When people are unsure, they search for behavioral direction from others. This is known as social proof, which is a physiological phenomenon that affects your daily decisions whether you realize it or not. We’ve helped over 1,000 companies enhance their ability to convert cold traffic into repeat customers at Demand Curve and through our agency Bell Curve. We’ve discovered that employing social proof efficiently can increase conversions by up to 400%.
This article explains how to gather and leverage social proof to assist your SaaS, e-commerce, or B2B firm succeeds. Have you ever gone to a restaurant to check it out because there was a long line out front? That wasn’t a fluke. Restaurants frequently limit the size of their greeting areas. This forces people to wait outside, and the queue serves as a reminder to passers-by that the restaurant is worth the wait.
However, social proof takes on a distinct meaning for online firms. Instead of people queuing outside your storefront, you’ll need to build social proof that connects with your target clients – they’ll be looking for different cues to indicate whether doing business with your firm is “normal” or “acceptable.” People enjoy comparing themselves to others, and this is especially true when it comes to B2B company clients. You’d be angry if your competition was able to land a contract with a company you’d been grooming for months (and want to know how they did it).
As a result, displaying the logos of companies with which you do business is the most effective form of B2B social proof. This shows visitors to your website that other businesses believe you will deliver on your promise. The bigger the effect, the more notable or respected the logos on your site are. You’ll either be selling to a person or a business, depending on the type of SaaS product or service you’re offering. The strategy will not change, but the channels will be slightly different.
Positive reviews from reputable sources are the most effective technique to establish social proof for SaaS products. In the case of consumer SaaS, this will be accomplished by notable bloggers and YouTubers praising your product. Positive ratings on review sites like G2 or Capterra will be the way to go for B2B SaaS. Display these testimonials on your website with pride. Because anybody may buy an ad, e-commerce firms will often sell directly to a person through advertisements. However, because anyone can buy an ad, you’ll need to communicate trust in other ways. We see e-commerce firms cultivate an organic social media following on Instagram or TikTok as the most prevalent strategy to establish social proof.
