https://www.vincidigital.com/make-social-proof-the-star-in-your-online-ad-campaigns/

What YOU say about you matters. But want to know what matters more? What OTHERS say about you.

And in today’s virtual world, consumers are sharing their thoughts and opinions on your brand and products on a larger, more significant scale than ever before. But they aren’t stopping there. Consumers are also validating their purchases based on the behavior and opinions of others.

So how can your brand benefit from this “social proof” phenomenon when creating campaigns and marketing strategies? Lets dive in.

But first, What Is Social Proof?
Social proof is a psychological concept that says people tend to copy what others do when they are not sure of themselves. It is closely related to the idea of herd mentality.

83 percent of consumers read reviews as part of their decision-making process. Consumers want to see how many others use a product or service and what they think before choosing a brand.

Another tool in the social proof asset collection? Testimonials.

You will often see testimonials on websites and on social media pages encouraging consumers to engage with the brand based on their experience with it. It is the same concept that has led millions of brands world-wide to hire social media influencers to share their products.

While social proof can be put to work in a lot of ways, many may not realize that it can also work through online ads. While ads are one way to increase brand awareness, it’s not always easy to make an impression. That is where social proof comes in! Social proof can be the secret ingredient to making your ads stand out.

Here are some tools you can use in your social proof toolbelt!

First, The FOMO Approach
FOMO is what makes social proof such a compelling option in marketing.
You can apply that same FOMO logic to your online ads by adding an element of exclusivity or frenzy for your products. For example, you might display how many people bought your product in the last month, week, or even day.

Next, Influence Them with Endorsements and Testimonials

Regardless of your personal feelings about social media influencers, we are all “influenced” every day by family, friends and YES even that influencer who got you to try that miracle growth shampoo last year.

Endorsements from others, especially a well-known individual like a celebrity, can have enormous impact. When it comes to endorsements, the key is balance and authenticity.

Too much feels insincere or fake. Something as simple as a quote from an influencer stating they use the product is enough social proof for most potential buyers. Just make sure to choose someone that makes sense for your audience. A boy band member endorsing a lawnmower won’t work unless they fit into your target generation.

It’s not all about celebrities and influencers though. Don’t rule out everyday customers when it comes to valuable testimonials.

Next up, Put UGC to Use
UGC stands for user-generated content. It provides potential buyers with one of the more potent forms of social proof. UGC means using something someone said about your brand as a form of advertisement – with their permission, of course.

Hold up, don’t get UGC mixed up with testimonials or endorsements. The big difference is that UGC is unsolicited!

UGC can be something someone told you about your product or service, something they tagged you in on social media or even an award you received.
Don’t forget about customer logos
If you have endorsements you can use their logo to make the ad stand out. For example, if your product got a mention in Good Housekeeping or works with brands like Amazon or eBay, you can place their logo at the bottom of the ad without mentioning them in the content.
Now let’s talk about the Best Ways to Use Social Proof in Online Ads specifically.
When it comes to online ads, you need to remember that space is limited. Most online ads have character limits and as we all know it can be difficult to fit an endorsement into 30 characters.

The key is to know what part of the endorsement will hit home while selecting the most impactful visual to accompany it.
Finally, know the channel.
Different platforms have different purposes, audiences and overall genres. Make sure you take this into consideration. LinkedIn for example caters to businesses and business professionals. Ads with data will make an impact on them while a more sentimental UGC review might be passed by easily.

However, on Instagram, you’ll want to focus on influencer and UGC content. It has a more casual feel and is frequented by celebrities.

If you want to learn more about how Social Proof can get to work for your brand or what other opportunities are available in your market contact us today and schedule a 30-minute strategy session for FREE.

https://www.vincidigital.com/make-social-proof-the-star-in-your-online-ad-campaigns/

This short video provides a brief overview of the different types of digital advertising and how each digital advertising product works. You’ll walk away with a basic understanding of the capabilities of video, streaming, display, native, social media, mobile, pay-per-click and IP targeting.

This video is presented by Chelsey Pendock, Advertising Strategist and Managing Partner of Innovision Advertising. Chelsey is an award-winning media planner with expertise in both traditional and digital media.

For more information:
https://innovisionadvertising.com/

You’re being watched. That sounded more sinister than I intended, but online, it’s true. Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Netflix… the list goes on and on. They’re watching what you do, what you shop for, what you watch… all of it. And have you actually read the Terms of Service? In this episode of Crash Course Media Literacy, Jay talks about how Online Advertising works and why companies want to know everything you’re looking at.

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Resources:
Reading the Privacy Policies You Encounter in a Year Would Take 76 Work Days https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/03/reading-the-privacy-policies-you-encounter-in-a-year-would-take-76-work-days/253851/

Children’s commercial media literacy: new evidence relevant to UK policy decisions regarding the GDPR http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mediapolicyproject/2017/01/26/childrens-commercial-media-literacy-new-evidence-relevant-to-uk-policy-decisions-regarding-the-gdpr/

Stanford researchers find students have trouble judging the credibility of information online https://ed.stanford.edu/news/stanford-researchers-find-students-have-trouble-judging-credibility-information-online

Let Consumers See What’s Happening https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/12/02/a-do-not-call-registry-for-the-web/let-consumers-see-whats-happening

We Were a Nielsen Family — Here’s What It Was Like http://www.vulture.com/2015/12/nielsen-family-what-its-like.html

***

Crash Course is on Patreon! You can support us directly by signing up at http://www.patreon.com/crashcourse

Thanks to the following Patrons for their generous monthly contributions that help keep Crash Course free for everyone forever:

Mark Brouwer, Glenn Elliott, Justin Zingsheim, Jessica Wode, Eric Prestemon, Kathrin Benoit, Tom Trval, Jason Saslow, Nathan Taylor, Divonne Holmes à Court, Brian Thomas Gossett, Khaled El Shalakany, Indika Siriwardena, Robert Kunz, SR Foxley, Sam Ferguson, Yasenia Cruz, Eric Koslow, Caleb Weeks, Tim Curwick, Evren Türkmenoğlu, Alexander Tamas, D.A. Noe, Shawn Arnold, mark austin, Ruth Perez, Malcolm Callis, Ken Penttinen, Advait Shinde, Cody Carpenter, Annamaria Herrera, William McGraw, Bader AlGhamdi, Vaso, Melissa Briski, Joey Quek, Andrei Krishkevich, Rachel Bright, Alex S, Mayumi Maeda, Kathy & Tim Philip, Montather, Jirat, Eric Kitchen, Moritz Schmidt, Ian Dundore, Chris Peters, Sandra Aft, Steve Marshall
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Digital advertising is a BIG part of many business’ digital marketing strategies.

But what is it?

Simply put, it’s an online advertising strategy fueled by data that can reach consumers wherever they are in the buying funnel.

Digital advertising gets your ads served to the right people, and does it with whatever budget you set.

There’s so much to learn about just the basics of digital advertising, and WebFX’s Alex tells you everything you need to know to get started.

Want to learn more? Check out our digital advertising handbook to get the ins and outs of digital advertising: https://www.webfx.com/digital-advertising/glossary/what-is-digital-advertising/

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