What is social proof? Linda Bustos of Get Elastic defines it as the “communication that your business or products are liked by real people”—not some scripted marketing spiel you orchestrated as a businessman. In this day and age where doing business online is increasingly becoming more about social media marketing, it is vital to let your existing and potential customers know that you have the “public’s approval.” In her article, Bustos identifies five dimensions to the so-called social proof and explains how each dimension works for your ecommerce enterprise.
1. Many people like this/us.
According to Bustos, showing off the number of Facebook fans, Twitter followers or blog subscribers is always good for any online business’ social media reputation. For example, YouTube added a footnote in its banner proclaiming their one billion subscribers. A more modest way is to add a Facebook “Like” button. This one is easy to add on to your ecommerce site but of course, it only becomes effective and impressive if the number of “likes” is high.
2. Someone important likes this/us.
Here, Bustos talks about celebrity endorsement, which in reality is not easy to come by. An equally effective alternative to this is to show off the awards or recognition that you have received.
3. People like you like this/us.
Have you ever noticed product recommendations that display that “customers who purchased product X also purchased product Y”? This helps your customers get around the idea that there are other people similar to them with good taste. Bustos explains that while this may not make them buy right away, in general, the busier a store appears to be, the more customers it will attract.
4. Your friends like this/us.
If someone likes your product and they want the world to know about it, they don’t have to personally tell their friends about it. Thanks to social media, widgets and Twitter streams can do this for them. On your end, you have to ensure that it is easy for customers who like your products to “Like” and Tweet about you in just one click without leaving your website.
5. You like this/us.
Some ecommerce sites recognize their returning customers by displaying previously viewed items. Others have wishlists, carts with saved contents and suggested items based on previous purchases. All these, according to the article, serve to remind customers that they “like” your product.
In conclusion, Bustos suggests e-commerce merchants to utilize the power of social media and upgrade social credibility because it can help you win over more customers.
