Remember when they put those awful laugh tracks on TV comedy shows to encourage you to laugh at the jokes? That’s an example of social proof. (FYI, they do still use them. They’ve just gotten better at it, and you don’t notice them anymore!)
Simply put, a social proof marketing strategy is the phenomenon where people follow the actions (or decisions) when they find out that others are already doing something, based on the assumption that others have more knowledge about the situation than they do.
In higher ed recruitment marketing, social proofs are particularly important because prospective students are very tuned in and sensitive to the behavior of their peers and other external advisers and actively seek social proof to assist them in their decision-making.
Types of social proof and some higher ed examples
Let’s look closely at how to promote your higher education.
Testimonials
When you say something about how good your university is, it’s marketing. When a student says something good about you, it’s a testimonial. Success stories of students are powerful micro-narratives that you can weave through your program, information, and landing pages, providing solid “proofs” of student experience and results. Short, relevant testimonials fit well into main pages, and more extended student success or graduate success testimonials give more details for deeper pages. Use video testimonials wherever possible, as they bring more credibility than straight text. I prefer not to gather success stories and testimonials together in one spot but instead spread them liberally across a website. Visitors don’t generally visit a testimonials page but will spend time on them when embedded in other content. Here’s an earlier HEM post on testimonials you might find interesting for more ideas and examples.
Social Sharing
Social sharing buttons and statistics are showing up more and more on higher ed websites. Reporting likes and followers to the visitor provide substantial proof of the interest and approval of their peers. Be careful when applying this tactic to pages with low traffic or approval ratings. Poor stats will produce negative social proof, the opposite the intended effect. No evidence is better than insufficient proof; the impression left is that your content is either too new to place faith in or not being used by anyone because it’s not useful.
Rankings and Awards
Using rankings and awards is a time-tested tactic for providing social proof of a school’s merit and general approval ratings. In this home page example, Mohawk College claims the number one spot in student Key Performance Indicators in 12/13 in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Always be sure to back up these claims (as Mohawk did in this example) with a click through to all the details about the ranking to confirm your proof.
Trust Icons
Trust icons range widely in form and purpose, from indicators of secure e-commerce servers to identification of accreditation bodies. Trust icons are typically formal endorsements from expert bodies or influencers, have some public recognition, and offer the visitor proof that the organization can be trusted and is recognized by other public organizations. Trust icons are particularly important on landing pages and should be placed near your calls to action for maximum effect on conversion rates. In the example below, accreditation is the focus of the proofs and is delivered in two different ways.
Social proofs are important to communicate your story, authenticity, and relevance to your visitor. If used effectively, they can increase your visitor’s time on site, positively communicate your brand, and encourage click-throughs on your conversion paths.
What social proofs have been most effective for your higher ed marketing?
FAQ To Consider:
What are the benefits of social proof?
When you say something about how good your university is, it’s marketing. When a student says something good about you, it’s a testimonial. Student testimonials are powerful micro-narratives that you can weave through your program, information, and landing pages, providing solid “proofs” of student experience and results.
