Social Proof
What is the social proof theory?
Social proof theory is a theory that states that people tend to mimic others when they can’t find the right direction or the right action to do.
This means that if a person saw most people in the street running and screaming then he is very likely to run with them before he even knows what’s going on.
This is why famous people become even more famous and it’s the same reason why popular blogs become even popular as the time passes.
So how can you use social proof to boost your business or blog traffic?
The best way to use social proof is to find out the competitive advantages that your business has then to make them visible using social proof. Here are some examples:
1) Using a hit counter: If one of the advantages of your blog is that it gets high traffic then you can use a hit counter and display it on every page. By doing so people will trust your site even more and it will become more popular.
2) Testimonials: Let’s suppose that you have great content or great products. In such a way the best way to make this advantage visible to the public is to use testimonials wherever possible. Most people who will read the testimonials will trust your business even more because of the social proof theory.
3) Celebrities: Don’t be intimidated by the word because I am not asking you to contact A class celebrities. Even if you got a testimonial from a relatively popular blogger that would still be an example of using a celebrity to increase people’s trust in your business.
4) Twitter followers, facebook fan page..etc: Sometimes you need to invest some time first before you can use social proof. I launched a facebook ad campain for my Fan page and once I reached several thousands of likes I posted it on my blog. Certainly this increased the trust and made the blog look even more popular. You don’t have to have a large number of followers on every social networking website but you just need to make the one you are popular on the most visible to your audience.
5) Say I am good!: According to psychology the mind can be programmed by repetition provided that no opposing beliefs is found. This means that if you wrote at the footer of each article on your blog that you are an expert then people will believe in you provided that the quality of your content doesn’t say otherwise.
In short, there are various ways in which you can apply the social proof theory without necessary having a large number of followers or a high traffic website.
Written by M. Farouk Radwan
The founder of http://www.2knowmyself.com
The top bloggers advocate a seo wordpress plugin for your Wordpress website.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
You are absolutely right Cat and I should be doing more of some of what you mentioned.
I have a lot of emails now from people who have thanked me for helping them. I guess what I need to do now is go back and ask them if they will write me a testimonial. That just hasn’t been on my radar yet.
I’m having a Facebook Fan Page created as I type this and I’ve waited this long because I want to do it right. I see a lot of people’s fan pages and it’s the same old thing all the time. I just don’t want that so I’ve been learning a few things and am now ready to introduce mine to my friends.
As for the rest, I think maybe my comments speak for themselves. So I’m only hoping that people who visit my place will see that although I never claim to be an expert, I do know what I’m talking about in certain areas. All you’ve got to do is just ask.
Great post girl, all good ideas people can use. I need to do a few of these myself.
Adrienne recently posted..Network Marketing Misconception #1
Twitter: catherinealexa
January 11, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Hey Adrienne,
I’m glad that you enjoyed the post!
This is actually a guest post by a friend named Farouk Radwan.
I think that testimonials are fantastic. I need to update mine in this blog because I’ve taken quite a few more since I published the ones that are currently up. LinkedIn is one of my fave places to get these because they seem to give some great visibility there. I like the professionalism of the LinkedIn site for things like this.
I can’t wait to see your fanpage. I really could use some updating on my own. Have been giving that some thought too. I have some of the offers that correspond with the programs I work with, but I am holding off on using some of those things because they seem to be overexposed in my opinion. I want my offerings to be unique, as you indicated you wish for your own.
Your comments really DO speak for themselves. I think you’re kind of a unique display of what we’d all strive for in that department. I am literally shocked at how well you keep up with all those great comments too, because they’re quality and usually a bit lengthy too.
Cat
hey Adrienne
happy to see you around : )
you are right, we always have resources that we don’t utilize, just look for them and you will find them
keep in touch
Great post Cat! I love the tips you’ve shared. Proof is definitely something that someone would be interested to see especially if it’s the first time people get to know us or about us. It’s often times hard to find real people in the internet. Using social proof, will buy people’s trust without any question. Definitely very important and it works!
Thanks for sharing this post!
