A steady digital marketing strategy in this day and age will help you differentiate your brand and reach out to even more potential customers. Even more people than ever before have access to the Internet, especially since the cost of unlimited data plans for smartphones has decreased.
According to Broadband Search, from the year 2000 to 2019, Internet use increased by 1,157%. If this doesn't convince you to start experimenting and implementing, we don't know what will!
With this in mind, social proof notifications are a new tool that can give you the edge you need in this competitive landscape. Read on for our top seven tips on how to use social proof notifications and everything you need to know to get started!
What Are Social Proof Notifications?
Social proof is an integral part of an online marketing strategy, but the term can be confusing if you've never heard of it before. Simply put, "social proof" means that customers are influenced by other people in order to make buying decisions.
If they see that hundreds of other people are purchasing the same product or service, they're far more likely to make a purchase as well. This is why word of mouth advertising is so effective.
People would rather have people they already know give them recommendations rather than an advertisement. Social proof can come in many forms, such as:
- Reviews and testimonials
- Copy describing the number of purchases or customers
- Case studies of past customers
- Notifications of each purchase
Social proof notifications are a relatively new tool. Instead of a static web page that visitors have to read, notifications are live and popup on the viewer's page whenever a customer has made a purchase.
They can also show the number of visitors, sales streaks, and more.
Benefits of Social Proof Tools
Many brands and small business owners hesitate when it comes to using social proof tools because they don't want to annoy their current customer base. This is an understandable worry, as we've all had the experience of quickly exiting out of a web page when there were too many ads and pushy popups.
However, when implemented the right way, you'll enjoy a number of benefits that you may not have considered.
Build Authority
People who haven't engaged or interacted with your brand before are coming in with fresh eyes. By using social proof throughout your website, you're showing them in a quick and easy way that you're experienced and trustworthy.
Validation
You'll have a harder time convincing new customers to make a purchase if your product or service is something they don't really need. Not only do you need to convince them that your product will benefit their lives, but you also want them to be confident and happy with their decision after so they become returning customers.
Social proof is an easy way to validate buying decisions. Customers will feel empowered because they'll have other happy customers backing them up.
Advertise Your Products
Reviews and testimonials can essentially advertise your products for free. Happy customers will mention your products and services and how they benefited their lives. If they mention specific products or services, this also helps boost your SEO.
How to Use Social Proof Marketing Notifications
Now that you know all the benefits of social proof, here are some tips on implementing social proof notifications onto your website. You can utilize these notifications to urge customers to make a purchase without annoying them and sending them away!
1. Customization
Remember that you can often customize the look of your notifications so that they match your branding. Remember that the notifications will stand out to visitors simply by their movement on the web page. Instead of choosing a color scheme that clashes with your color palette, choose colors that match in order to boost their authority and authenticity.
2. Timing
You'll also be able to choose the timing of your notifications. For instance, instead of making them popup as soon as a visitor clicks on your web page, you can instead time them when visitors are about to exit in order to convince them to stay longer.
You can also time them to run after a few seconds to give your visitors time to scroll down the page and look into your offering further.
3. Merge Fields
You can use a variety of fields from your data sources, such as:
- Name
- Review
- Product information
- Website information
- Product details
- Webinar name
- Promotion name
Social proof notifications don't just need to be used for products or services that were recently purchased. For instance, if you want more people to sign-up for your webinar, you can use social proof notifications to showcase how many people have signed up so far.
4. Flash Sales
If you haven't collected enough data yet to show reviews or recent purchases, you can use your social proof notifications to advertise flash sales instead. These will help drive and boost engagement towards the areas of the site you want people to navigate towards.
5. Internationalization
Some social proof notifications are able to be translated into multiple languages automatically. This is especially helpful for online stores that sell and ship products to countries throughout the world. You'll know that your social proof is being used on more than English speakers.
6. Mobile Optimization
Last but not least, it's important that your website is optimized for mobile. This means that no matter what device visitors use to visit your website, they'll experience fast loading times and can click on elements comfortably. Unoptimized websites are slow and hard to navigate.
Your social proof notifications can also benefit from mobile optimization so that mobile users have the same experience as desktop users.
Utilizing Social Proof Notifications for Your Small Business
Social proof notifications don't need to be annoying popups that drive away visitors. If they're used correctly, social proof can help build your brand's authority as well as help customers have a simplified buying experience. When they see that dozens or hundreds of other people are signing up or making purchases, they'll feel more confident in their own decision.
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