Social proof is another amazing way to boost your sales. Nobody really likes to make the first move — after all, we may make the wrong one. The same can be said when people are buying an offer. They don't want to take the risk of it being a bad buying decision.
If they see that other people have already purchased and have enjoyed the product, they will be a lot more likely to buy it themselves. We call this “social proof.”
Some ways to incorporate social proof are…
- Include actual numbers when talking about results.
- Include case studies or before and after videos or pictures.
- Include some testimonials and even a picture of people who have used the product you are promoting (with their permission, of course).
You don't have to do this within the email copy itself, but you want to do it in the copy that you link to. You can even give some sales figures if you think that will boost your subscribers' confidence.
Again, Cialdini talks about social proof in his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.
I recently read that 84% of online shoppers refer to at least one social media site (including blogs) for recommendations before shopping online. This shows the importance of social proof.
Yes, proof is a big deal and often overlooked. It is quite easy, however, to get social proof. And often, it’s that ONE review or testimonial that gets people to act.