Pj Zafra recently posted..How To Generate FREE Facebook Leads And Increase The Activity Of Your Fan Page
Twitter: catherinealexa
January 11, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Hey PJ,
Glad you enjoyed the guest blog!
I definitely agree with your assessment regarding social proof too. I think it seems like people are more searching for authenticity these days. We’ve all been exposed to so much via the internet, some good, some not so good, some maybe even downright bad. I find that giving people the chance to see what others are saying about us goes a long way in helping others reach a place trust with us.
Thanks sharing your perspective!
Cat
you are most welcomed PJ : )
especially if you sell anything online, it can give a good boost to sales
nice to meet you
Good reminder on how social proof is important and how easy it can be to actually achieve. I have been working on getting testimonials now for a bit and when I do my site refresh later this quarter I will be using more of them as well as look at ways to increase my social proof on the site. I also do not thing people need to be afraid of promoting themselves if one is good at what they do. If you come from the aspect that you want to help others be better then by all means get the word out there so you can do just that! All the best, VaNessa
VaNessa Duplessie recently posted..Meet My Accountability Partner and Learn Why You Need One Yourself
Twitter: catherinealexa
January 11, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Hi VaNessa,
I’m glad to hear that you are working to get more testimonials for yourself. I have always found these to be so helpful in allowing people to feel ease, comfort, and trust in dealing with me. I have been using them for years, even prior to taking up blogging seriously. LinkedIn is one of my faves for testimonials due to the way that site is postulated, it’s very professional.
Thanks for sharing your insight into this topic, VaNessa!
Cat
so true Vanessa
as long as we do it ethically then we shouldn’t be afraid
nice to see you here
Great post on Social Proof. I will be doing some of what you have suggested here myself.
Michael Burns recently posted..Unfair Advantage: The Power of Financial Education
Twitter: catherinealexa
January 11, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Hey Michael,
Glad to hear you’ll be implementing some of these strategies. I think you’ll find them to be well worth the effort!
Best regards,
Cat
thank you Micheal
glad it was helpful : )
I agree with you Cat!
Social proof a.k.a bragging is necessary (I believe that both are about the same). Back to the topic, It is indeed important to showcase your business. I think Social proof works because of the principle of Conformity.
People love to follow the crowd, just do what others are doing. They are not much interested (not a lot of people are) in investing time and effort into experimenting, learning and “reinventing” the business. I mean, the most successful businesses today – like Apple invented (and of course reinvented) products – when it comes to Apple, it is all about “reinventing” or adding extra [small] features to their existing product, at least right now.
Anyways, thanks for the insights!
Jeevan Jacob John
Jeevanjacobjohn recently posted..Commenting Challenge, Mistakes, Lessons and Link Replies!
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 25, 2012 at 10:05 am
Hello Jeevan,
After I read your last comment on how to get referrals and boost sales I was hoping that you might read this other article because of the comments you made regarding professional bragging. You did indeed find your way here – impressive! We must be on the same wavelength!
I think you make an astute point about the Principle of Conformity. People do like to be a part of what is “in.” I think that’s one of many reasons why social media has blown up the way it has. Creating “spin” off what people all ready know, like, and trust seems to indeed be well-received. I like your thinking here because it does provide us some subtle clues into how to effectively leverage ourselves better in the eyes of those who we wish to attract!
Awesome feedback, Jeevan! Thanks so much for that!
Please come again soon!
Cat Alexandra
I guess Conformity can be a real blessing for us blogger, if we use it effectively. But, at times it can do more harm than good (like I mentioned earlier, people don’t try to reinvent the wheel).
No problem. Thanks for the reply, Cat
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 29, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Yeah I think you are right that sometimes conformity is a blessing for us! Like many things in life, it’s about how we apply what we know! I have met many people who “know it all” but practice none of it. lol And then I’ve met many others who maybe don’t know so much but what they do know they employ! I bet you can imagine there is a quantum leap of difference in what that spectrum produces in terms of results.
Thanks for the great logic here, Jeevan. I think you’re onto something!
Cat
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