You have engaging copy. It’s bringing in tons of organic traffic. Your audience has an interest in your offer and they’re ready to see what you have to say.

There’s just one problem — nobody’s following through on your call to action. 

They just need to click the link and buy what you’re selling. It could be bananas or a subscription to a magazine for banana farmers. Or you might want them to exchange their contact details for more information.

You’ve told them about your offer’s benefits. Now, how do you establish credibility? What will make prospects take you seriously?

Well, hearing from satisfied customers goes a long way in making your CTA more appealing. 

• Everyone’s concerned about what other people are doing.
• They tend to trust what others are doing more than they trust their own instincts.
• Social proof shows people that your offer can provide valuable benefits for them.

Think about the first person to eat a banana. They’d have to be pretty brave to try it without knowing anything about it. Other people wouldn’t be that brave — or careless. 

Then, they’d see that the first person was fine and the banana wasn’t poisonous. After that, they’d become comfortable eating them, too. 

The banana-eater told everyone about their experience and word got around about how delicious bananas are, which made others want to try them. Their story, or testimonial, convinced the others that the banana was safe.

That’s what you need to do for your offer with social proof.

Unique Way To Improve Conversions With Social Proof #1: Testimonials

Testimonials provide evidence that your product has worked well in the past. A great testimonial tells a story. It mentions a common problem and how your product solves it. For instance, maybe your banana face cream improved your customer’s complexion.

Testimonials follow a basic structure. Describe the problem, your solution, and how your solution was uniquely suitable for this situation. The customer’s emotional reaction and enthusiasm add the personal element that makes the testimonial come alive.

Use the details that’ll put across the message you want to convey.

Show how their experience can represent everyone’s experiences. Make sure testimonials have pictures of the person and some information about them to make them more relatable and believable. Match their demographics to the people you are trying to reach.

But be sure you have permission to do so before you do it. Don’t make up fake testimonials, people will figure it out and won’t trust you. There should be plenty of real testimonials for you to choose from.

Learn how to use persuasive copywriting to boost sales here.

Unique Way To Improve Conversions With Social Proof #2: Case Studies

Case studies tell more detailed stories about the user’s experience. They create a narrative your consumer can relate to. Use these when you have longer copy and need a lot of supportive arguments. 

The three fundamentals of a case study are: the problems your customer brought to you, the service you provided and how unique it was, and the results of your company’s efforts. This structure supports your copy and shows how your solutions can work for them, too.

Usually, one case study is enough to support your main argument. They show how your company deals with pain points that the viewer may have in common with the case study. People will be able to relate to the benefits of your offer and see how it meets their needs.

Case studies have been well-documented and have hard facts to back them up. Some are already in the popular mindset, and only need to be pulled apart and teased to reflect the features of your product and present the benefits they have. 

Other case studies may come from within the company themselves. Their results include statistics supporting the return on investment for your company’s solutions. The data might include quotations from the designers of the case study themselves.

This leads us to our next method.

Learn how to write case studies that convert here.

Unique Way To Improve Conversions With Social Proof #3: Expert Opinions

Appealing to authority makes potential users feel comfortable getting to the next step and responding to your CTA. Try someone with a background in the subject.

A doctor or a scientist. Someone with industry expertise. Professionals who are known for competence in their field.

For example, a statistic such as “a study conducted at Harvard University showed that increased potassium intake reduced the number of free radicals in the bloodstream by 80%.” A “Dermatologist Approved” label for a banana skin cream would also increase credibility. Or stating that something’s “clinically proven.”

People trust authority figures in the industry because they believe that scientists and other specialists know better than the ordinary public. But you have to be careful not to sound too elitist, or you might turn off some segments of the population that feel that you’re talking down to them.

Unique Way To Improve Conversions With Social Proof #4: Celebrity Endorsements

People will do what they see their favorite celebrities doing. Paying a celebrity to promote your product will motivate their fans to try what you’re offering. It’s even better if your spokesperson provides specific details supporting the benefit of your product. 

They could say “I’ve been using banana skin cream for fifteen years, and my friends and family tell me that I haven’t aged a day.” But make sure that the celebrity you choose fits with your audience and the market that you want to reach out to. Don’t use a 20-year-old celebrity to promote anti-aging cream.

The human brain is hard-wired to trust familiar faces: friends, family, and even celebrities. Because you see these faces a lot, you’ve come to rely on them to know when something is safe and effective. The brain can’t distinguish people you know in real life from people in the media, which is why you may feel as if a celebrity is a personal friend, even if you’ve never met them in real life.

Social media influencers are a less expensive way to generate buzz. Followers are more likely to buy products or use services that they see their favorite Instagram celebrity using. Influencers also provide more detail about your product in their social media posts than you would otherwise see in an endorsement. 

The major focus of their Instagram or Youtube channel is to promote products like yours in addition to whatever targeted content they provide for their followers. The seamless integration of content and advertising is what makes social influencers so popular and effective.

Unique Way To Improve Conversions With Social Proof #5: Social Media

Social media is a powerful way to gain credibility with potential customers. But be careful to be savvy and harness the powers of the internet in the right way. Trending topics on Twitter can sometimes turn ugly. Do your research first to make sure that you’ve chosen the best hashtag that won’t be twisted into something harmful.

When users share your posts on their feeds or like your page, they’re generating social proof for you. Create exciting, original content that people want to share. It’s an excellent way to persuade people to try your business without spending a lot of money to get on their screens. 

People want to do what they see their friends doing. It’s human nature and it’s a part of “FOMO” culture (Fear of Missing Out). Use it to your advantage and show people what they could have.

