Social proof
We feel validated by doing what others are doing.
What is Social Proof?
Social proof describes the way our behaviour is influenced by what others do. We tend to ‘follow the herd’. So, if a lot of our peers favour a certain action we’re more likely to follow suit, similarly if a lot of people don’t like something we’ll steer clear of it.
The evidence it works
Richard Shotton showed 300 respondents images of a fake beer brand and told them it was launching in the UK.
50% were told a story about the origin of the ingredients, the other 50% were told the same story with the addition that it was South Africa’s most popular beer.
The second group were twice as likely to want to try it.
In a second experiment, Shotton placed a sign on a bar in a brewery that indicated which beer was the best selling one.
When weekly fluctuations of the bar were stripped out the presence of the sign had led to a doubling in the proportion of sales of that beer.
Studies have found that 69% of individuals experience the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) phenomenon.
How it builds brand memorability
One of the key drivers of brand memorability is ‘Ease’.
If you make your brand easy to access, deal with and buy from, you’re going to build strong, positive connections that lead to memorability.
At the point of purchase, or during the journey to purchase, customer’s decision-making can be made easier by leveraging behavioural biases. And METRIC is our tool for harnessing the power of these biases - snap judgements that help the brain make quick decisions in context - for clients.
METRIC organises the biases into six categories - because these are the key ‘resources’ we always have to spend when make decisions. They are Money, Effort, Time, Risk, Individuality, and Conscious thought. Which handily spells METRIC.
So presenting choices in one of these six frames can tip the balance in comms.
Great examples of social proof in marketing
It’s all about trust
A simple and perfect example of social proof are customer reviews. More and more shoppers will seek out what others think of your product, before purchasing.
See how many are also looking
Interestingly, 6 out of 10 millennials tend to make purchasing decisions swiftly as a result of it. Which is why Crew Clothing effectively amplifies this by providing real-time product views, enticing customers with the allure of missing out on exciting products.
