Social proof

What does social proof mean?

Social proof is a cognitive effect wherein people mimic the actions of others to ensure they behave correctly in a given situation. Simply put, it causes us to think along the lines of - since others are doing it, I should be doing it too. Here are a few examples of social media proof: - 

1. Customer reviews and testimonials 
2. Case studies and success stories 
3. Social media shares and likes 
4. User-generated content 
5. Awards and certifications 

How to use social proof for social media marketing

Now that you understand what social proof is, lets understand how to use them for social media marketing and brand building: - 

1. Share positive reviews and testimonials from customers on your social media profiles 
2. Encourage customers to share their experiences with your brand by leveraging giveaways and contests to get user-generated content.  
3. Collaborate with influencers whose audience matches with your target market and create content assets featuring your products on their profiles. 
4. Create and publish case studies that narrate stories with testimonials and stats on how your brand created a difference for customers.  
5. Highlight posts that receive the maximum engagement. Pin your most popular posts to the top of your social media profiles to get maximum visibility. 
6. If a celebrity uses your product or gets featured in a renowned publication, create content to highlight it. 
7. If your brand gets any award or recognition, create a social media post to highlight it.