Social Proof

In the context of social media, Social Proof represents the psychological phenomenon where individuals use the actions, behaviors, or endorsements of other people to judge the credibility, popularity, or worth of a particular person, brand, product, or service. Right or wrong, this is how humans are hardwired to function in groups and societies. At the most basic level, individuals look for signs that suggest something is worth their attention or investment; if it’s good enough for a lot of other people (or, even better, a few well-known 'tastemakers'), then it’s probably good enough for them.

On social media, this can manifest in many ways. A person’s post can accumulate thousands of likes, and they’ve got many more followers than, say, your average person. A lot of brands (and their products) receive the kind of Social Proof from celebrities, influencers, and other 'in-crowd' figures that makes them seem way more valuable than they might otherwise seem (and, again, way more valuable than they might actually be).

Testimonials run quite the range; some can be heartfelt while others can seem, well, scripted. And what do you do when someone signals to you, via a comment, that they’re using the same product as you? You are now both in it together (at one remove, of course, but so is every group).

The online world is obsessed with appearing to be a force that can’t be denied or ignored.