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Social Proof

Define​

A persuasive phenomenon where a person's decision is based upon the the observations ot a group

This persuasive phenomenon describes how people can make decisions based on others' observations, Ultimately, this may mean they arrive at the same conclusion. The behaviour is fuelled by people's desire to act 'correctly' in any given situation. When unsure of the decision they should make, people often follow others who they perceive to have greater knowledge.

In essence, social proof can help sway people's decisions. But this mentality is more likely to occur for recognised peers. For example, their boss may be less persuasive than a colleague.

Social proof is one of the six principles of persuasion by Robert Cialdini. In a noted 1935 experiment by Muzafer Sherif, participants were asked to describe how they perceived the movement of stationary lights in a darkened room - both on their own and with a group. Sherif discovered participants consistently agreed with others in a group situation, relying on each other's outspoken observations for guidance.

As a persuasive marketing tactic, social proof has been employed in the physical world for a long time e.g. organisers creating seemingly unnecessary queues into shops/nightclubs. Especially since the rise of social media, it has also been used in the digital space.

There are five types of social proof (with examples):

  • Expert - recommendations from a credible industry leader
  • Celebrity - endorsements from a well known public figure
  • User - testimonials/reviews/star ratings from current users
  • Wisdom of the crowds - numbers of users/social media followers of product/service
  • Wisdom of friends - a friend through social media mentions product/service.

Other examples include:

  • Badges/Certifications
  • Media logos
  • Social media sharing
  • Featured clients of the product/service

Resources​