case studies, and influencer marketing are all excellent methods of amplifying social proof and generating leads and website traffic.
Start by assembling a strategy that focuses on using social proof as one of your main pillars. Identify the right channels for you to target and then begin creating or sourcing content that will speak to your audience in a way that is authentic and trustworthy.
For entrepreneurs, executives, influencers, and personalities…
If you’re an entrepreneur, social proof should be one of your main focuses when starting out. Building a foundation of trust with potential customers is essential, and there are many ways to do this, including building a following on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, on your personal blog, YouTube, or another channel.
On top of social media, leveraging press releases, case studies, and testimonials on your website or landing pages can help to legitimize you as a credible source of information in your industry and position you as a thought leader. If you have the budget, partnering with influencers or micro-celebrities in your space can also result in a significant increase in brand awareness.
Why would you want to position yourself as a thought leader, influencer, or niche celebrity?
There are many reasons why you might want to position yourself as a thought leader, influencer, or niche celebrity. Perhaps you want to increase brand awareness and drive website traffic and conversions. Maybe you’re looking for ways to boost product sales or generate more leads for your online coaching or e-learning platform.
Or, maybe you just want to be known as an expert in your field & promote a book you’ve recently published.
Whatever the reason, positioning yourself as a thought leader can be a powerful way to reach your target audience and create a lasting impression. Here are a few examples of benefits of leveraging social proof for yourself or your brand…
Explosive growth…
The thing about leveraging PR and social proof is that it’s fueled by momentum – and when you get to a certain point, that momentum can be explosive. Once you’ve established yourself as a thought leader or an influencer in your field, the sky’s the limit.
Enhanced visibility…
Your visibility will also increase as you become more well-known. People will start to see your name more and more often, whether it’s in their social media feeds, in the news, or even in print publications. As your reach expands, so too will your influence.
Industry authority…
Being positioned as the “go-to” authority in your field adds weight and value to the things you say and do. Customers, clients, and partners will come to you for insights and recommendations because they know that you’re an expert with your finger on the pulse of your industry.
How to get started.
The honest answer? Launch something. Write that book, release that course you’re working on, start your YouTube series, or simply begin blogging more regularly. In order to build social proof and credibility, you need to have accomplished something worth talking about – otherwise, any buzz that you start to build around you or your brand will feel hollow.
Whether you’ve started a business, launched a new product, or are working on something big – send Revved Digital a message, and we’ll help you get the word out. We have a team of experienced marketing and PR professionals who can help you take your business to the next level by leveraging your online presence and social proof as key elements to your greater online digital marketing strategy.
