30 social proof statistics every marketer should know
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Any experienced marketing professional understands the importance of social proof. Any brand looking to generate B2B leads or sell a product needs to gain the trust of its prospects.
There are multiple ways to show social proof, from reviews and customer photos to testimonials and social media mentions. As a digital marketing agency, social proof is important to every campaign we create. That’s why we’ve curated a bunch of statistics that show how effective this concept is in 2024.
Continue reading to read insights and statistics on social proof and its impact on consumers’ buying habits.
Social proof comprises various types of evidence that attest to the authority, trustworthiness and legitimacy of a company. It’s a social psychology concept based on the human desire to follow the actions of others (also referred to as the ‘bandwagon effect’).
Social proof is usually prominent in situations where the potential buyer is unable to make a decision, and so, therefore, is impacted by the behaviour and opinion of others (also known as ‘herd mentality’).
As Dr. Robert Cialdini, an expert in the science of influence said:
“Social proof is the psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behaviour for a given situation.”
Social proof is incredibly powerful when leveraged in digital marketing as it directly influences and persuades audiences. Why? Because all marketing is based on psychological concepts.
People trust people. When you can show that others trust and enjoy your brand and service, social influence will take care of the rest.
- Positive ratings on Trustpilot are known to increase the chance of sales by 67% (Source: BrightLocal)
- 72% of Generation Z and Millennials follow an influencer on social media (Source: Morning Counsult)
- 36% of consumers check at least 2 different websites for reviews before purchasing. Around 9% check up to 4 sites for reviews. (Source: BrightLocal)
- 81% of consumers surveyed said they turned to Google reviews first, followed by Facebook in 2024. (Source: BrightLocal)
- 50% of millennials trust the opinion of their influencers when it comes to product recommendations. (Source: Morning Counsult)
- Just 3% of survey respondents said they never read reviews before they make a purchase decision, (Source: BrightLocal)
- 51.2% of people do brand research across all platforms before they trust and buy from them. (Source: SMB guide)
- Most people read 10 online reviews before buying (Source: HubSpot).
- 88% of consumers trust online reviewers just as much as their personal connections. (Source: HubSpot).
- Most consumers expect a business to have at least 112 reviews to be classed as a genuine and trustworthy company. (Source: Salsify)
- 9 out of 10 buyers are reluctant to purchase from a company if there isn’t a single review. (Source: Tintup).
- During a survey, it was found that 52% of business owners found that positive online reviews helped increase brand loyalty. (Source: Bazaar)
- Positive reviews has been known to have a good impact on SEO rankings, organic visibility and conversion rates. (Source: Bazaar)
- The legitimacy of reviews is incredibly important and obvious to consumers, as 97% of survey respondents said that fake reviews deterred them from making a purchase. (Source: Bazaar)
- Including user-generated content online can increase the conversion rate by 10%. (Source: Flicker)
- 40% of consumers who answered a survey said that seeing user-generated content persuaded them to purchase a product. (Source: Flicker)
- 88% of Gen Z consumers use social media to research before making a purchase decision to find other peoples’ posts and reviews. . (Source: Flicker)
- Testimonials on sales pages and landing pages can increase conversions by 34%. (Source: TrustPulse)
- Over 50% of people won’t trust or buy from a business if they have less than an average 4* rating. (Source: TrustPulse)
- 83% of buyers consider reviews older than 3 months irrelevant and useful. (Source: TrustPulse)
- It has been suggested that having reviews present on a website can increase conversion rates by 270%. (Source: Spiegel Research Centre)
- 73% of people would prefer to read actual reviews than see a star rating. (Source: TrustPulse)
- 68% of consumers trust a brand more when there is a mix of both positive and negative reviews visible. (Source: Nudgify).
- According to research, an increase of one-star can boost revenue by 5-9%. (Source: Harvard Business School).
- A study found that 75% of B2B buyers consider industry awards a key part of their purchase decision. (Source: TrustRadius)
- Using ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out) as a marketing tactic can increase sales by at least 40%. (Source: TrustPulse)
- Products with a high price tag need at least 5 excellent reviews to generate the most revenue. (Source: TrustPulse)
- 77% of people that have a good shopping experience are likely to recommend your business to family and friends. (Source: TrustPulse)
- 34% of people on social media will find the best product from their friends’ social media posts. (Source: Sprout Social).
- 28% of online shoppers discover new brands and products through the influencers they follow. (Source: Oracle).
Now you’ve seen the clear impact of social proof you may wondering where and how you can incorporate it into your marketing activity.
Here are just a few of the ways our marketing experts use it:
- Landing pages: Our PPC team and creative specialists find that including testimonials, Trustpilot reviews and star ratings drastically improves conversion rates.
- Social media: There’s nothing more effective than reposting and utilising user-generated content. If you run an e-commerce business, encourage your customers to repost their photos and videos to spread the word. Try incentivising them with a competition – this is a great way to increase the amount of UGC online!
- Case studies online: Social proof is all about demonstrating real life scenarios of your product or service in action. Create regular case studies on your website that showcase how you solved a problem for a client. Case studies are also a big part of E-E-A-T (expertise, experience, authority, trustworthiness) guidelines, too.
Read more about E-E-A-T on our website to understand more about the link between social proof and SEO!
- Certifications: In your website’s footer, make sure to display your certifications and accreditation to show users that you are compliant to industry regulations.
- Influencer campaigns: Team up with an influencer that has a target audience similar to yours. As the statistics show, this can be an excellent way of reaching new audiences and increasing sales.
Looking for more guidance? You’re in the right place
Here at Embryo, helping our clients become authoritative figures in their industry and improve their sales is at the root of all of our strategies. If you’re struggling to demonstrate social proof, or are looking for news ways to improve your brand visibility, get in touch today. We’re always here to help conduct a site audit or offer our advice.
