“I’ll have what she’s having” – The Incredible Power Of Social Proof

You may (or may not) have come across the term “Social Proof” recently.  If you run a business you may already be into Social Media, and have done some study to learn a bit more. You will therefore be very familiar with the incredible power of Social Proof.  Because it can help to persuade more people to show interest in your products. 

Here’s a very simple way to describe what Social Proof is.

You’re sitting in a cafe about to order your lunch.  You can’t make up your mind what to have… ”shall I have the omelette, or shall I have the pasta??”.  You’re thinking of asking the person you are having lunch with, what they’re having.   Now, the process leading up to making the final choice can sometimes go on for ages.  This is because people don’t like to make a mistake. So we sometimes wait for others to make a choice before we make our own.  Or we might ask questions like “have you had the pasta here before?” – this serves to reassure ourselves that we’ve made the right decision.  

Anyway, you’re busy sitting there fretting over what to order when all of a sudden…

Now, what are your views on Social Proof ?  Share them here, it would be great to know! Thank You.