Social Proof Conversion Optimization Secrets

SOCIAL
PROOF
CONVERSION SECRETS
How to transform ‘scaredy cats’ into confident customers…
Conversion Conference – May 13, 2015 | Angie Schottmuller

ANGIE SCHOTTMULLER
Marketing Optimization Advisor
@aschottmuller
linkedin.com/in/angieschottmuller
aschottmuller@yahoo.com
Top 10 of
2015
ONLINE MARKETING

#ConvCon #CRO #SocialProof
@aschottmuller
Tweet this session!

Let me check these guys
out on Google...
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvCon

CONSUMERS TRUST SOCIAL
PROOF REVIEWS
12X MORE
THAN MANUFACTURERS’
DESCRIPTIONS.
OTHERS
YOU
Source: eMarketer, Feb 2010, survey of US internet users by online video review site EXPO

Why?

McDonald's Big Mac
(rotated to most attractive angle)
ADVERTISED vs. ACTUAL

Circle of
Trust
YOU

The "OTHERS" will always be
more believable.

The "OTHERS" will always be
more persuasive.

 What qualifies as “social proof?”
 How to assess what’s persuasive?
 How do I get reviews that drive sales?
Social Proof CRO Top Questions:

SOCIAL PROOF
PURPOSE

SOCIAL PROOF must _________
to optimally aid conversion.
A. Inspire Trust and Likeability
B. Show Participation
C. Reduce Fear/Anxiety

Aristotle's ingredients for persuasion:
ethos, logos, and pathos.
(credibility, logic, and emotion)

~ Angie Schottmuller
@aschottmuller, Marketing Optimization Advisor
Credibility sets the STAGE.
Logic leads to CONCLUSION.
Emotion leads to ACTION.

What fears and unknowns surface
amongst your content?

SOCIAL PROOF
DEFINITION &
TYPES

SOCIAL PROOF
“The tendency to see an
action as more appropriate
when OTHERS are doing it.”
- Robert Cialdini

SOCIAL (a.k.a. "The Others")
CUSTOMERS
SUPPLIERS
PARTNERS
INDUSTRY
EXPERTS EMPLOYEES
"FAMOUS"
PEOPLE

6S FORMATS of SOCIAL PROOF
6S = Score it. Sum it. Say it. Sign it. Show it. Shine it.
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2
1
6
5
4
4 5 5
32
5
4
4
4
Reference: Social Proof 6S Formats by Angie Schottmuller

SOCIAL PROOF
QUALITY
ASSESSMENT

QUALITY
QUANTITY

CREDIBLE
RELEVANT
ATTRACTIVE
VISUAL
ENUMERATED
NEARBY
SPECIFIC
C
R
A
V
E
N
S
7 FACTORS OF SOCIAL PROOF PERSUASION QUALITY

n. CRAVEN
1. Someone who is scared, easily intimidated.
2. A coward, chicken, quitter, scaredy cat.
Idioms: cry craven; to yield; capitulate; give up
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConReference: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/craven

#RememberTheCravens

#RememberTheCravens
a.k.a. scaredy cats

CREDIBLE
CRAVENS = Credible, Relevant, Attractive, Visual, Enumerated, Nearby, Specific
a.k.a. believable, trustworthy, authoritative, authentic, "ethos"
C
R
A
V
E
N
S

Future of Marketing LP Example
TRUSTED BRAND
ENDORSEMENT
RECOGNIZED INDUSTRY
EXPERTS
AUTHENTIC
PHOTOS
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: futureofmarketing.com

Common Credibility Fails

What *NOT* to do social proof example
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: fhttp://hello.videoguardian.it/facebook
ALL
PERFECT
RATINGS??

1 in 3consumers suspect
FAKE or CENSORED reviews
if there's nothing negative.
Source: Reevoo Research Report, Jan 2012

DON'T FAKE IT.

FAKE REVIEWS ARE
ILLEGAL.

INCENTIVISED REVIEWS
ARE SUSPECT.

Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: extremeterrain.com
INCENTIVIZED
REVIEWS
REQUIRED LABEL OF
“PAID ENDORSER”
=
FTC Testimonial & Endorsement Ad Use Guidelines: http://bit.ly/ftctestimonials
- U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

LITTERING
HAIRBALLS
VANDALISING
CURTAINS
POSTING FAKE
REVIEWS
Image source: ticketsarasota.com

On-Site “Review Stations”
…Good or Bad Idea?
Thanks for doing business
with us. Please post a
review!

TM REALLY??
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: moxiesoft.com

Uhhh..., I don't think
Meagan actually wrote
THAT review.

SAYS WHO??
Example: livechat.com

- Angie Schottmuller
Social proof is CREDIBLE
when authentic specifics and
signatures add value enough
to build trust.

RELEVANT
a.k.a. pertinent, germane, applicable, material, meaningful, important
C
R
A
V
E
N
S

I confess I need exercise, but this solution
really doesn't seem right for me...

Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: workzone.com

DIVERSE INDUSTRY
RELEVANCE
JOB TITLE RELEVANCE
USER CHALLENGE
RELEVANCE
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: workzone.com

Great marketing campaigns
and experiences
BLEED RELEVANCE.

Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: Red Wings Shoes Spring Promo 2015

Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: Red Wings Shoes Spring Promo 2015
DYNAMIC CONTENT GREETING
FOR RETARGETED VISITORS
RELEVANT PRODUCT PHOTO
(via “visited page” Google remarketing list)
MATCHING PRODUCT TESTIMONIAL
(via “visited page” Google remarketing list)

ExtremeTerrain Advocate Live Chat
JEEP ADVOCATE LIVE
CHAT *SOCIAL SUPPORT*
JEEP MODEL
RELEVANCE
Example: extremeterrain.com, Social Live Chat Tool: needle.com

Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: extremeterrain.com, Social Live Chat Tool: needle.com

DETAILED PERSONA
RELEVANCE
PHOTO
CREDIBILITY
LOCATION RELEVANCE
EXPERIENCE, STYLE
RELEVANCE
Advocate live chat
powered by @NeedleIT
www.needle.com
Example: extremeterrain.com, Social Live Chat Tool: needle.com

ATTRACTIVE
a.k.a. emotional trigger, value-added, satisfying, "pathos"
C
R
A
V
E
N
S

Belly rub? Ohhhh
yeah. Count me in!

Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: bidsketch.com, May 2015

Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: bidsketch.com, May 2015
TESTIMONIAL USED AS
SUBHEADING

When targeting "friends of
fans" in Facebook Ads...
Facepile Facebook Plugin: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/facepile
Hey!
I know him!

Shoppers who seek out
NEGATIVE REVIEWS convert
67% MORE than average
consumers.
Source: Reevoo Research Report, Jan 2012

The RIGHT ATTRACTION
(emotional hook) TRUMPS all
other persuasion.

GENERIC
TESTIMONIAL
(creates questions about "good")
PERFECT *10-STAR* RATING??

REDUCE questions and fears.
NEVER create them.

VISUAL
C
R
A
V
E
N
S

USER-SHARED
ACTION PHOTOS
STAR RATINGS
Example: UW-Eau Claire Woundstock

LOGO IN SIGNATURE
"REAL CUSTOMER"
PHOTO
SUBDUED CLIENT
LOGO BADGES
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: Freshbooks

VISUAL PROOF
Substitute the Facebook Facepile
plugin with “static” text and an image
replica for social proof.
:: Mobile Conversion Optimization | Angie Schottmuller @aschottmuller
Example: Red Wings Shoes Spring Promo 2015

Visualize Value & Flow; DON'T DISTRACT.
STOCK PHOTO?
(distracting eye contact)
COLORED CLIENT
LOGO BADGES
COLORED TRUST MARKS
(distracting, irrelevant to this CTA)
Example: Intuit

Staring contest.
So captivating...
I.... ahh, …what?

Let HERO SHOT & CTA colors stand-out...
ORIGINAL COLOR-NEUTRALIZED MOCK-UP
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: Intuit

ENUMERATED
a.k.a. numeric, quantified, counted, amount, "logos"
C
R
A
V
E
N
S

WANNA' DANCE?

HOW 'BOUT NOW?

LOW SHARE NUMBERS
(+distracts from primary CTA)
What *NOT* to do social proof exampl

SCORED
SATISFACTION
QUANTIFIED
PERSPECTIVE
"Ooh! I just love
that decimal."
Example: Midwest Dental

Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: Unbounce

QUANTIFIED “CUSTOMER
COUNT” AS HEADING
Example: UW-Eau Claire Ethics Training

TOOL: UserStats.com
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvCon*This is not a product endorsement.

NEARBY
(ANXIETY POINTS)
a.k.a. near, close, proximate
C
R
A
V
E
N
S

TESTIMONIALS PROXIMATE
TO CTA ANXIETY
Example: CodeSchool

UNSIGNED TESTIMONIAL NEARBY A
[STOCK] STAFF PHOTO??
What *NOT* to do social proof example Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: Netop Live Guide

Oy vey!

