How to Rapidly Scale your Startup by Building Social Proof

Social proof is the idea that human beings are wired to copy each other. It is embedded deep in our DNA and there’s not much we can do to control it.

For instance, when a child sees another child playing with a toy, naturally he/she will also want to play with it. As adults, the bulk of our decisions are to some extent influenced by social proof. We’ll buy products because we’ve seen our colleagues also using them. We’ll attend festivals because our friends are also going.

If you take a look at a close group of friends, you’re likely to find that they all use the same smartphone brand, have the same taste in music, and in some cases even have the same laughing style.

Social proof is the reason why peer pressure has historically driven people to do things they wouldn’t have otherwise. If you can incorporate it in your digital marketing plan, then you’ll be able to influence your target customers and make them see your products as a market leader (even if they aren’t). This article will go over 7 social proof marketing hacks to boost your startup’s growth.

Social Proof Marketing Strategies for Startups and Growing Businesses

1. Referral marketing

Referral marketing, or affiliate marketing, is one of the most potent ways of boosting a business’ social proof (and sales). All you need to do is to partner with affiliates and then offer them a commission for every sale they drive through their own creative ways. In return, they will go all out promoting you to their social circles.

Consumers are more likely to trust products recommended to them by other people than the ones they see in ads. Another advantage of referral marketing is that you’ll be leveraging the power of other people’s networks to get your products in front of your target audience. Since the affiliates are not employees, you’ll not incur costs such as salaries and taxes.

To make the most out of this strategy, you can make the referral program free and open for anyone to sign up to, and then offer higher-than-average commission rates. That will encourage more people to sign up and work hard promoting you.

Affiliate marketing is a common strategy in the world of SAAS marketing. Hosting companies like Bluehost and HostGator pay affiliates up to $100 for each sale that they drive.

2. Ratings and reviews

Many people have developed a habit of checking ratings and reviews before making a purchase. They are keen to know what other people are saying because it gives them a more accurate idea of what to expect from a product than they would get from reading a sales copy. The more positive reviews your startup has, the more it is going to stand out and appear credible. It’s that simple.

You can start collecting ratings and reviews by simply asking for them from friends, family, colleagues, customers, etc. For instance, whenever somebody purchases a product from your e-commerce store, you can ask for a review in the “thank you” email you send out, or on a payment receipt.

If you have a physical establishment such as an office or a storefront, then it would be highly advisable to get a Google business page. Whenever customers visit your location, Google will automatically send them a notification requesting for a rating and review.

3. Build an online omnipresence

Having an online omnipresence is one of the best ways of standing out on the internet. Consumers generally prefer to buy products from brands that they’ve seen around and have some familiarity with.

Make it your goal to have a presence on every relevant platform where your target market is. You should have pages on at least 2 major social media platforms, a search engine optimized website, business listings on various directories and marketplaces, etc.

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and think about all the places they would go to while researching products, then aim to have a presence there. If they were to do a Google search, your website should automatically be among the top results. If they go on Yelp or similar review sites, your pages should also come up – along with all your positive ratings and reviews.

4. Social media competitions

Hosting competitions is a great way to get people to talk about your brand on social media. The format for the competitions is simple: anyone who shares your photo or uses your hashtag automatically enters the draw to win a prize. If you want to get many people to participate then all you’ll have to do is offer attractive prizes.

The great thing about this strategy is that you don’t need to have a large following for it to be effective. For instance, if you only have 500 followers on Instagram and only 20 people share your photo, there’s a chance it could get seen by thousands of people from their networks. Let’s say each of the 20 people has an average of 800 followers, your reach could be as large as 16,000 people.

5. FOMO Marketing

“FOMO”, or “fear of missing out”, is the anxiety we feel whenever we imagine that we’re missing out on something great. It’s another powerful marketing weapon you can use to build social proof and simultaneously drive sales.

The underlying principle behind FOMO marketing is creating exclusive offers that have a time-bound contingency, and then advertising them aggressively to a relevant audience.

For example, if you’re looking to increase your online sales, you can offer a free gift to the first 100 people to order online. That will drive people to take action immediately so that they don’t miss out on the deal. To induce the FOMO effect, make sure to frequently send out messages such as:

• “Hurry! This offer expires soon”
• “Only 24 hours to go!”
• “This is your last chance!”

6. Get featured on well-known publications

Imagine if somebody were to Google your name and the first thing they stumbled upon was an article about you on Business Insider or Inc. Magazine. Wouldn’t that have such a massive impact on their impression of you?

Getting featured in popular publications is a very effective way of building credibility and social proof. If your marketing budget allows, you can get your startup on almost any business publication through sponsored posts – although it can be quite expensive.

A budget-friendly alternative would be by signing up to be a contributor on various blogs and magazines. Contributors usually get a byline where they can briefly talk about their businesses.

You can also sign up on platforms like HARO where journalists go to obtain feedback from the public. Whenever your quotes get used in any of their stories, they’ll usually mention your business and sometimes even link to its website and socials.

7. Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is currently one of the fastest-growing forms of marketing. Many people subconsciously copy what their favorite influencers are doing because they want to be just like them.

You can find influencers that are a great fit for your brand on platforms like Upfluence and GRIN, or by doing a manual search on social media. Although most influencers will require monetary compensation to promote you, some would be happy to do it in exchange for free samples of your products. You can also structure your deal in such a way that they earn a commission from the sales they drive, like with affiliate marketing.