One of the simplest premises in the universe of commercial teams is to convince those who are trying to sell a product or service that it is being used by a large number of people. This tactic, used for several years now, has had several expressions and connotations, and in English one of the most used names is social proof, while in Portuguese “herd effect” is probably the usual term.
There are several studies carried out that demonstrate the impact and influence that the perception of a product being used by many people has on the purchase decision. One of the best known, and the one I use the most to explain the concept, was made in 2007 and is very simple.
A guitarist was put to play the violin in a subway station in Washington. This being one of the busiest stations in the United States is the perfect stage for this dynamic to take place. The man continued to play the violin, yet people passed it without paying attention to him and without stopping to listen to him. The guitarist even put some coins in his hat in the hope that this act could encourage the donation of tips. The tactic failed. This guitarist was none other than Joshua Bell, one of the most respected guitarists in the world, who played in the middle of Washington’s subway, dressed casually while playing in a Stradivarius over three hundred years old.
In all, more than 1100 people passed by the musician, of which only 7 stopped to listen while only 27 gave him money. The main objective of this study was to understand if people can really understand the value of something in such an unexpected and unusual place as this. The answer is clear.
As Elsa Punset says in her book A Backpack for the Universe:
“As we are very sociable beings, we live in a group and we prefer to do what most people do. Sometimes we miss out on very special experiences due to this behavior”.
The so-called Social Proof is generally understood as the way in which consumers will adapt their behavior according to what other people are doing.
Below are some of the social proof formats that your company can apply from now on.
1. Use of testimonials
It is not in vain that businesses on several occasions put their customers to give testimonies of success about the use of a particular product or service. In this way, a certificate of credibility is given to the product by someone they understand as impartial.
2. Number of customers who have already used the product
If so many people have already used the product, for some reason it is. This is the thinking behind phrases like “over 1,500 people are already using X”.
3. FOMO
The well-known Fear Of Missing Out is the kind of feeling that is provoked in a consumer when he realizes that many people are using a product and he has not yet done so.
4. The use of logos of well-known brands of other companies
When we indicate that other brands / well-known people use our product, it’s hard to justify why we don’t do the same, right?
By Vasco de Matos Ramos
Vasco Ramos 
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