4 Ways to Use Social Proof on Your Landing Page to Boost Conversions
Social proof is more than an ancient survival system – it’s a way to turn leads into customers.
Way back at the dawn of humanity, we used our social skills to navigate a hostile world. Building communities helped us feel more secure, raise more intelligent young, and achieve more than we ever could as individuals. We looked out for one another – if a tribe member ate a berry and proclaimed it delicious, the other tribe members would be free to eat the berry, trusting their word.
(If they died, that was probably an indicator that the berry was no good.)
Trust in our social peers – as well as those we aspire to be like – once helped us to survive. Now, it sells products in the form of “social proof”.
What is social proof?
In marketing-speak, social proof is a way for businesses to show their offer is valuable by creating an association with people who already think it’s good. The more trustworthy, authoritative or aspirational the person in question, the more powerful the proof.
In essence, social proof is: “they like it, and so will you”.
Social proof comes in all shapes and sizes:, but there are six categories of social proof to explore:
- Expert – this is social proof from a source of authority, e.g. an expert in your niche. A Twitter mention or endorsement from a reputable source is an example of this type of proof.
- Celebrity – like when a celebrity posts about your product or service on Instagram or Twitter, this type of social proof only works when the celebrity is aspirational, such as Kim Kardashian or a YouTuber your audience loves. Getting a polarising or disagreeable figure to endorse you will probably work against your brand, even if they’re famous.
- User – user-based social proof is when your current users recommend your products and services based on their experiences with your brand. Think of praise on social media, rave reviews or positive ratings.
- Wisdom of the crowd – this social proof is based on numbers. Think of millions of followers on your social media profiles, or when McDonald’s say “billions of people served”.
- Wisdom of your friends – this is the archetypal “tribe thinking”. People trust and like their friends, and when they notice that they use and like your product, they’re more likely to try it out.
- Certification – like expert proof, but with a certificate. This kind of social proof is when your product or service receives the stamp of approval from an organisation or achieves an industry standard. Think of the blue checkmark on Twitter or Facebook, or any leading figure with Professor or Doctor in front of their name.
Social proof has existed throughout the ages: lower members of the court adopt the fashions of the royal household to look fancy, 90s TV adverts used celebrities to sell everything from vibrating weight loss belts to kitchen cleaners, and now in 2021 more people than ever look to social media influencers for purchasing guidance.
How to use social proof on your landing page
There are many ways you can employ social proof to increase your conversion rate, even if no one has bought your product or service or left a review. Check out these methods togive your CR a boost:
1. Appreciate engagement
Every so often, you might receive a nice mention from a big brand or an influencer in your industry – that’s nice for social proof, but you can also publicly thank any followers who interact with your page. This tells others that, “hey, these people like us, you should too!”
Don’t forget that people look up to their friends and peers as much as they look up to celebrities, so celebrate both in spades.
2. Share milestones
Another way to generate a buzz of social proof is to show gratitude for your user, follower or progress milestones. Reaching milestones is a fun occasion to celebrate and a great time to thank your fans.
You can reference your followers or downloads, such as: “Wow, I can’t believe we’ve hit one thousand followers/users!” but you can also celebrate years in business or other special moments.
3. Curate user-generated content
User-generated content can help you to grow your following (and engagement) as well as boost landing page conversions. From a simple hashtag, such as #iloveXXX, or reposting users’ social media posts, quoting them, or running a competition for tips or ideas, user-generated content helps you to share who loves what you’re doing as well as having all the hard work of marketing done for you.
4. Reviews, reviews, reviews!
No matter if you have a great rating on Trustpilot, some fantastic client reviews in your back pocket, or other kinds of testimonials, promote them! Even if you only have one or two, a good review from a third-party source will paint your product or service in the very best light. Make sure you draw attention to it on your landing page: use bright colours, stars, and a picture of the reviewer if possible (and if you have their consent).
Social proof can come in many shapes and sizes, so these four ideas should be a good start. Using social proof in your marketing not only helps you get more conversions, it should help you generate more marketing ideas as you get a better idea of what your users respond to.
How do you use using social proof, social media-related or not, in your marketing and landing pages?
