How To Get Social Proof On Instagram
Social proof is a psychological phenomenon
It is when we start copying the actions of others because we think that they are the correct behavior in a specific situation. It influences our behavior much more than we think.
When we buy a product, we always look at the reviews to see if they are worth our money. The same thing applies when we look for shows to watch or decide which hotel to stay.
Understanding social proof and incorporating it into your social media strategy can bring astounding positive results to your business. Let’s dive deeper.
Why Get Social Proof On Instagram?
There are plenty of reasons you should get social proof on Instagram, but let’s talk about numbers first.
Instagram is now one of the fastest-growing social media platforms with over 1 billion users.
83% of people go to Instagram to discover new products. 1/3 of Instagram users bought a product using the platform’s shopping features.
90% of Instagram users follow at least one official business account on the platform. More than 200 million people check out and visit a business profile every day.
The platform’s highly visual design can help you present your business as more appealing to customers.
So, if you want more people to patronize your product, you should not skip getting social proof on Instagram.
How To Get Social Proof On Instagram?
The purpose of using social proof is to influence people to take the desired action by showing them that others have already done so. For businesses, it can be an effective way to encourage people to patronize your brand and purchase your products.
Social proof should be authentic and must come from people who actually experienced your product first hand.
Here are techniques to get social proof on Instagram.
1. Make Sure To Highlight Positive Reviews
People will read reviews first before deciding whether to buy your product, stay in your Airbnb or eat at your restaurant.
Positive reviews have enormous power to convince people to purchase your product or service. So, make sure you place your reviews in places where customers can easily see them.
You can create a separate Instagram account dedicated to customer reviews only and link that to your business’ main account. This way, you can prevent spamming or clogging your main account with screenshots of reviews and end up burying your product promotions.
Furthermore, you can also make use of Instagram’s highlights feature. Create an album on your highlights where you can feature all your customer reviews.
Lastly, you can come up with a specific business hashtag. Promote the hashtag in the bio section and encourage your customers to use it whenever they leave a review.
2. Tap Influencers To Become Your Brand Ambassadors
Influencers have managed to position themselves as “experts” in their respective niches. As a result, people trust their opinions and will highly buy the products they suggest. 53% of women trust influencers and are more likely to purchase products they endorse.
That is why you should contemplate working with an influencer to encourage social proof in your business. Just make sure that you are tapping on influencers whose audiences are also your target customers.
Of course, some influencers charge more depending on other factors like reach and engagement rate. There is no need to worry if you cannot afford to hire a mega influencer with over 1 million followers.
Plenty of businesses have found out that turning to Nano influencers with 10k followers or less can also be a good strategy. After all, the Nielsen Global Survey of Trust in Advertising finds out that 83% of people trust recommendations from friends and family more than any other form of advertising.
3. Get Testimonials From Your Users/ Customers
Testimonials are one of the irrefutable forms of advertising. It is an effective way to build trust in your businesses, provided that they are candid and authentic.
Small businesses that can’t afford celebrity endorsements can rely on customer testimonials. The Nielsen survey found out that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know, while 70 % trust opinions from online consumers.
4. Share or Post Your Media Reviews
Did your product or company just get featured in a news article? Great!
Now, why don’t you maximize that exposure and post about it on your Instagram account? Published reviews from reputable media organizations are an excellent way to boost your credibility. So, don’t let the chance of sharing them slip away.
5. Embrace brand mentions
Brand mentions or shoutouts are very helpful no matter what niche your business is in. It’s like getting your customers to advertise for you for free. It is also an effective way to get user-generated content.
When customers tag your business after purchasing your product, have the initiative to acknowledge their post and ask permission to share their content.
Thanking your customer for the mention tells them that you care. It encourages users to share their love for your brand on social media.
6. Plan Giveaways
Giveaways are an effective way to increase engagement. But what most brands don’t realize is that you can use them to get social proof, too.
When running a giveaway, don’t just ask people to simply like, follow, and comment on your post. You can put a twist on your giveaways to get user-generated content and social proof.
For example, Zappos asks its customers to post a photo/ video “showing off how you put your spin on your favorite Zappos scores.”
They used the #GotITOnZappos to gather all the user-generated content.
7. Social Media And Community Engagement
The best way to encourage social proof is to maintain a positive image in your community. And what’s a better way to prove to your customer’s that you are trustworthy other than being present most of the time?
Conversing with your customers on the comments or DM’s doesn’t just increase your engagement. You also increase your credibility because you prove that you listen and respond to their concerns.
Of course, responding to every comment on your account is not easy. However, it builds loyalty and strengthens your brand reputation. So, it’s worth the effort.
8. Give Your Brand A Sense Of Exclusivity
Everybody knows what happens when the supply is scarce. The demand goes high!
It’s the reason why we hop on to limited-time offers, pre-order products from our favorite brands, and wait for flash sales.
FOMO (the fear of missing out) plays a large part in the Instagram world. If your business cannot mass-produce products, you can use the FOMO phenomenon to generate more sales.
Creating a sense of exclusivity on your product and telling people when they sold out is social proof that people supported your product.
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