Nudgify

January 2021

Main menu

  • Nudges
    • Categories
    • Nudges
    • Social ProofBuild Trust
    • Popularity NudgeShow Recent Visits
    • Recent PurchasesShow Recent Purchases
    • Recent Sign-UpsShow Recent Sign-Ups
    • Review NudgeShow Real-time Reviews
    • FOMOIncrease Desire
    • Low Stock NudgeShow Scarcity
    • Selling Fast NudgeCreate Urgency
    •   
    • UrgencySet Deadlines
    • Order Soon NudgeHelp Quick Decisions
    •   
    •   
    • FrictionReduce Friction
    • Free Delivery NudgeSweeten The Deal
    • Discount NudgeReduce pain of paying
    •   
    • Custom NudgeYour Own Nudges
  • Features
    • Nudgify Features
    • Product FeaturesUse Powerful New Tools
    • IntegrationsCombine With Your Stack
  • Use Cases
    • Goals
    • Industries
    • Increase Conversion RateTurn More Traffic Into Sales
    • eCommerceeCommerce Social Proof
    • Improve Customer ExperienceSell The Way They Buy
    • FashionGet More Sales
    • Reduce Basket AbandonmentRecover More Sales
    • TravelGet More Bookings
    • Increase Sign-UpsGrow Your List, Faster
    • SaaS & SoftwareReduce Churn
    • Build Your BrandCreate a stronger identity
    • Real EstateIncrease Sales and Sold Price
    •   
    • Marketing AgencyGet More Clients And Deliver Results
  • Pricing
  • Blog
  • Try For Free
  • Login
  • Go To Dashboard

Shopify menu

  • Contact Sales
  • Try For Free
social proof marketing image

16 Ways Big Brands Use Social Proof In Their Marketing (2021)

Category menu

  • Categories
  • Home
  • Increase Conversions
  • Customer Experience
  • Shopify

Social Proof marketing leverages one of the most powerful psychological effects we experience in our everyday lives. It is the reason why trendy bars make people queue outside and bartenders “salt” tip jars with their own money. This article shows you how the biggest brands use Social Proof in their digital marketing.

16 Ways Big Brands Use Social Proof in Their Marketing (2021)

  • What is Social Proof
  • 16 Ways Elite Brands Use Social Proof In Their Marketing
    1. Displaying customer testimonials on their homepage
    2. Showing Industry Awards and Rankings
    3. Gathering Expert Reviews and Endorsements
    4. Adding Customer Reviews To Product Pages
    5. Addressing Concerns With UGC
    6. Creating Urgency By Highlighting Demand
    7. Incorporating Social Media Into Product Marketing
    8. Providing Star Ratings To Make Comparisons Easier
    9. Using Case Studies To Demonstrate Benefits
    10. Creating In-Groups
    11. Using “Recently Sold” Notifications
    12. Tagging Popular Products To Prevent Choice Paralysis
    13. Embracing Themes Their Customers Identify With
    14. Providing “People Also Bought” Recommendations
    15. Creating Choice Closure For Purchases
    16. Incorporating Popularity Into Their Branding
  • Social Proof and Marketing in 2021 

Social Proof marketing is proven strategy for eCommerce and retail websites. For example, adding reviews and testimonials to a product page has been shown to increase order values by an average of 31%. Similarly, creating live Social Proof by showing information about recent sales can generate up to 15% more conversions from the same amount of traffic. This article explains why Social Proof is so effective for digital marketing and shows you how the biggest brands use it to get more sales and sign-ups.

What is Social Proof?

Social Proof is a psychological effect that causes us to imitate the people around us. Because of the effect, we often conform to the expectations and opinions of our peers without considering them rationally. It has a greater impact on our behaviour in situations where we are unsure about a decision or what to do.

E-commerce websites like Amazon and Ebay incorporate Social Proof into their product pages because it helps customers choose the best items without seeing or touching them. The fact that customer reviews are available for most items is one reason why Amazon converts four times more browsers than an average eCommerce website. Retail brands like Target and Next also use Social Proof to increase their conversion rate. In their case, the effect is used to reassure customers, provide user-generated content about their products, and reinforce the shopping context.

Elite brands have an advantage when it comes to Social Proof marketing because they have more reviews and transactions to display. However, smaller businesses can take advantage of the same effect with a Social Proof app. There are over 200 Shopify plugins devoted to “Creating Social Proof” in the platform’s app store. These solutions give any online store a way to build trust, highlight the quality of their products and create urgency.

