5 types of social proof for your online business

Social proof describes a psychological and social behaviour whereby people copy the actions of others in an attempt to undertake behaviour in given situation.

This is an important strategy to get your business sailing online. Today we shall concentrate on social proof for your brand on social media.

5 types of social proof for your online business.

1. User Generated Content (UCG)

This is when anyone (customer, fan, friend etc) uses a video, tweet, picture or something similar, posts it on SM and tags a brand or a hashtag. This is creating user generated content and is a super social proof for that brand.

2. Expert recommendation

This happens when a respected figure recommends, tags or mentions your brand. An expert opinion has the power to persuade and convince your audience that you must be credible.

3. Celebrity/ Influencer endorsement

Celebrity endorsement happens when a popular person uses their status to help sell a product or service. This has worked time and time again as many celebrities have loyal followers who will do as they say. The benefit for a brand/business online is that they achieve recognition, higher following and patronage.

4. Approval from authority figures

For example the blue ticks sparingly dished out by Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. It's almost like a stamp of approval that a brand is authentic once they have the ticks.

5. High following, high likes and many comments on your social media posts is a sure way to have social proof

See it's simple. People tend to follow suit. If there are a lot of likes or comments on a post, i bet you, many others will add theirs.

Remember that quality is the best business plan. 

Get social proof from offline buyers

We sell offline to our neighbours, friends, family etc. and if people on instagram do not know that, they would be reluctant to be the first to patronize you on the instagram platform.

Therefore, when you make sales offline be eager to showcase it online. You can do this by:

1. Requesting for the offline buyer to please send you a review of their experience with your product by whatsapp.

2. Find a means of collecting email addresses from middle and high income earners with the promise to send new designs by email or to send birthday wishes. You can then send a mail few days after purchase asking for a review.

3. You can mention on IG the links to other platforms where you sell. You can also encourage your IG followers to follow you on those other platforms.

Note that you should never tell the names or show the full images of your customers except with permission. Some customers like it but others are more private and will not want the world to know what they are doing.

There are some niches that customers will be glad for you to show everthing. E.g. Someone who visits a make up artist for a facebeat will be happy to show her full beautifully done face. However someone who used your weight loss product will not be happy to show her full face when you are showing before and after pictures of her big stomach!

Therefore you should use your tools to crop names, full telephone numbers, faces etc. That is whenever necessary. Finally, you can use redirect features to direct your offline buyers to join you on IG.