The Psychology of Social Proof
Psychology research reveals that our fundamental urge for conformity and belonging is the foundation of social proof.
We are social creatures that look to others for approval and comfort.
We feel safer and are more likely to imitate others' actions or ideas when we see them doing it.Social proof is prevalent, and even if you are unaware of it, your brand has probably already exploited it. Reviews, ratings, endorsements, case studies, and many other types of evidence serve as social proof. Let's look more closely at the various sorts of social proof in order to demonstrate how you may use it in your marketing approach.
Also Read: 8 Reasons Why Leveraging Social Proof in Landing Page Design for Higher Conversions is Important
Top Statistics on Social Proof
Here are some additional noteworthy statistics regarding social proof to get things started:
- When there are no customer evaluations available, 92% of shoppers are reluctant to make a purchase.
- 88% of Gen Zs and Millennials use social media to investigate the things they're interested in purchasing.
- If a company's average rating was fewer than three stars, 87% of customers would not consider doing business with it.
- 79% of consumers have seen a video testimonial to get more information about a company or product.
- 75% of marketers think that using user-generated content makes their advertising more interesting.
- 22% of customers left supportive ratings for nearby companies that were struggling as a result of the pandemic.
- Customers steer clear of companies that do not adhere to Covid-19 health and safety regulations in 67% of cases.
- 17% of people would write a bad review for a company that ignores health and safety regulations.
- In comparison to before the pandemic, review interaction has increased by 50%.
- Reviews are now more important to 41% of consumers interested in beauty products than they were before Covid-19.
- The likelihood that a user will convert has increased by 25% since the outbreak among those who interact with internet reviews.
- Reviews are around 20% shorter than they used to be.
- Online reviews of nearby businesses are read by 87% of customers. (Murphy, 2020)
- Customer reviews are highly helpful to 55% of internet consumers when making judgments about what to buy. (Kunst, 2020)
- 66% of prospective customers concur that a product's positive ratings will probably persuade them to buy it. 2020 Retail TouchPoints
- Before choosing whether to buy a product or not, 93% of prospective customers would first examine internet reviews. (Kaemingk, 2020)
- Consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 put 91% more faith in online evaluations than they do in personal recommendations. (Murphy, 2020)
- When researching online merchants they are not familiar with, 93.4% of online customers turn to user reviews. (Sabanovlu, 2020)
- Positive evaluations boost a brand's trustworthiness in the eyes of 93.7% of internet shoppers. (eMarketer, 2019)
- A brand with less than four stars will still be considered by 48% of customers. (Murphy 2020)
- If there are no reviews, 30% of customers won't buy the product.
- According to website social proof data from 2021, 56% of B2B IT providers use review sites for social proof and client testimonials. Liu and Sullivan-Hasson 2020
- Consumer reviews are crucial to 25% of US shoppers when deciding whether or not to trust an online retailer. (Retail TouchPoints, 2020; Statista Research Department, 2021)
- 73% of US-based tech shoppers will choose the more expensive option if it has a higher star rating when choosing between two goods with a $2 price difference. (Kats, 2019)
- Before making a purchase, 87% of consumers perform online research.
- Before making a purchase, the typical customer reads 10 internet reviews.
- Consumers are 88% more likely to believe online reviews than personal suggestions.
- Before making a purchase, 82% of Americans say they ask friends and family for advice.
- Before they genuinely believe a company's claims, 63% of consumers need to hear them 3-5 times.
- A recommendation from someone they don't even know will be trusted by 70% of people, but a peer referral will be trusted by 92% of people.
- Before trusting that a company's star rating is reliable, consumers need an average of 40 internet reviews.
- When they search online, consumers of all ages anticipate finding an average of 112 reviews for each product.
- Customers in the 18 to 24 age group anticipate 203 reviews on average per product page.
- 85% of consumers believe that online evaluations older than three months are irrelevant.
- On sales pages, testimonials can increase conversions by 34%.
- One step closer to the checkout for 50% of consumers is visiting a company's website after reading a favourable review, or even signing up for your email list.
- 57% of customers will only purchase or use a commercial service if it has at least a 4-star rating.
- Consumers claim that online reviews influence their shopping decisions 97% of the time.
- 93% of people who conduct research on their mobile devices actually make a purchase of a good or service.
- Only businesses with a star rating of 3.3 or higher will attract customers.
- Customers are willing to spend 31% more money at a company with positive ratings.
- Revenue rises by 5-9% for every additional star on Yelp.
- In comparison to identical products available online, 35% of customers claimed that better evaluations prompted them to choose the more expensive choice.
- Buyers are 68% more inclined to use local businesses when they have positive evaluations.
- Particularly among younger millennials, content posted by influencers has more than 8 times the engagement rate of content shared by brands.
- 14% of consumers ages 18 and above claim that celebrity endorsements influence their purchasing decisions.
- 40% of consumers claim to have bought an item online after watching an influencer on social media use it.
- After watching promotional content from influencers, Twitter users' intention to buy increases by 5.2 times.
- On Twitter, 49% of users depend on influencer recommendations.
- Businesses spend an average of $6.50 for every $1 on influencer marketing, with the top 13% earning $20 or more.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the amazing facts concerning social proof statistics. As you can see, social proof is a potent tool that can be utilized to drive website traffic, increase sales, and strengthen client loyalty. Be sure to include social proof in your approach if you want to advance your marketing.Social proof has a significant impact on how we make decisions in many facets of life. Understanding and utilizing social proof can have a big impact on a company's success, from marketing and e-commerce to social media and reputation management. Businesses can use the power of social proof to foster development, credibility, and trust by embracing honest and moral business practices.
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