What is the role of social proof in online reputation management?
Most people are more likely to purchase a product or use a service that was recommended to them by a friend or family member, this is social proof. If you are not using social proof in your marketing efforts, you are missing out on building customer trust and loyalty.
Did you know that ninety five percent of consumers will read online reviews before they make a purchase? This means you could be losing out on valuable customers if you are not making an effort to encourage reviews and testimonials from your customers.
Social proof is where people refer to decisions and actions of others, helping them decide what is wrong or right. Social proof is people imitating others, ensuring they make the right decisions.
Social proof was introduced in 1984 by a psychologist, Robert Cialdini. It is also called informational social influence. The theory states that individuals unsure about correct or unacceptable behaviour in certain situations, prefer to others behaviours and actions.
Social proof marketing isn't something new, it's been around a good few years now. Consumers accept and trust recommendations from credible celebrities, experts, family, and friends. With the help of social media platforms and the internet, accessibility of client reviews and testimonials are persuasive tools.
Consumers want reassurance when it comes to buying a product or using a service. They want to see what past consumers have experienced when using your business, including your customer service levels. This is what helps them make a decision. There is value in taking the time to encourage reviews. The more reviews you have and respond to, the more you leverage social proof in you marketing efforts, helping to build trust and credibility.
Taking advantage of social proof helps you build credibility and trust with your target audience, also ensuring consumers come back to use your services or buy your products again in the future. This can be done in a number of ways, there isn't only one example of social proof you can use. Remember social proof has a positive impact on your online reputation.
You can write the best adverts, product descriptions, and content, but this doesn't mean your customers are going to believe what you say. Customer feedback and reviews are powerful at influencing potential customers in their decision making process.
Social proof is an important part of online reputation management. Think of Amazon, for example, they constantly push their positive reviews, helping to build trust and credibility among their existing and potential customers. Reviews are not enough to make social proof work, you need to ensure you have an effective online reputation management service in place. Proactive online review monitoring, helps you manage and respond to all reviews, both good and bad, in a professional and timely manner.
Case studies are another example of social proof, and while not part of your online reputation management, we feel it is important to note. Case studies provide in-depth views on how current or previous customers achieved their goals when using your products or services.
Social proof has become an important part of any successful online reputation management service. It helps to boost your brand image, building trust and credibility with your audience, while improving your advertising efforts. Are you ready to harness the power of social proof in your online reputation management? Give Genie Crawl a team today and let us help you achieve long term success.
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