How to Leverage Social Proof for an Online Business: 6 Effective Ways

Making buying decisions is not always easy. People have their doubts, especially when it comes to trusting new brands. Hence, they seek recommendations from fellow shoppers to help them make up their minds.

This presents businesses with an opportunity to leverage reviews from their customers and generate more traction.

Showcasing how people have been using your products or services to solve their problems may get you more eyeballs and help you convince your potential customers to consider your solutions.

It doesn't matter if you're an established business or have just gotten started; there are a number of ways you can leverage social proof and generate more revenue for your business.

Here are a few effective ones you may want to consider:

1. Customer Reviews

This is the most common and readily used type of social proof that you may consider to convince your potential customers.

It's reported that 55% of people seek reviews from other customers prior to buying products or services online.

You can publish reviews from your customers on your website and post them on social media or in online communities. There are many ways to showcase the experiences of your satisfied customers and inspire others to consider your solutions.

The only problem is that people rarely review products or services on their own, as only 6% of them end up sharing their experiences.

So, it's highly recommended that you reach out to your customers and ask them to review your solutions.

This serves two purposes. First, you get to engage your potential customers through positive reviews. Second, even if your customers have to say negative things, it will pave the way for you to ensure continuous improvement.

2. Expert Reviews

Another effective way to leverage social proof is by showcasing reviews from experts in your respective industry.

This is a common trend in the tech industry, as businesses collaborate with credible experts and ask them to review their solutions.

Take Lewis George Hilsenteger as an example. He is a renowned tech expert and the face of a famous YouTube channel named Unbox Therapy. He receives a ton of tech products from companies on a daily basis and publishes reviews about them on his channel.

Expert reviewers have a considerable following and can help generate awareness about your brand. Plus, they can help boost your reach through shareability and generate more traction for you.

Since the experts have authority in the respective industry, people pay heed to what they say and consider solutions that are in their good books.

3. Influencer Recommendations

Influencers are like role models for people. So, it's a no-brainer that the recommendations that come from them outweigh the ones from commoners.

It's reported that 49% of people trust influencer marketing. Therefore, collaborating with the right influencers and getting them to review your products or services may be a viable strategy.

Partnering with influencers for social proof is an excellent tactic if you want to engage your target audience through social media.

Since influencers are highly active on leading social media channels, they can help grow your reach exponentially through the platforms best suited for you.

The only downside is that you have to pay for these collaborations, so they may make a dent in your marketing budget. However, if you are a reputable brand yourself and have some value to offer, both parties can benefit from collaboration without any monetary involvement.

4. Celebrity Endorsements

This works the same way as influencer collaborations. The only difference is that you always compensate the celebrities onboard.

Here, you hire renowned celebrities as brand ambassadors and leverage social proof through their endorsements.

The goal is to benefit from people's desire to represent their favorite celebrities and associate with them in some way.

Celebrity endorsements help generate awareness about what you offer and foster strong brand recall. However, if you are not careful, celebrity endorsements may also backfire.

This is the reason why you often see celebrities endorsing different brands through advertisements or on social media. So, if you can afford it, celebrity endorsements are a great way to connect with the masses.

5. Referral Programs

People are generally not vocal when it comes to sharing their positive experiences. They may not hesitate for a second to post a negative review about your products or services, but that may not be the case for a positive one.

When everything is going fine, your customers may feel less motivated to spread the word and tell the world about their experiences. After all, what's in it for them?

This is where your referral program comes in and helps you convince your customers to share their positive experiences.

Here, you offer your customers certain benefits in exchange for recommending your solutions to their friends or family.

Through their recommendation, you get to attract more prospects, and in exchange, they get to enjoy the benefits offered by your company. Whether it's cashback, free shipping, exclusive discounts, or coupon codes, the benefits can be anything, as long as there's some value associated with them.

A referral program serves as an excellent strategy to not only attract new customers but also make your existing ones happy.

So, identify different touchpoints in the customer's journey where you can use your referral program to generate social influence and help you score more sales.

6. External Certifications

Getting certified by a third-party entity with credibility in your respective industry may also work as social proof and help you generate more traction.

For example, if you sell edibles, getting certified by the concerned food regulatory authorities or agencies may be of great help.

In some cases, you may not even need a certificate, as a simple recognition from a reputable third-party entity may work.

People may start considering you as a trustworthy and reliable brand as soon as you have received an endorsement from a credible institution.

Final Words

There you have it: the six effective ways you can leverage social proof for an online business. If you have been looking for ways to engage your target audience and convince them to try your solutions, the recommendations in this article may come in handy.