There must be something to the idea of “the wisdom of crowds,” because people tend to want to go where other people are. “Social proof” is a recent marketing buzzword that is based on the idea that people tend to seek out experiences that have already been “proven” to be popular.
This article in TechCrunch discusses several examples of how social proof can be used in marketing, by showing people the “proof” that other people have already “tried it” and liked it. Although most people like to claim to be bold individualists who make their own choices and follow their own instincts, the truth is that most people don’t like to be early adopters. Instead, most people like to follow in the footsteps of other people who have already had a positive experience with whatever the “new thing” may be.
Here are a few examples of social proof in marketing, as discussed in the TechCrunch article:
- McDonald’s posts signs outside its restaurants saying “billions and billions served.”
- People standing in line outside a nightclub create an air of exclusivity, making more people want to stop and see what the fuss is about.
- Restaurants can increase sales of specific menu items by 13-20%, just by highlighting these dishes as “our most popular items.”
- Comedy shows often use a laugh track, because people laugh more when they hear other people laughing.
How can you adapt the concept of social proof to help with your virtual events?
There are a few different types of social proof discussed in the TechCrunch article. Here are a few that might apply to your next virtual event promotions:
Expert social proof: Find influential people in your industry who can help refer people to your virtual event. Who are the bloggers, thought leaders, authors and experts, who are the widely followed people in your industry who might agree to help promote your virtual event?
User social proof: Within your virtual event, look for ways to create the effect of “customer testimonials.” Show which presentations are the most popular. Show the feedback from last year’s event so your attendees know which presenters or seminars or workshops got the highest reviews. Invite your attendees to share user-generated videos or testimonials about what they got out of the event, and share this “user social proof” to help promote your next virtual event.
Wisdom of crowds social proof: Use instant polling and voting tools from your virtual events platform (like the Mood-o-meter from Social27) to take the pulse of your audience and figure out how they’re responding to each stage of the virtual event. Can you create an air of exclusivity to your virtual event, using the “velvet rope outside the nightclub” concept, by offering an exclusive sign-up period, or introduce a new product for testing/trial by invitation only to a select audience at the virtual event?
Wisdom of friends social proof: How can you get customers, colleagues and partners to recommend your virtual event to their friends? The best way to market your virtual event is not to buy advertising – it’s to ask your friends and online community to spread the word about you. Your friends can be your best sales force – and their friends might be your most likely future customers.
About Ike Singh
Ike Singh Kehal is the CEO and co-founder of Social27, a leading virtual events solution with Enterprise clients across the globe. Ike is a respected business professional with 15+ years of marketing, sales, and business development experience. His latest company, Social27 was founded in 2007 to take advantage of the growing need for social media and game dynamics integration in virtual events. Prior to starting Social27, Ike drove numerous startup projects, including Indiabulls Retail, where he was CEO. Previously, he held various business strategy positions at Microsoft, spread over a seven-year period. Ike is a committed member of the virtual events community and contributes regularly to the discussion at http://www.virtualeventshub.com
Join the conversation. Agree with me? Good. Disagree? Even Better! Tell me why…
How do you know who to trust when you’re deciding whether to buy something online, or get involved with an online activity? What is the best use of “social proof marketing” that you’ve seen – whether for virtual events or another type of product?