Social Media has given birth to a new lifestyle as it has replaced our older habits with newer ones. The most ubiquitous of which is seeking social proof in the form of reviews and ratings while buying something from an online store. Social Proof, in the form of reviews and comments, has changed our shopping patterns for the better.
Leveraging Social Proof is of particular importance for two reasons. The first one is, it lets you remove doubts from the minds of your potential buyers. When a buyer is concerned about the quality of your product, he/she might not make the purchase. No one will ever take a leap of faith unless you give them a good enough reason to do so. And in case of Social Proof, you don’t have to create the reason, you just have to curate the positive feedback from your Social Media Accounts.
Secondly, anyone can post reviews about your product at any time. This makes information about the product readily available for making the last minute purchase decision. Given a scenario where your potential buyers are given two identical products, they will go for the one with good reviews and ratings. That’s why you can never afford to take social proof lightly.
Use Logos and Images
Displaying testimonials on your Website is a great way to build trust. Apart from using the raw comment left by your buyer, you should try to acquire a picture of the reviewer. No one likes a review that has no face. Be it an individual or a company you should always attach an image or logo.
Industry Influencer
People also rely on social proof in the form of influencers these days. We aren’t saying that it’s wrong or it’s a complete scam. There is no way we can deny the influence different public figures can have on your potential buyers. This is why you should always try to tag social influencers if possible. Influencers do not need to promote your product/service directly, but having them collaborate with you on any project or a blog, will help you build credibility.
Regular Curation
You should expect to receive social reviews through different platforms. If you have Social Media accounts, most of the reviews will be channeled through those platforms. However, there is a handful of listing sites that engage people in a different way than social media platforms do. For example Product Hunt, Capterra and yes Google helps individuals and companies sort down all available products and services by simply using some simple criterion. We suggest you stay active in such platforms and curate reviews on a regular basis.
Reviews that potential buyers can relate to
You might have received a lot of positive reviews since you began your journey. But don’t make the mistake of treating all the positive reviews the same way. See, there will be some reviews that only a couple of people can relate to. It might fail to capture the core benefits of your product. In that case, there is no point in displaying that review with hopes of increasing sales. Try to curate testimonials that your potential buyers can relate to and which are in line with the key features of your product.
Positive Social Proof
Positive Social Proof can boost your sales unimaginably. A good review can turn a doubtful buyer into a real conversion. No matter what kind of product you are selling you needs them to grow. If your product and service are good and you are still not receiving a good number of reviews, it must be because your Social Media Accounts have not received much attention. Make sure you launch Marketing Campaigns to inform your buyers about your Social Media Accounts.
Anecdotes are better than positive reviews
We don’t deny the power of a single positive review. But there is another kind of review that is more powerful than the positive ones. And that is stories. Often times you will find buyers sharing their personal experiences surrounding the product or service you are selling. Do make sure to value them above simple positive reviews. Why? Because once your buyers can relate to a certain setting and see the benefits of your product they will be more likely to make the buying decision.
Wrapping Up!
Before we wrap up, here is a simple reminder try to update your testimonials often. If you are showcasing product reviews from 2016 now, that won’t make any sense. Since then you might have changed many features on your product which might influence the entire user experience. Don’t think that your buyers won’t notice that.
And lastly, if you are taking Social Proof seriously you might now be looking for an ideal WordPress solution for leveraging Social Proof. We recommend NotificationX, it’s simple to use and guaranteed to leverage your Social Proof right.
