OK. Let’s see the third element …

3. Social proof

Leveraging social proof is one of the most efficient ways to establish trust. The social proof can be presented and emphasized in many different ways, but each method reflects the very same concept: the wisdom of the crowd.

Here are a few effective social proof strategies:

3.1 Testimonials

Nothing boosts your credibility like a good testimonial or two. When customers are looking for reasons to trust you, testimonials and stories about positive customer experiences will help you to establish yourself as a trusted authority.

And there are many useful and easy-to-use tools that can help you to collect and display testimonials on your blog.

3.2 Influencer endorsements

Basically, it’s another testimonial provided by an established industry expert or a well-known person who is respected by your target audience.

3.3 Social connections and subscriber counts

As I said, people feel comfortable joining the crowd. If you have a large fan-base or a sizable list, don’t miss the opportunity to tell people about it!

3.4 Social shares and comments

If you have turned on the counters in your social share and comment plugin(s), you can easily enjoy the benefits of a powerful social proof that comes with big share and comment numbers. And believe me, even single digit numbers can get the ball rolling!

3.5 Prizes, awards, badges, certifications, seals, etc

There is a large variety of badges that can help you to boost your credibility. Media recognition, different types of accreditation, excellence awards, security seals, etc.

3.6 Client list

Showcasing an outstanding client-list is another very efficient way to show your value and to build trust. It’s a relatively new, but very popular method. Which is also known as “logo-porn” ...

3.7 Download and purchase counts

I think this is pretty straightforward. Thousands, or tens of thousands of customers can’t be wrong, right?

3.8 Media connections

The “as seen in …” media showcase is another classic example of social proof. If you are lucky enough to get your articles published by other popular, well-respected online media entities, don’t forget to showcase those valuable media connections!

A few more words on social proof …

As you can see, social proof is an extremely useful “psychological phenomenon” that can be efficiently leveraged to establish trust and to humanize your marketing. According to Nielsen, 83% of consumers trust recommendations from their peers over advertising. And according to Havas Media, only 22% of brands are trusted! This is why social proof is so powerful and important …

Now, the bad news … Social proof is probably the most efficient “trick” that can help you to establish trust, but … is also the most questionable “asset”. Why? Because, that nice box with a jaw-dropping number of social fans and followers could be the output of your social plugin … or a simple static image file created with Photoshop. Those persuasive testimonials and endorsements may come from real, extremely satisfied customers and honest industry experts, … or may come from your personal friends and the PR department of your company. And so on …

So, here’s my final advice on social proof: don’t – ever! – fake these credentials, because you may end up harming your reputation and losing your readers trust! As Warren Buffett said: it takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it!