Unique Way To Improve Conversions With Social Proof #6: Product Reviews

People trust reviewers who have already tried the product to know more than they do about how it works. They want the benefit of others’ experiences.

Amazon reviews are the most obvious example of this type of shopping. People will browse for hours reading reviews and picturing how they might like the product they’d like to buy. 

Some reviews provide pictures of the product or detailed information about how it works. They love giving their opinions and documenting their experiences. They’re essentially writing your copy for free. 

However, other sites don’t sell anything but provide a database of reviews for you to search. Sites like Consumer Reports have a long history of dedicating their full energy to evaluating products and their claims.

Reviews also affect rankings in Amazon searches and Google Reviews. If somebody looks up “banana skin cream” you want your company to come up near the top. You can pay to have your company come out on the top of the search results, but it’s better if you make it happen organically through sales, ratings, and reviews.

Bad reviews on sites like Yelp can sink your company’s reputation. Respond to any complaints yourself and show how you’ve resolved the matter for the dissatisfied customer. It shows that you care enough about their pain points and are ready to follow through on satisfying their goals.

Unique Way To Improve Conversions With Social Proof #7: Comments And Feedback

Responses to blog posts and lively discussions keep your content alive and make users more engaged in the material you present. These are similar to reviews, only you can moderate the content yourself. Try to keep it on topic and present the best representation of your business.

When viewers interact with your website more, it gives them a reason to keep coming back and see what new comments have been left. The popularity of reactions to articles on news websites demonstrates how much people enjoy discussing the topic to an almost alarming degree.

Asking a question at the end of an article encourages people to continue the debate.

For instance, imagine asking your audience, “What’s the best way to cook bananas? Baked or fried?” that could lead to a long discussion of the pros and cons of preparing fruit.

Unique Way To Improve Conversions With Social Proof #8: Number Of Users Or Customers

Another way to use the bandwagon effect is to have a lot of page views and follows. It’s better to get this organically rather than paying for fake followers. Providing regular updates with dynamic content is the best way to get page views.

Low numbers can discourage conversions.

It’s like when you’re looking for restaurants. Five out of six restaurants could be full of people. But if the last one is empty, you might think the food isn’t good because no one’s eating there.

So wait until you reach a threshold before sharing how many “likes” and “shares” your page has.

Evidence of widespread acceptance and exposure of your ideas make people feel like they want to be “one of the crowd” or participate in the history of the product. A bakery might advertise that they have been “Open Since 1987” to express this relevance.

Place buttons encouraging people to share at the bottom. It makes sure they’ll read your pitch before moving on. Once they hit the “Share” button they’re probably going to start being social somewhere else and not remain on your site.

Learn how to build credibility and trust with your customers here.

Unique Way To Improve Conversions With Social Proof #9: Awards And Recognitions

Industry awards will bolster your credibility. Anything highlighting the quality of your product as it has been evaluated by another group will impress consumers. This guarantee of quality improves the more they trust the company you’ve featured. 

Corporate endorsements on your site make potential customers more likely to consider using your services. As a shortcut, use the company’s logo instead of spelling out its name. People will associate your company with the well-known one with only a glance.

If you’re mentioned in a trade publication or regular media outlet, mention that on your page.

For example, a local newspaper might review your bakery and say you have the “Best Banana Bread in Seattle.” The review saves your reader the trouble of eating banana bread in every bakery in the city. They can go straight to yours knowing that it is the highest quality they can find.

Any quotations from these publications scattered throughout the article could improve conversions. Don’t leave them all at the bottom. Make sure your readers will see them and it’ll pique their interest.

Ready To Increase Conversions?

Peer pressure is a powerful influence on consumer decisions. People trust the opinions of others more than they trust their observations.

Social proof shows your audience that your offer works well. It encourages them to commit to your call to action with enthusiasm.

Testimonials are the simplest and most direct social proof method. They show consumers that other people have faced the same problems and solved them with your offer. Expert testimony gives that extra little push that drives conversions.

Celebrities can also be considered experts in some senses. People give them the same credence as more “qualified” experts.

Product reviews, comments, and discussions allow consumers to view and relate to the experiences of others. Seeing how many people have used your product could drive new conversions. 

Professional reviews in mixed media also generate social proof. Be sure to link to the article or website that provided good publicity.

Any type of social proof will convince consumers. Try a mix of several different kinds to get the best results.  

Be sure to match the social proof to support the claims that you are making.

Applied skillfully, this proof will seem natural and flow with the rest of your page. Show how your product has served other people's needs. Doing so will allow new customers to imagine how your product might work for them.

P.S. Marketers and B2B business leaders...

Could your organization benefit from dramatically shorter sales cycles, more qualified leads, and higher on-page conversions? 🤔

If you're looking to improve the performance of your sales pages, emails, or ads... I may be able to move the needle in a big way. 

Using my proven “Neuro-Response” copywriting method, I've generated over $2.7 billion in revenue for over 224 of the largest B2B companies in America.

This behavioral-science inspired system taps into lesser-known hidden psychological triggers that target multiple decision-making regions of your prospects’ brains...

In a way that elevates their desire, makes them primed to be more receptive to sales messaging, and gets them to move forward.

Averaging across over 1,124+ projects, my copywriting drives a 55% increase in on-page conversion rates, an 84% increase in quality sales-qualified leads, and a 27% decrease in customer acquisition costs compared to existing controls.

If any of this sounds interesting to you...

Click HERE to learn more and find out if I’m the right fit to help.