Rotating Testimonials & Proof…
DON’T.
YOU.
DARE.
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: WordPress Testimonial Carousel

SPECIFIC
a.k.a. distinct, distinguishing, descriptive, value-added, precise
C
R
A
V
E
N
S

PERSUASIVE TESTIMONIAL CORE
CLIENT
PROBLEM
BUSINESS
SOLUTION
RESULT
SPECIFICS
! $%

GLUE
+ +

SPECIFICS GALORE!
FREQUENCYVOLUME
IMPACT
VALUE
CUSTOMER PHOTO VIDEO
THUMBNAIL
CUSTOMER CREDENTIALS
VIDEO DURATION
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: Unbounce

7 FACTORS
of
SOCIAL PROOF
PERSUASION QUALITY
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
NO CHANCE UNLIKELY NEUTRAL LIKELY PERSUASIVE
Reference: Social Proof Persuasion Quality CRAVENS Scorecard by Angie Schottmuller
SCORING: 3=Exceptional, 2=Good, 1=OK, 0=Missing, -5=Bad
C-R-A-V-E-N-S Scorecard
SOCIAL PROOF PERSUASION QUALITY
Factor Score
CREDIBLE
RELEVANT
ATTRACTIVE
VISUAL
ENUMERATED
NEARBY
SPECIFIC
TOTAL:
Social Proof
Quality
Persuasive
16+
Likely
11-15
Neutral
6-10
Unlikely
1-5
Negative
<= 1
VERYLIKELYUNLIKELY
[anxiety
points]

SCORING: 3=Exceptional, 2=Good, 1=OK, 0=Missing, -5=Bad
C-R-A-V-E-N-S Scorecard
SOCIAL PROOF PERSUASION QUALITY
Factor Score
CREDIBLE 3
RELEVANT 3
ATTRACTIVE 3
VISUAL 3
ENUMERATED 2
NEARBY 1
SPECIFIC 2
TOTAL: 17
Social Proof
Quality
Persuasive
16+
Likely
11-15
Neutral
6-10
Unlikely
1-5
Negative
<= 1
VERYLIKELYUNLIKELY
[anxiety
points]
Example CRAVENS Scorecard: UW-Eau Claire Woundstock
Social Proof Conversion | @aschottmuller #ConvConExample: UW-Eau Claire Woundstock

#RememberTheCravens
a.k.a. SCAREDY CATS
(Yeah. That’s the reason for all the cat photos.)

SOCIAL PROOF
ACQUISITION

Lord, please help me get
reviews like THAT!

1. Deliver AWESOME.
2. Perform a satisfaction interview.
3. Draft a testimonial from the interview.
4. Ask for a review and/or action shots.
HOW TO GET PERSUASIVE REVIEWS:
1
2
3
4

Consumers BUY MORE following a
POSITIVE customer experience.
Source: Zendesk and Dimensional Research Survey 2013
62% B2B
(3 IN 5)
42% B2C
(2 IN 5)

SAMPLE QUESTIONS:
A. Reason for purchase (original root problem/need)
B. Specific solution/product/service purchased
C. Solution selection criteria
D. Overall satisfaction level (1-5)
E. Initial purchase/product/process concerns ["anxieties"]
F. Things liked best about the experience
G. Specific results/feedback ($, #, %, )
H. Likelihood to recommend to others (1-5)
I. Business improvement suggestions
STEP 2: INTERVIEW for SATISFACTION

SAMPLE QUESTIONS:
A. Reason for purchase (root problem/need)
B. Specific solution/product/service purchased
C. Solution selection criteria
D. Overall satisfaction level (1-5)
E. Initial purchase/product/process concerns
F. Things liked best about the experience
G. Specific results/feedback ($, #, %, )
STEP 3: ASSEMBLE DRAFT TESTIMONIAL
 BA G
 CB F
 EA F
G

3%of consumers will post a
positive review on their own.
3 IN 100

3 IN 10
WHEN YOU ASK,
30%
of consumers actually
post an online review.
STEP 4: ASK FOR REVIEWS

SOCIAL PROOF CRO
KEY TAKEAWAYS

#RememberTheCravens
Transform the unknowns
and fears of ‘scaredy cats’
into confident customers…

 Objective = Reduce Fear
 Diversify with 6S social proof formats
 Quality trumps quantity (Use CRAVENS scorecard)
 Persuasive proof acquisition is strategic
Social Proof CRO Key Takeaways

HOMEWORK TASK #1:
Identify "anxiety points" on your
page, and then revise or buffer
with social proof.

"RISK-FREE" is mentioned 5 times.
What risks we should be thinking about??

HOMEWORK TASK #2:
Apply "CRAVENS" scoring and
test your social proof.

DON'T WAIT FOR PERFECTION TO TEST...
Source: WhichTestWon.com archives #17416
"Good training for the work
environment in Europe"
"Very useful for practice!"
"Almost a carbon copy of the
real aptitude test."
WIKIJOB A/B TESTING ADDITION OF TESTIMONIALS:
A B +34%

If you still use generic, unsigned
testimonials after seeing this...

HOMEWORK TASK #3:
Gather on-going social proof with
satisfaction surveys and review
“requests.”

Most importantly…

~ Angie Schottmuller
It's not what SOCIAL PROOF can
for your landing page. It's what
social proof can do for your
business direction.

Approach EVERY customer
opportunity or encounter as
a TESTIMONIAL.
Your legacy will be epic with abundant social proof.

Social Proof Conversion Optimization Secrets

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