How to Use Social Proof to Build Trust with Your Customers

You've probably heard the saying "people buy from people they know, like, and trust." This is especially true when it comes to online purchases. For customers to feel comfortable buying from your company, they need to trust that you are legitimate and have their best interests at heart. One of the best ways to build trust with your customers is by using social proof. In this blog post, we will discuss what social proof is, how it can be used to build trust with your customers, and some tips on how to get started.

What is Social Proof?

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when people are influenced by the actions of others. In other words, social proof is a way of determining what is correct or acceptable by looking at what other people do. This can be seen in everyday life, such as when people flock to see something popular or follow the trends of their friends.

When it comes to online sales, social proof can be extremely powerful in building trust with customers. By displaying customer reviews, awards your company has earned, and video testimonials, you are showing potential customers that others have already had a good experience with your company. This helps to reduce the risk factor for them and makes them more likely to buy from you.

How Can Social Proof Be Used to Build Trust?

There are many different ways that social proof can be used to build trust with your customers:

Customer Reviews: One of the most powerful forms of social proof is customer reviews. By displaying positive reviews on your website or product pages, you are letting potential customers know that other people have had a good experience with your company. This helps to reduce the risk factor for them and makes them more likely to buy from you.

Awards and Certifications: Displaying awards and certifications that your company has earned can help to build trust with customers. These are third-party endorsements that show that your company is reputable and has been recognized for its excellence.

Video Testimonials: Video testimonials are one of the most powerful forms of social proof. They allow potential customers to see and hear real people talking about their positive experiences with your company. This helps to build trust and credibility, as it is difficult to fake a video testimonial.

Reputation Widgets: Tech-enabled software that allows you to display reviews and other content that updates over time. An example would be a pop-up that shows after 6 seconds on a web page. Or a carousel of reviews that update when new ones are submitted.

Online Listings: BestCompany.com is a prime example of a free service that allows you to list your business, gather reviews, and build social proof at no cost. Other great resources are Google, Facebook, TrustPilot, and BBB (not our favorite). There are also many industry-specific sites that mostly offer lead gen services at a cost, but may still allow you to list for free.

How to Get Started with Social Proof

If you're looking to start using social proof to build trust with your customers, here are a few tips:

List your business on as many platforms as you feel comfortable. There are so many places that customers will be looking for your services - it's good to make sure you get in front of them as much as possible.

Make sure your testimonials are genuine and authentic. Faked or scripted testimonials will do more harm than good. Using a specialized service or company to gather reviews can take a lot of work off your plate. Depending on your industry and number of customers, it may be easy to automate a lot of the review solicitation, or you may need a bit more help.

Once you have customer reviews and video testimonials, start to share that UGC (user-generated content) in as many places as possible. Here are some ideas

• Include customer reviews on your website and product pages.
• Display awards and certifications that your company has earned. Make sure to share new accolades on social media.
• Include video testimonials on your website and social media pages.
• Make use of reputation widgets to display your latest reviews on your website.
• Include customer reviews in email marketing campaigns.
• Post customer reviews on review sites like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
• Upload video testimonials to your company's YouTube channel.

Conclusion

Social proof is a powerful tool that can be used to build trust with your customers. By displaying customer reviews, awards, and video testimonials, you are letting potential customers know that other people have had a good experience with your company. This helps to reduce the risk factor for them and makes them more likely to buy from you. If you're looking to get started, here are a few tips: make sure your testimonials are genuine and authentic, include customer reviews on your website and product pages, display awards and certifications that your company has earned, and include video testimonials on your website and social media pages.

If you're looking for more tips on how to use social proof to build trust with your customers, be sure to check out our other blog posts! And if you haven't signed up for your free Snoball account, click here to get started.