Many customers in B2B need to see more than just product features and services on your website. They need evidence that using your service or SaaS solution will be effective and positive for their business.
But what is social proof, and how can you use it effectively on your website?
What is Social Proof?
The definition of social proof is something that shows your legitimacy and brand perception. Social proof is a tool that brands use on their website, varying from testimonials to case studies to partner badges, logos, and awards.
Why is Social Proof Important?
Social proof helps attract and convince potential customers through sharing outside perspectives. On your website, you could talk about your services, features, and the positives of choosing your brand until you’re blue in the face, but brands talk about themselves enough. Social proof allows a website visitor/potential customer to hear from others—others who have struggled with similar challenges, which can be neatly solved by your product or service. Your visitors and prospects can suddenly picture exactly how you can help them, too.
Social proof helps brands build trust and create credibility by showing a positive reputation. If potential customers aren’t sure whether to partner with you, social proof can be the final push, and help them feel comfortable with deciding to hire you—especially when you show your reliability and efficacy through testimonials and reviews accompanied by real people and brands.
Types of Social Proof
There are multiple ways to use social proof on your website. Which you choose may depend on your resources. as it can be time-consuming to collect special proof and put together a design and UX to add it to your brand’s website. Using a variety of social proof types can help keep things fresh.
Case Studies
Including the initial challenge, the results, and each part of your project partnership in between can adeptly show exactly how you help and who you help. Case studies are probably the heaviest lift of any social proof option. It requires writing a compelling case study along with full client approval. However, case studies can be the most helpful in pushing a potential customer to engage your services. By seeing others’ ultimate problems solved, they can picture themselves in a similar spot.
Testimonials
The classic testimonial is a digestible, short version of a case study—straight from your clients’ own mouths. Everything good about the experience, distilled into 1-3 scannable sentences. WE recommend getting a range of testimonials and posting them on appropriate, related pages.
Client Logos
If the testimonial is the shortened version of a case study, the client logo is a pared down version of a testimonial. These are quick visuals allow you to show off well-known logos, as well as brands in your target industries.
Star Ratings
If you’re averaging five-star reviews on Google, on G2, or on Clutch, replicate those optics right there on your website. At-a-glance, prospective clients can see how you fare on the sites with valuable (collective) opinions from a review site they know and trust.
Industry Badges
Similar to star ratings, if you’re ranked #1 on Clutch, don’t just let it sit in one corner of the internet: make space for that on your own site.
Partner Logos
If you play well with others, share their logos. If you’re Hubspot-certified, say so. For technology and SaaS companies, showing integrations is important and top integrations can be shown at a glance using your partner logos on various pages.
Social Proof Tips
Clearly, having others speak highly of you is advantageous—but how can you maximize the advantage on your brand website? A couple ways:
#1 – Sprinkle It Like Glitter – This isn’t to say let it overwhelm your own content. Social proof should support the story you’re already telling. You can have a testimonial page, but avoid keeping your starred reviews and case studies sequestered to a single spot. Instead, sprinkle in the social proof. Putting in an “Our Work” tab in the top nav is a surefire way to drive users to your beautiful case studies, but featuring case studies elsewhere on the site with CTAs to read more gives users another path.
#2 – Ensure It’s Relevant – Choose the best testimonials you have, and place them carefully. For example, choose quotes relevant to specific services on those service pages. If you know you’re working to attract marketing directors with a specific offering, choose a quote from a marketing director client.
#3 – Ask the Right Questions – If your testimonials lack context, examples, or specificity, they won’t feel very powerful. When you obtain testimonials, it’s ok to ask your clients specific questions that will lead them to provide something with weight, like:
- “How has this [service/product] improved your business?”
- “Why would you recommend this [brand/service] to others?”
- “What was your business like before you hired us? And now?”
#4 – Set Up Goals and Accountability – Aim for a certain number of quarterly or monthly reviews or testimonials. Ensure someone on your team is accountable to keep social continuous and fresh.
#5 – Get Off-Website Social Proof Onto Your Website – The more reviews you get, the more visible you’ll be. Replicate it by pulling in those reviews directly through an API on your website. It’s the perfect chance to say, “But don’t take our word for it…”
When it comes to marketing your brand through your website, social proof can’t be ignored. It’s exactly what visitors need to see on your site to help them make the best choice for their needs. And with online reviews popping up everywhere, you can’t always control what’s on the Internet, but you can control the narrative on your own site, and put your expertise on full display with the best case studies, testimonials and logos you’ve got.
