{"id":1393,"date":"2012-06-20T10:24:42","date_gmt":"2012-06-20T14:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterprisestrategies.com\/?p=1393"},"modified":"2015-07-27T19:49:51","modified_gmt":"2015-07-27T19:49:51","slug":"a-word-on-social-proof","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterprisestrategies.com\/2012\/06\/20\/a-word-on-social-proof\/","title":{"rendered":"A Word on Social Proof"},"content":{"rendered":"

Social proof is a term that has been getting more and more attention now that a great majority of businesses are starting to invest serious effort and serious marketing dollars into their online properties and assets such as blogs<\/a>, websites<\/a>, fan pages<\/a>, etc.<\/p>\n

Competition is Fierce<\/h3>\n

Having a website or social media page however is no longer enough, competition is stiff and the world of online searchers looking for information that your company likely provides is\u00a0growing at an astounding rate. The secret weapon of choice for convincing a new found arrival to your page is the visible count showing them how many before them have found value in your page.<\/p>\n

Like Us on Facebook<\/h3>\n

With Facebook a visitor can see at a glance just how many individuals have \u201cliked\u201d your page and the higher the number the more likely they are to follow suit. The same can be said for all the other platforms out there, and it isn\u2019t likely to change any time soon.<\/p>\n

*Have you seen our fan page<\/a>?<\/p>\n

\"iStock_000019402290XSmall-300x277\"<\/p>\n

Social Proof in Action<\/h3>\n

People believe that the actions of many carry more weight than the actions of few. Looking for a great nightclub? Follow the lineups. Looking for the way back to civilization? Follow the stream of traffic and you\u2019ll likely end up finding your way. If you asked a crowd of people which of two movies you were considering they felt was a better choice, chances are you\u2019d go with the majority vote
\nespecially if the vote was heavily weighted toward one or the other.<\/p>\n

Deception<\/h3>\n

Now I\u2019m not saying that the numbers never lie, doorman can hold a line to give the impression a club is busier than it actually is, and online marketers can artificially inflate their numbers hoping to trick visitors into taking a desired action.<\/p>\n

I am saying that nine times out of ten social proofs will likely return an accurate result as to which choice the majority feels most strongly about.<\/p>\n

Momentum<\/h3>\n

Another component to social proof is momentum. As people start to take action, and more and more follow suit that action can gain a viral momentum all its own. Once this takes place it can be hard to stop, and will likely continue on regardless of continued effort and promotion on your part.<\/p>\n

The Negative Side of Social Proof<\/h3>\n

Like everything in life there is a negative to social proof and that is when you simply don\u2019t have the numbers to back you up. Posting an RSS widget that shows you\u2019ve got 12 readers probably isn\u2019t the message you\u2019re trying to send.<\/p>\n

Rather than take the deceptive route listed above it\u2019s a much better idea to simply hold off on showcasing your weaker numbers and instead devoting time and resources towards improving them. Chances are they\u2019ll pay off in dividends in the end.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Forget<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t forget, people will be watching and listening to the actions and feedback your audience is sharing, and will definitely take it into consideration when making a decision, \u00a0even if that consideration is sub-conscious. Make sure the message you\u2019re sending and the one your audience is sharing is one that puts you in the strongest possible light!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Social proof is a term that has been getting more and more attention now that a great majority of businesses are starting to invest serious effort and serious marketing dollars into their online properties and assets such as blogs, websites, fan pages, etc. Competition is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[344,355],"class_list":["post-1393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-business","tag-andy-jankowski","tag-social-business-2"],"yoast_head":"\nA Word on Social Proof<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Social proof is a term that has been getting more and more attention now that a great majority of businesses are starting to invest serious effort\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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