Social proof
What is social proof?
Social proof is the idea that people look at what others do to decide what to do themselves. In marketing it shows up as reviews and ratings, testimonials, case studies, customer logos, user counts and recommendations from creators people follow.
It works best when it is specific and comes from people the buyer identifies with.
Why social proof matters
Buyers are uncertain about new products. Evidence that people like them already use and like a product lowers that risk. Faked social proof, such as fake reviews, does the opposite once it is noticed.
Related marketing terms
A testimonial is a short statement from a real customer about their experience with a product, shown to build trust with prospects.
A case study is a detailed story of how a customer used a product to solve a problem, with the situation, the solution and the results.
UGC, user-generated content, is content about a brand made by customers or creators rather than the brand: reviews, photos, videos and posts.
Fake reviewsBlack hat
Fake reviews are reviews that do not reflect a real customer’s honest experience: written by the business, paid for, or posted to attack rivals.
Word-of-mouth marketing is when customers recommend you to others, and the work a company does to make that more likely and easier.