How to use social proof to get more customers

I call today’s idea the social proof confidence booster.

Social proof is a marketing tactic used to ease the minds of worried customers. It’s a type of conformity, in that we decide to do what we think others are doing. Sort of like towing-the-line. In business, social proof can be a powerful tool when it comes to influencing purchasing decisions.

Many business websites display some sort of social proof in an effort to boost conversions. You can (and should) use the same strategy to persuade more people to convert when they land on your page.

Sure, you might not have as many users as Facebook or send your products to customers in every single country in the world, but you can still come up with and display on your website social proof that relates to your business in some way.

See how Dale Beaumont includes logos of the media outlets that have covered his 52 Ways live event. That’s social proof in action.

social proof in marketing

So, here’s my 3-steps to creating buyer confidence with social proof …

  1. Think about what kind of social proof statement or visual you can display on your website. For example, you can share customer testimonials, the number of products you’ve sold, the number of customers or followers you have, how many cities, states or countries you ship products to, or review ratings for your products or services.
  2. Get a web-designer to illustrate your social proof statement to then incorporate your new graphic on your homepage.
  3. Create a few different social proof statements to split test using a tool like Optimizely.

Pro-Tip: Why keep these social proof statements to just your website? Use them in brochures, sales letters, point-of-sale, proposals, slide decks. Any touch point where someone is making a decision about buying from you.

I use social proof on my marketing speakers website:

Social Proof in Marketing

So, that’s my 3-steps to creating buyer confidence with social proof.

If it’s sparked an idea in you to help grow your business, then here’s a couple more resources to get you going – 26 examples of social proof used in marketing and 7 things you must understand when leveraging social proof in your marketing efforts.


So, what have you got to lose?