Social Proof Elements

When we talk about elements of social proof in the context of social media, we refer to specific features, signals, or indicators that demonstrate the credibility, trustworthiness, and desirability of a person, brand, or product. These elements essentially show that a certain person, brand, or product enjoys the approval of other users or entities. They exist to influence our behavior, to make us act in ways that are kind of preprogrammed for us when it comes to following the crowd.

And if you think about it, it makes sense. We look for the opinions and actions of others as a sort of signpost indicating that we're about to make a good decision when we opt to like, follow, comment, or purchase something. Besides the obvious social media 'Like,' comment, or share that we might make, what are some of the more common features of social proof that we can observe on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or TikTok?