How To Use Social Proof To Make A Client Say Yes

Never underestimate the psychology of humans, whether in your traditional or digital marketing strategies. Understanding psychology helps you identify how best to influence your target audience to make decisions that favor your business.

An important tactic of psychology in marketing is social proof. Otherwise called social influence, social proof involves influencing the decisions of an individual or group of individuals based on what they see, whether on social media, your website, etc. What are others doing? Let them know so they can also be encouraged to do the same.

Recent research confirms that 92% of online consumers prioritize a product’s review before buying. Another similar study by Bright Local reveals that 68% of potential buyers will purchase if a small business has positive reviews.

Do you see how important proving yourself socially can help you turn a lead into a customer? Now, the challenge is that social proof doesn’t just work like magic – if you do not do it rightly, you are wasting your time and efforts.

In this article, we have comprehensively explained the various ways to use social proof to make a client say yes and choose your business over your competitors.

Without further ado, let’s dive in!

Best 6 Ways to Use Social Proof to Make A Client Say Yes

1. Add Customer Reviews to Your Website

As we mentioned in the introductory part of this article, positive reviews and ratings are some of the most important social proof you can show your prospects to make them choose you. This is why, here at Draps Marketing, we have noticed that landing pages with customer reviews we build for our clients generate higher conversation rates than those without reviews.

Any opportunity you have, let your potential clients know what others are saying about you. And if it is real, then surely you have a goldmine!

More importantly, ensure the reviews and ratings you put on your website are real. Small businesses that are trustworthy have proven to enjoy more long-term clients than those built on lies and fake promises.

Thankfully, there are several ways to get reviews from your existing and past clients. Here are the best ways to ask your clients for reviews and ratings.

2. Use “Best Sellers” to Drive Interest

Let us use the New York Times Best Seller List as an example. Many people consider this list as the biggest accolade a book can receive. Once they find the merchandise on any book, they treat that book in high regard and would want to have a read. This is the precise feeling having a “Best Sellers” section on your website does to your prospects.

Even Amazon does it! If many people like it enough for it to be among your best sellers, they will most likely love it. It works particularly for eCommerce businesses and small businesses with a portfolio of services.

Instead of promoting all your services at the same time, spending a massive amount on advertising budget, focus on one service at a time using the Best Sellers category. You can routinely update this category with services you wish to focus on during that period.

You can try it within the next few weeks, and you will notice a considerable difference between services in Best Sellers and those that aren’t.

3. Tell your Prospects How You’ll Solve Their Problems Using Case Studies

Case studies are as effective as reviews and ratings, although they are relatively harder to earn and create. But if you do it correctly, it can be your most effective social proof, either on your website or social media channels. Case studies are detailed explanations of how you helped a similar customer solve their problem. A case study contains the client’s pain point(s), how you solved it, the duration, and so on. Also include the eventual result of your product or service so your prospect can rate how you performed.

See case studies as an improved version of reviews. Here are a few examples of the best case study pages online.

4. Create Urgency Using the Activities of Your Other Customers

Humans are, by default, slow decision-makers, especially when it comes to purchasing products or services. One effective way to cause them to act is by showing what other customers are doing on your website. This can be a more elaborate version of the “Best Sellers” strategy.

Let them know how many people are viewing a particular product or have ordered a particular service. Create a discounted deadline and how many people have taken advantage of the deadline. The discount could be a slashed price (similar to what Amazon does), a “Buy one get one free,” or anything that works for your business.

What matters is that whatever you’d be doing, show how people are engaging with it on your website. This way, others will know they have to act fast; otherwise, they’ll miss out on your “irresistible offer.”

5. Share Your Awards and Achievements

This isn’t as effective as other social proofs discussed in this article, but it can be helpful, too, especially for service-based businesses. Let your prospective client know you are an authority in your field and have been recognized and appreciated for that.

More importantly, there are certifications that show how credible and reliable your business is. Having these certification badges on your website or your social media page can help you make a lot of people doubting your business say “yes” immediately.

6. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has been helping many big businesses for several decades but recently became mainstream thanks to the growth of even more social media platforms. And with a 2022 study revealing that at least 49% of social media users rely on influencer recommendations before making a purchase, all you have to do is identify an influencer with a huge fan base tailored to your industry and partner with them.

The basis of your contract largely depends on your influencer marketing strategy and may or may not include financial compensation. Here is everything you need to know about influencer marketing for small businesses.

Get Started Today

A careful examination of businesses around you will show you that social proofs are everywhere. Many traditional and digital marketers are now incorporating it into their marketing strategies to help boost their sales. So, why are you still holding back?

We hope you find the tips in this article helpful and can now use social proof to make prospective clients say yes. However, if you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team of expert digital marketers to help get it done for you correctly and timely. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation call today to get started.