Not to be confused with social media, social proof is the use of reviews, testimonials, awards, and membership in professional associations in your Internet marketing.

All of these things dramatically improve conversion at your website and lead to more inquiries and sales.

Social proof should be used liberally throughout your website as well as at your social media channels.

Frankly, I believe it is the #1 reason people who visit your website ultimately decide to make an inquiry.

In this example the owners of One Heart Personalized Ceremonies are using their award badges on all the pages of their website in the header. It communicates a powerful and engaging message to any engaged couple looking for a professional Wedding Officiant.

Also note the use of “Award Winning” and an impossible-to-miss call-to-action “Now Booking…”

 

In this example I used a testimonial in my client’s Facebook feed. The testimonial stands by itself, but when the right image is added it becomes a grand slam! Note the use of multiple links, particularly one in the first few lines which was intentionally used so that the link appears for mobile viewers. This is commonly referred to as the “See more” issue.