16 Ways Elite Brands Use Social Proof in Their Marketing

Social Proof marketing allows website designers to make valuable information available at a glance. It also means they can highlight the popularity of their products and the currency of their brand without seeming biased. Because of the credibility and prestige it conveys, Social Proof is an essential part of brand building. Here are 32 ways the biggest brands do it.

1. Displaying Testimonials on their Homepage

Used by: Intercom Best For: SaaS and services

social proof marketing intercom

According to 91.9% of business owners, the value of a business is strongly related to the reputation of its brand. However, brand management is not just about PR initiatives, it is also about the way a business presents testimonials and endorsements to its customers. Even market-leaders like Intercom use authoritative testimonials on their homepage to leverage Social Proof for potential customers.

Consumer reviews are an effective way to build trust in any product or a business. They are most effective if you can use images of real customers and, since 84% of people discount reviews older than 3 months, make sure they are as recent as possible.

2. Showing Industry Awards and Rankings

Used by: Samsung Best for: Technology brands and retailers

social proof marketing samsung

Displaying the corporate logos of ratings and reviewing agencies alongside an industry award gives you powerful brand authority. It is particularly important for products with new and disruptive features that customers are unable to judge online. In the example above, Samsung displays recent reviews and awards to show that its new television system has a real effect on the viewing experience.

industry awards endorsements

This example, from kitchen appliances retailer Russell Hobbs, uses an award from Good Housekeeping to justify its premium pricing. Endorsements from recognised consumer services organizations like Good Housekeeping, Which or Trusted Reviews can have a dramatic effect on sales.

3. Gathering Expert Reviews and Endorsements

Used by: Sensodyne Best for: Medical and personal care products

sensodyne professional endorsements

When people feel like they don’t have enough information to make a sensible choice, Social Proof helps them to make decisions. That’s why brands like Sensodyne place such emphasis on professional endorsements. In 2007, Sensodyne was challenged by the Advertising Standards Authority over a television advert which implied that medical professionals endorsed the toothpaste for treating sensitive teeth. A similar complaint was made against Colgate in the same year due to a misleading claim that the toothpaste was recommended by 80% of dentists.

4. Adding Customer Reviews to Product Pages

Used by: Marks and Spencer Best for: eCommerce and retail websites

social proof marketing ecommerce

According to a survey by the Spiegel Research Centre, 95% of customers say they read reviews before making a purchase. Because so few purchases take place without a customer checking the reviews, it makes sense to make them easily accessible from within the purchase funnel. By placing reviews above the fold on a product page, eCommerce and retail sites can create a more focused customer journey.

5. Identifying Doubts And Addressing Them With UGC

Used by: Amazon Best for: eCommerce, fashion retailers and luxury brands

user generated content

Because Amazon operates at a vast scale, it is both possible and necessary for the site to automate product content. By encouraging user generated content in the form of “Customer Questions and Answers”, the platform is able to give highly detailed and specific product information. Providing answers to the questions that might not occur to a retailer means Amazon loses fewer sales due to missing details.

Unfortunately, most sites are not able to automate content creation as effective as Amazon. So, in order to understand what kind of questions your customers might have, you can use CRO tools like Hotjar, CrazyEgg and even Google Forms. On-site surveys and exit forms give you a way to find out what your customers’ main concerns are. Using that information, you can add specific questions to the review requests you send when someone makes a purchase.

6. Creating Urgency by Highlighting Demand

Used by: Booking Best for: Travel websites and luxury brands

recently sold notifications

Travel websites need customers to book as early as possible, so they often use FOMO notifications to highlight the limited availability of tickets. Alongside this, site like Booking.com highlight the number of people viewing an offer. A page-view counter can be coded into your website using Javascript, or simply by installing a Social Proof app. Popularity Nudges show how many people have viewed an offer or made a recent purchase.

social proof marketing pageviews

In this product collection, the bicycle shop Halfords displays the number of page views each item has received that day. Alongside the star ratings for each bike, this page view counter gives browsers an immediate sense of which are the most popular options.

