Using customer reviews, testimonials, or numbers to build trust.

Strategy

What is Social Proof?

Using customer reviews, testimonials, or numbers to build trust.

Definition

Social proof is the psychological phenomenon where people look to others' actions and opinions to guide their own decisions. In advertising, social proof includes customer reviews, testimonials, user-generated content (UGC), influencer endorsements, star ratings, customer counts ("Join 50,000+ customers"), press logos ("As seen in..."), and before/after photos. Ads featuring social proof consistently outperform ads without it because they reduce perceived risk.

Example

A brand adds "★★★★★ 4,847 reviews" and a customer quote to their ad creative. The social proof version achieves 28% lower CPA than the same ad without social proof elements.

Related Terms

Ad Creative The visual and written content that makes up an advertisement. Testimonial A customer statement endorsing a product or service. UGC (User-Generated Content) Content created by customers or creators rather than the brand itself.

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