Influencing Behaviour: The Science of Social Proof
7 Techniques to boost engagement and conversion rates using Social Proof
In the 70s, Italian singer Adriano Celentano released a song with nonsensical lyrics meant to sound like American English, to prove Italians would like any English song. The song was a hit and proved his point.
Often times we are motivated to behave in similar ways to others, in an attempt to match the right behaviour to the situation. An excellent example of social norms is exhibited above.
In another experiment, hotel guests were either prompted to rehang their towels for environmental reasons or because they were told that most other previous guests rehung their towels. Which message was the winner? You guessed it, the social proof message. And here’s the kicker. The message that said previous guests of the hotel rehung their towels worked 26% better. But when it was modified to refer to previous guests of the same room, it worked 33% better.
In almost every single context during our day, there is a social norm in the background guiding our behaviour:
- Ordering what your friends are getting at a restaurant or bar
- Popular TV shows — “Aren’t you watching ‘Westworld?’”
- Using laptops during meetings.
How to Use Social Proof
Using social proof in product communication and marketing is a powerful strategy for triggering desired behaviours in consumers.
When thinking about when and how to use social proof, two important things one should keep in mind.
- The behaviour you most want to trigger,
- The context in which your target audience is most likely to hesitate.
For example, if you’re a charity, you probably want people to donate. To frame this as the obvious social norm, you could use a button that says “donate with 2,300 others.” This is more powerful than simply saying “donate.”
When it comes to tactics, there are several options that are frequently used:
#1. Using experts or authorities, such as celebrity endorsements.
#2. Displaying reviews, ratings, or testimonials, as seen on sites like Yelp and Amazon.
#3. Listing products as “best-sellers.”
#4. Marking one choice as “recommended” when multiple choices are presented.
#5. Displaying trending topics or products.
#6. Effectively using wait lists. If your product is still in development, consider displaying how many people have already signed up to be notified when it’s launched.
#7. Removing negative social proofs. It can increase engagement and positive perception by encouraging a positive social norm.
To effectively use these tactics, it’s also important to pay attention to the language you use to frame the desired behaviour. For example, a button that says “reserve your spot” is more powerful than one that says “sign up” when promoting a webinar.
Key Takeaways
- Social proof is a powerful strategy for triggering desired behaviours in consumers.
- When using social proof, focus on the behaviour you want to trigger, and when your user is most likely to hesitate.
- Common tactics for using social proof include using experts or authorities, displaying reviews or ratings, and showing “recommended” options.
- The language used when promoting desired behaviour is important.