7. Incorporating Social Media Into Product Marketing

Used by: Chilly’s Best for: Luxury and special interest retailers

marketing social media

Chilly’s water bottles pioneered a unique promotional strategy combining saturation advertising with influencer marketing. In 2017, the company ran a social media campaign on Twitter with the hashtag #chillyseverywhere and quickly rolled the campaign out across its social media accounts. The campaign prompted over 6000 Instagram posts over the course of a few weeks, each one providing highly-targeted and free advertising. 

To leverage the success of this promotional campaign, Chilly’s incorporates an Instagram carousel on its homepage, displaying high-quality UGC to browsers. Shopify provides a selection of plugins offering social media integrations and similar solutions are available for WordPress and other platforms.

8. Providing Stars And Symbols To Make Comparisons Easier

Used by: Capterra Best for: Comparison sites, Saas and eCommerce 

social proof marketing ratings

93% of customers spend more than a minute reading reviews before they will make a purchase. If you add the time it takes to compare reviews for different products, it can make buying something online a frustrating experience. By asking customers to rank different aspects of a business or product, you can display more specific ratings in the categories that customers might want to compare. That makes it easier for them to choose an option that suits them, and more likely that they will make a purchase on your site.

9. Using Case Studies To Highlight Benefits

Used by: Braze Best for: Saas and technology retailers, leisure services

saas use cases

Copywriters are often told that customers care more about “benefits” than they do about “features”. One of the best ways to communicate the benefits of your product, especially if it’s hard to understand, is with use cases. Showing exactly how your product has helped a former client communicates both how it works and what it does. This form of Social Proof marketing is particularly effective if your case study matches your target customer. Because of that, case studies are a subtle way to sort your most promising leads from the rest.

10. Creating In-Groups

Used by: Bulk Best for: Lifestyle brands

in-groups social proof marketing
Brands with a clear target audience often appeal their customers’ sense of identity by making products feel exclusive. By associating a product with a particular type of person, brands leverage our desire to belong to that group. Fashion retailers use the same effect by creating product collections for different kinds of customer, and the same principle makes targeted discounts more appealing.

targeted promotions advertizing

Group membership is an important part of how we define ourselves, leading us to conform with similar people. Presenting a product as a way of participating in a group is a powerful form of Social Proof marketing that also helps to build your brand.

11. Using “Recently Sold” Notifications

Used by: Hotter Best for: eCommerce, retail and travel websites

recently sold notifications

Showing visitors that an item is being purchased regularly builds credibility for both the store and the product itself. It also creates a sense of urgency, because visitors don’t know if the item will sell out soon.

sales pop notifications

“Recently sold” notifications (sometimes called “Sales Pops”) turn inert pages into active spaces, bringing your visitors into the here and now. By doing this, they recreate the immediacy of real-world shopping.

nudgify logo

Get up to 15% more sales and sign-ups
from only $0.99 a month!

Try For FreeAdd To Shopify
It's not magic, it's Social Proof. Find out more

12. Tagging Popular Options To Prevent Choice Paralysis

Used by: Walmart Best for: eCommerce, restaurants

social proof marketing popularity

Shoppers frequently encounter an unmanageable range of choices. The Paradox of Choice, which occurs when we have so many options it becomes difficult to choose, can be overwhelming. It can even prevent us from making a purchase. To avoid overwhelming customers, stores like Walmart create default options by tagging popular items. These tags help customers make sense of collections more easily, so the stores lose fewer sales to choice paralysis.

Whilst an item’s popularity might not seem relevant, it gives the browser valuable social context. For example, knowing what most people are willing to pay for an item gives a customer a benchmark to use.

13. Embracing Themes Their Customers Identify With

Used By: Dove Best for: Everyday brands

public relations marketing

Brands like Dove use Social Proof marketing to build a sense of cultural affinity with their users. Initiatives like Dove’s “Real Beauty Pledge” build positive brand associations and signal the social groups the product is designed for. Buying the product then becomes both a positive choice and statement of identity.

14. Providing “People Who Bought This, Also Bought…” Recommendations

Used by: Tesco Best for: eCommerce and retail

bought next recommendations
Social Proof marketing can increase both your conversion rate and your average order value. E-commerce websites and supermarkets use “people also viewed” elements to provide more accurate product recommendations. These recommendations have added impact because they seem to be endorsed by other people. An alternative strategy is to use your website’s user date to create common product bundles. By bundling products into groups, you can display “People who bought this, also bought…” messages on your product and basket pages.

social proof marketing bundles

Adding “people also bought” bundles to your sales funnel has three major advantages:

  1. The Social Proof boosts your credibility and makes it more likely your customers will complete their purchases
  2. The message encourages customers to add more items to their basket – increasing your average order value.
  3. Even if the customer doesn’t make any of the additional suggested purchases immediately, the message will give them ideas for the weeks or months ahead.

