The social proof
Social proof is another of the principles of persuasion identified by Robert Cialdini in his book "The Weapons of Persuasion" (Cialdini, 1984). In the past we have analyzed the principle of scarcity in depth; today we focus instead on the persuasive effect generated by the behavior of others.
Social proof is that mechanism that causes us to conform to the choices of others when we have to make a decision. This mechanism acts even when we decide to make a decision totally opposite to the masses, that more or less strong sense of discomfort starts precisely from being aware that we are going against common sense.
This is especially true in ambiguous social situations in which it is difficult to identify the most suitable and appropriate behavior. In this context, people tend to assume that others possess more information about the situation and therefore imitate their behavior.
It is therefore a type of compliance dictated by a lack of information and the assumption that others know more about it. However, this is not necessarily true.
Situations in which no one knows how to behave generate general immobility; for example, this is what happens in unexpected incidents in a crowd. No one intervenes not because one is indifferent, but because everyone looks to others for suggestions on how to behave. The fear of acting in a noncompliant manner makes it so that no one can, or at least no one can easily, intervene.
Social proof in marketing: the ZMOT
How does this translate to marketing? One only has to look at the value that reviews have today to understand this. The force with which the reviews of others guide and direct buying behavior has grown exponentially compared to the past.
True, word of mouth is a form of social proof that has always existed. However, the information we have thanks to the network has allowed this principle to greatly increase its influence.
This is all so true that Google, in 2011, theorized the so-called Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT). The idea starts from the consideration that ,before the first moment of truth (experience of the product on the shelves) and the second moment of truth (consumption of the product), consumers go through a zero moment of truth. The zero moment is prior to all other stages and relates to searching the web for the experiences and reviews of others. Again, social proof acts in guiding our choices.
6 types of social proof
Going into more detail we can see how social proof can be declined into different aspects, specifically an article on the Buffer blog identified 6 types of social proof.
The expert's social proof
In this case, Social Proof is provided by the recommendation of the product or service by an expert in the field. A technology expert inherently has an authority (another principle of persuasion identified by Cialdini) that makes his or her judgment entirely credible and reliable. Social proof dictated, therefore, by his or her role and greater amount of information in that context.
The social proof of celebrity
When a celebrity sponsors a product, social proof can come both from his role as an expert (especially if he is a niche influencer) but also from the simple fact of being famous. Success is such an element of trust that its sponsorship is credible. It is clear, however, how the strength of the celebrity's social proof is directly proportional to the degree of trust and reliability accumulated over time.
The social proof of users
The most common social proof is generated by users/customers of a product or service through reviews and recommendations. The user's experience with the brand becomes part of a collective memory and experience used by users in the zero moment of truth.
The social proof of the crowd
This type of social proof is based on the principle of quantity-if many users trust this brand, it is likely that I can trust it too. Vanity metrics on social media (fans, followers...) are often based on this principle. It goes without saying that if these numbers do not have real feedback, in terms of the value of the offer, they will still lose credibility and effectiveness.
The social proof of friends
Unlike the crowd, the principle behind this typology is quality over quantity of connection. If, in the circle of people close to me, I find a tendency to approve of a product I will be more likely to buy it. This is because the trust I have in these people close to me is also transmitted, almost by osmosis, to their experiences with brands.
The social proof of certification
The last type of social proof is that resulting from certifications. If an institution in the field decides to certify the value of something, its authority is transmitted in such a way as to generate social proof capable of guiding the behavior of others.
Conclusions
Social proof is a very powerful weapon when used in the right way, but it can have a backlash effect if we are not sure whether the judgment of others toward our product or service is positive.
Therefore, it is good to stimulate the generation of social proof through sharing experiences with the brand only when you are certain of the value of your offering and are confident of the positivity of the experiences themselves.
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