The Social Proof is in the Pudding
| Social proof is an important principle of influence that can help you grow by turning more people into repeat visitors. Customer testimonials or references are one of the key measurements of customer satisfaction and loyalty. Customers want to know that others have used your product or service and that it worked for them.
So go ahead and put social proof in your marketing arsenal and ReTarget your missile towards brand success. Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: Science and Practice, defined social proof as one of the six weapons of influence. We determine what is correct by finding out what other people think is correct, or in other words, people will do things that they see other people doing. There are many examples of this:
Nightclubs use this tactic as well. By reducing the rate of entry, the line is artificially made longer. Weve all experienced it on a night of pub crawling. You pass by a spot and perceive the long line as a positive signal of the place’s desirability. Or what about McDonalds? Youve undoubtedly seen the sign, Billions and Billions Served. |
We see social proof techniques being used heavily and effectively through social media on the web.
- Like buttons on Facebook
- Number of views on YouTube videos
- Hash tags on Twitter
- Trending topics on Twitter
- Tweet and share counts
- Social bookmarking sites (Digg, StumbleUpon)
- Ratings and reviews (Yelp, Rate My Professors)
- Number of fans or followers
Now that weve got the basics of social proof down, apply them to your ReTargeter banner ads. The social proof is in the pudding!
Use your banner ads as a method to get social proof out there. Put the picture of a real person with a short quote in your banner or just have the quote. You can even have multiple testimonials/social proof points cycle through the various banner ads.
Another way to enforce social proof is to use ReFollower (live twitter feed in ad unit) to show people how many followers you have. Or create an ad unit that says, for example: 10,000 Facebook Fans can’t be wrong — try Product X.
You like me, you really like me! Say it loud and proud. Let it be known that people believe in your brand and others will follow suit.
Case Study – Watters
Watters is the brainchild of designer Vatana Watters. For over 30 years, it has been the leader in offering luxurious designer bridal gowns, innovative bridesmaids dresses, classic special occasion dresses for mothers of the wedding, and adorable dresses for flower girls and junior bridesmaids around the world. Selling primarily at trunk shows and in third-party […]
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