There are many ways to create compelling marketing content. However, it is best to show than tell. The power of email marketing allows you to deliver the content to customers looking for additional information. Email marketing and social proof are a powerful combination for building customer relationships and converting them.
Here, we will explain why social proof is an important strategy to make the most of the power of email marketing in 2022. We will also discuss how to implement it, along with its different types.
What Is Social Proof?
Before we discuss how to use social proof to make the most of the power of email marketing, let’s get the basics down first. Let’s define what social proof is and why it’s important.
Social proof is built on the idea of normative social influence. It says that the audience will conform to the influencers to be accepted, liked, similar, or accepted by them.
If you browse a landing page and find a review or feedback from an industry leader that you trust, that’s social proof. If you browse a pricing page and see an industry giant already using the tool, that’s social proof. Social proof is when you sign up for a demo of the tool because it solves the exact same problem for another company.
It’s basically borrowing third-party influence to win potential customers.
Why Is Social Proof Essential to Businesses?
While it is one thing for a company to say that you will like their product, it’s quite another to receive feedback from people who have already bought and tried the product. It’s for this reason that social proof is so powerful in the consideration stage of the marketing funnel.
This consideration stage is where a prospective customer signs up for your mailing list for the first time. It’s the phase where they have already found your website and are either waiting for offers to come in or want to learn more about you to help make a decision.
Customers want to read reviews before buying. It’s crucial to include it in your customer journey maps and your emails. These people are likely to be interested in learning more about your product or at least open to discussing it. You can reduce the cost of acquisition by sending social proof emails, such as customer reviews.
Sending social proof emails to your customers will also make it easier for them to find relevant reviews and allow you to control which ones they view, which wouldn’t be the case if you let them look for some of your previous customers’ feedback and choose which ones to read.
Different Types of Social Proof
You can use some social proof software to manage your customers’ or clients’ feedback on your business. Regardless of which tool you choose to utilize, here are some different social proof examples that can help you make use of the power of email marketing:
1. Customer Testimonials
Although testimonials are very similar to customer reviews, they’re not exactly the same. Testimonials are positive feedback from customers and are typically collected by the company for marketing purposes.
Customer testimonials can be found on numerous websites nowadays, but they can also be used to take advantage of the power of email marketing campaigns. They are usually present on landing pages and emails.
2. Case Studies
Case studies are longer pieces of content that explain how a company helped solve a customer’s problem. They tell stories and help customers understand how a business can help them should they avail of the products or services.
For some prospects, case studies are an essential factor that gives them a better understanding of the solutions that might apply to them. These pieces of content help decide whether or not they will proceed with the purchase.
Digital marketers often feature case studies on websites since these stories are usually lengthy to be included in an email. However, you can use the power of email marketing to distribute them to prospects.
3. Products Reviews
As mentioned, reviews are almost the same as testimonials, except that they are user-generated. They can often be found on review sites, where businesses can then choose to feature positive feedback they wish to share with customers.
Customer reviews are great pieces of content since they include personal experiences with a certain product or service, which, in turn, make them relatable for prospective customers or clients.
4. Awards
Awards are one of the most effective social proof examples. When it comes to awards, it’s not a stranger telling a potential customer to shop with a business. It’s usually an organization or institution that’s likely to have already gained trust from its audience.
Organizations and institutions have already brought an authority level to the table. Prospects will be more inclined to trust a business with awards from such authorities in the industry.
5. Customer or Usage Numbers
Knowing how big a business is can also help build trust with prospective customers or clients. Including information about how many consumers trust a business can give buyers some assurance that they can trust it too.
Using Social Proof in Email Marketing
Email is a powerful channel to gather social proof and distribute it to your subscribers. It can also gather information to create personalized experiences and make it easier to identify where your subscribers are at each stage of the customer journey.
1. Gathering Social Proof Through Email
If you plan to use the power of email marketing to gather social proof like reviews and testimonials, you can reach out to some of your recent buyers to ask them for a review. They often need to enter their email address when they make a purchase. You can send them a personalized message asking about how they feel about the product.
Reviews and testimonials are extremely valuable because you can engage customers with them without spending too much time as they are automatically generated. They give you an opportunity to gain a better understanding of your customers and identify any problem with the product.
2. Using Email to Feature Social Proof
It is important to identify where your customers are at each stage of their journey before you use different types of social proof to maximize the power of email marketing. You can use social proof in your campaign to promote some of your products or support your business as a whole.
The way you present social proof in your emails will depend on the purpose of the campaign. An email marketing campaign with a primary focus on social proof is a good idea if your goal is to build trust with prospective customers or clients who, you think, still need a bit of convincing.
Sending your customers or clients some testimonials and referrals about specific products or services can be more helpful when they are further along their customer journey. You can send them emails to feature a few personalized product or service reviews to convince them to purchase again.
Advanced Digital Media Services Can Help You Dominate the Digital World
Now that you know the power of email marketing and social proof, it’s essential that you incorporate them into your digital marketing strategy. Doing so can help you increase sales and achieve your business goals.
At Advanced Digital Media Services, we provide website hosting and reputation management. We can help you manage your online profiles and feature the best reviews, testimonials, and feedback.
With our team of experts in SEO in Denver, you are sure to stay on top of search results. Through the power of email marketing and social proof, we can help you increase sales and grow your business. Contact us today!
