What Is Social Proof and How to Use It?

Throughout history, humans have relied on one another to survive, which explains why social proof remains such a powerful tool. Survival sometimes depends on turning to others for cues to act or behave. If someone does something, likes a product, or acts in a certain way, you can expect others to follow suit because turning to others for behavioral cues helps people feel more confident in their decision-making. Explore this powerful psychological phenomenon and how businesses—marketers, in particular—leverage it today.

Social proof explained 

Social proof refers to a psychological phenomenon occurring when you look to others’ actions or behaviors to decide how you will act or behave. As a human, you may want to do what the crowd does, a practice that kept our ancestors safe. Chances are you don't worry much about predators attacking in modern times, but you still may assume that what the majority does is right or best in many cases.

Today, you can see social proof in many different settings. For example, when you decide to eat at a restaurant based on its reviews or see a movie because of its Rotten Tomatoes rating, social proof drives those decisions. 

How does social proof work?

Social proof taps into your desire to fit in and belong. It can influence your attitudes and behaviors, sometimes even more strongly than logic or objective evidence can. For example, you might travel to one resort over another because your Facebook (Meta) friends liked it, even though you could find comparable quality and service at the other resort. 

Social proof provides a trust signal. Think of it this way: When traveling in a new city, you want to grab an ice cream. You see two shops, and you need to choose between them. One sits empty, with a worker polishing tables and glassware. You see a line around the block for the other. You may not want to wait in that line, but you’ll likely assume that the busy ice cream shop provides a better option. 

Types of social proof 

You’ll see many types of social proof throughout your life. Though you may recognize it, social proof could sometimes have you doing something unwittingly or making an unconscious decision. You will often see social proof used in the following contexts:

• Social media: Platforms like LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Instagram target social proof by highlighting top-performing profiles, posts, or reels based on the number of likes, shares, and follows.

• Marketing and advertising: Through testimonials, ratings, and reviews, marketers and advertisers use social proof to promote their products or services. 

• E-commerce: Online retailers display customer product ratings and reviews to demonstrate item popularity. As a shopper, you may notice that other customers recently purchased and liked an item, which may impact your buying decisions.

• Personal interactions: You might see someone give a dollar to a homeless person and feel more inclined to do the same. When an employee working in an ice cream shop puts cash in the tip jar at the start of the shift before the store opens, they hope that social proof will inspire customers to tip.

• Health care: Social proof can also help change health behaviors. For a prime example, consider mask usage or social distancing during COVID. Observing what others did often influenced people’s decisions about these actions. 

Social proof in action

Social proof occurs when the power of “the many” persuades others to act or behave in a certain way. People often refer to social proof as herd mentality. Consider hotels and their efforts to get guests to reuse towels. An effective sign encouraging this action read, “The majority of the guests who have stayed in this room recycled their linens” [1].

When selling a home, you might also leverage the benefits of social proof. Hosting a shorter open house may lead to many potential buyers filling your home. It can also increase the home’s perceived value and encourage higher offers, as people may worry that the house will sell quickly.

Social proof can also inspire more responsible action. For example, a thesis from Portland State University leveraged social proof as a strategy to encourage more mindful consumption to counter the gap between people’s value of the environment and their actions to reduce their carbon impact [2].

Examples of social proof

Social proof takes many forms. All of the following examples make a persuasive appeal to the audience:

• Sharing customer reviews or client testimonials

• Publishing a security seal on a company website

• Putting business partners’ logos on the website

• Posting newspaper reviews or awards in a business window

• Including social data (number of likes, retweets, shares) on blog pages so visitors can see which articles drew more response 

• Telling people that nine out of 10 dentists, doctors, veterinarians, or some other type of professional recommend the product or service

• Putting a business flier in a mailbox that states, “We’re already doing work in your area.” 

• Encouraging more people to sign a petition by letting them see how many of their neighbors have already signed

• Announcing on an infomercial, “If operators are busy, please call again.”

Social proof in marketing

Social proof can drive individuals to buy things or think well of brands. Since people trust social proof, social proof marketing helps establish credibility and authority. It can lead to increased sales and brand loyalty. 

A social proof strategy works particularly well online. According to Statista, 76 percent of US consumers always or regularly read online reviews to assess businesses in their communities and decide whether to frequent them [3]. Consumers often look to reviews to choose their health care, service businesses, tradespeople, and more.

How to integrate social proof into marketing strategies

As a business owner, you have many ways to incorporate social proof into your marketing, including the following:

• Encourage customers to leave reviews and rate the business online.

• Ask for testimonials.

• Link to customer feedback to simplify a potential buyer’s research.

• Work with social media influencers who can tout the brand, product, or service.

• Give people the ability to share the business’s articles and social posts.

• Optimize the Google local search profile for more traction when people search for “business X near me.”

• Post cleanliness grades from the health department.

• Announce the company’s or business owner’s membership in industry associations. 

• Publish case studies on the company website.

• Share customer success stories.

Getting started on Coursera

With a better understanding of social proof as a persuasive approach, you may want to learn about other marketing strategies. Come on. Everyone is doing it! (See what we did there?) 

You might start with a Marketing Strategy Specialization course offered by IE Business School on Coursera, or you may decide to focus specifically on Google Digital Marketing and E-Commerce. Both courses require no prior experience, offer a flexible schedule, and come with a professional certificate of completion.