Social proof is one of the most important tactics to employ when it comes to ecommerce.
Yet the modern digital tactic was first put forward by psychologist Robert Cialdini back in 1984. The term was developed to reflect research that suggests most people follow the crowd when they’re unsure of something.
This is the reason why marketers try to connect a brand’s products with experts and influencers to share their positive experiences.
Just over 8-in-10 online shoppers believe that customer reviews have an impact as well as testimonials and other user-generated content (UGC). 
Today we’re going to talk about the tactics to employ when it comes to social proof.
The biggest strength of social proof is that it helps to solve multiple conversion goals. It helps to guide shoppers towards specific products, specific sizes and color, and encourages them to head towards checkout.
In addition to that, social proof nudges shoppers to share their experiences of products and services with others and to post ratings and reviews. It can even help to trigger FOMO and strengthen pre-orders.
What else can be done to round out a brand’s social proof?
Subscribers and followers. It’s a good idea to display the number of subscribers and followers that you have across social media platforms. Showing just how large your community is goes a long way to demonstrate just how many people trust your brand and enjoy your products.
The caveat here is that if you don’t have high numbers of social media followers and subscribers, then it’s best not making those numbers public.
Badges & certifications. If your business boasts specific certifications or badges, show them off to instill greater trust. Whether it’s an award, a certification, or a membership, put the most prestigious ones front and center in the footer and place the rest on a specific page.
Media spotlight. If your business has been in the headlines for the right reasons, tell everyone about it. This doesn’t only apply to the local newspapers; the same goes for shout-outs on social media and mentions in online magazines.
When it comes to social media mentions, show off who’s talking about you – based on keywords and hashtags. Companies can use multiple tools to monitor their mentions on social media and use them to their advantage.
As seen on screen. If someone of considerable fame publicly endorses a product or service, then consider it a free high-impact endorsement. 
Notifications. Let shoppers know that they’re not alone on a site. Companies can install notification applications so that they can display the visitor count in real time as well as activity such as reviews and purchases.
Waiting lists and sales status. We mentioned FOMO a little earlier, which can trigger people’s instinct of missing out. The same goes for alerts on products such as a count of how many of the products they have currently sold or the number of people on a waiting list for a specific product.
The right placement. When you read product testimonials, it’s most likely on the homepage. This is fine. But also consider placing them on each product page, too. Test different placements of testimonials and content to see what mix works best for your business.
PS: ArganoUV is one of the world’s leading digital products & experiences dev teams. Contact us to see how we can work together.
