Using the Power of ‘Social Proof’ to Influence Customers and Buyers

Social Proof is the human characteristic that people are influenced to do something by what other people do. A tip jar in a coffee shop is good example – if it’s empty, most people won’t leave a tip. If it contains some coins, customers may leave some loose change as a tip. But, if the store clerk seeds the jar with several $1 bills, then people see that others are tipping at least $1 and will be influenced to do so themselves.

Robert B. Cialdini has researched and studied the psychology of influence for many years. In his seminal book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Cialdini defines the 6 “Weapons of Influence” as:

• Reciprocation – give something to get something.
• Commitment and Consistency – people tend to honor commitments.
• Social Proof – people are influenced by what others do.
• Liking – people are more easily persuaded by someone they like.
• Authority – people are inclined to obey an authority.
• Scarcity – the perception of scarcity fuels demand.

An example of Social Proof in action is an experiment Cialdini did with hotel bathroom towels. We’ve all seen the cards placed in hotel bathrooms about the environmental benefits of reusing your towels. Research showed that about 40% of guests reused their towels at least once. Cialdini tested Social Proof influence by changing the message on the cards to “The majority of guests who stay in our hotel reuse their towels”. An additional 26% of guests reused towels in response to the revised message.

Marketing and Sales are fundamentally about influence – using marketing to influence people to look at and consider your company/product/service/solution, and then using sales to influence them to buy. Social Proof is a powerful influencer – if people see that others like them are doing it, there’s powerful influence for them to do it too. Two key elements for Social Proof to work are that many others are doing it and that they are similar to whom you want to influence. The towel experiment communicated this by using ‘majority’ (many) and ‘guests’ (similarity).

The most common use of Social Proof in marketing are testimonials from other customers. Although customer testimonials are good influencers, widespread and indiscriminate use in marketing and sales diminishes the influence. There are also such incredulous claims made by some marketers and salespeople to raise suspicion about the authenticity of their customer testimonials.

Considerations for using Social Proof as a powerful influencer in your marketing and sales programs:

Use appropriate proofs depending on who you want to influence – ensure that there is appropriate similarity and credibility in the proof provided.
Consider variations of customer testimonials such as interviews, videos, podcasts, case studies, virtual site visits, etc. to provide the Social Proof in a manner that is relevant and meaningful for your prospective buyers.

Consider other types of Social Proof besides customer testimonials that may be relevant for your business. Awards, affinity memberships, recommendations by respected authorities, professional certifications and social networking are some examples of other proof you can use.
Don’t use Social Proof as a sledgehammer to slam out your message. This is about supporting information to influence and persuade buyers.

About the Author:
Mike Frichol is founder and principal of Marketance which provides advice, guidance and services for businesses to get more customers and sales with Internet Marketing. Visit the Marketance website to learn more about how they can help you can Find, Engage, Sell & Retain more customers with Internet Marketing. Their free resource library provides regular updates on practical advice and guidance for marketing your business on the Internet.

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