Websites that combine Social Proof with their product bundles are likely to attract more returning customers and achieve a higher customer lifetime value.

15. Creating Choice Closure For Purchases

Used by: Amazon Best for: eCommerce, SaaS

choice closure

In the moments after a customer makes a purchase, Amazon’s post-purchase email sequence is triggered. As part of the platform’s famous “customer obsession“, these emails are designed to increase customer satisfaction and collect the information needed to improve its service. However, Amazon has found ways to post-purchase satisfaction even before the first email is sent.

Choice closure occurs when we are satisfied that we have made the right decision. It helps to increase the pleasure we feel when making a purchase and reduces the pain of paying. By showing a customer that the item they have selected is a “best seller”, Amazon helps to remove any uncertainty associated with the purchase. This form os Social Proof marketing reassures the customer and improves their overall experience.

16. Incorporating Popularity Into Their Branding

Used by: Maxfactor  Best for: Services and luxury products

maxfactor social proof marketing

Social Proof is an important part of branding. A number of the world’s most famous brands are built on the assumption that they are the default choice for consumers. Similarly, brands will often present themselves as the preferred option for experts or professionals. As with Colgate’s controversial 2007 advertisement, in which the brand claimed to be recommended by 80% of dentists, the makeup brand MaxFactor describes itself as “The Make Up of Make Up Artists.”

Social Proof Marketing in 2021

Consumers are presented with a vast amount of promotional content, most of which they ignore. In order to get the most from your marketing budget, your marketing content needs to be targeted more accurately or to contain a genuinely compelling message. One of the most valuable properties of Social Proof marketing is that it lets you present ideas without appearing biased. Because of this, Social Proof is one of the most effective ways to circumvent banner-blindness.

Taking an active role in gathering and responding to feedback is proven to improve customer satisfaction. Just knowing that you’re paying attention to your customers can lead to better reviews and more return business. In a world of intense competition and expensive advertising, Social Proof marketing can improve your acquisition and customer loyalty.

Stephen Courtney

by Stephen Courtney

03 January 2021

Category menu

  • Categories
  • Home
  • Increase Conversions
  • Customer Experience
  • Shopify
Most Read Articles
social proof ultimate guide
What is Social Proof? The Ultimate Guide (2021)
4,985
views
social proof marketing image
16 Ways Big Brands Use Social Proof In Their Marketing (2021)
4,907
views
fomo marketing
15 Ways To Add FOMO To Your Marketing (2021)
4,122
views
social proof for woocommerce and wordpress
14 Best Social Proof Plugins for WordPress (2021)
3,818
views
saas social proof
17 Ways To Improve Your SaaS Conversion Rate With Social Proof
2,545
views

Guides and Resources

  • Social Proof - What is it? How does it work? When do marketers use it?
nudgify logo

Increase your sales and sign-ups by up to 15% from $0.99 a month

Try For Free Add App To Shopify
Start Your Free 7-Day Trial Increase your sales, sign-ups and customer satisfaction, today
Get Started Now
  • Convertize Limited,
    12 Hammersmith Grove,
    London, W6 7AP
    United Kingdom
Get Started Now
  • LanguagesFrançais
Company
  • Who Are We
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Ethical Social Proof
  • Affiliate Program
  • Press Resources
Product
  • Features
  • Pricing
  • Social Proof App
  • Sales Pop Nudges
  • FOMO App
  • FOMO Alternative
  • ProveSource Alternative
  • Proof Alternative
  • Trustpulse Alternative
  • Beeketing Alternative
Integrations
  • All integrations
  • Capterra Social Proof
  • Google Reviews Social Proof
  • Mailchimp Social Proof
  • Shopify Social Proof
  • TrustPilot Social Proof
  • WooCommerce Social Proof
  • WordPress Social Proof
  • Zapier Social Proof
Tools And Resources
  • Documentation
  • Youtube Video Tutorials
  • Blog Articles
  • Support Chat
Made with in London
Powered by Convertize