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- 🧠The Power Struggle: Social Proof vs. Social Doubt
🧠The Power Struggle: Social Proof vs. Social Doubt
Why does one bad review outweigh all the good?
Ankit Patel
October 13, 2024
Hey there,
Welcome back to the 62nd edition of Brandish,
Your guide to crafting an iconic brand.
Picture this…
You’re on a mission to buy a new laptop.
You patiently wait as your prehistoric laptop loads up a new Amazon tab.
You begin your search.
After some browsing, you’ve found the one—it’s the brand new model with the M pro max V12 engine chip.
You drag your cursor over the checkout button.
But right before you left-click, you decide to scroll down to check the customer reviews “just in case” even if the listing already has 4.9 stars.
You’re met with a sea of positive feedback—users rave about the display quality, the battery life, and compact design.
You’re feeling great about your choice—until you stumble upon a single one-star review.
“This is the slowest laptop I’ve ever had, extremely disappointing”—it reads.
Now, your brain has just thrown every positive review you just read straight out the window.
But why?
Today, we’re talking about the archnemesis of social proof, and why it only takes one bad review to overshadow a sea of positive feedback.
So kick back,
Grab a Brez,
And let’s get straight into it.
Social doubt is the archnemesis of social proof.
When consumers encounter social doubt, they instinctively search for reasons to avoid making a purchase.
It’s an emotional safety net rooted in our natural aversion to loss.
When faced with the prospect of spending money, consumers are more inclined to seek reassurance that their investment is worthwhile.
Smart marketers recognize that social doubt can be a formidable adversary.
Research shows that consumers will put on their detective hats, hunting for any sign that might suggest a purchase could lead to regret.
And here’s the real challenge.
If you don’t proactively combat social doubt, it can fester and grow, influencing your customers’ decisions without them even realizing it.
Why is it that when seeing 1 bad review all the good ones get thrown out?
This is because you're more worried about what could go wrong than what can go right.
It’s the same reason you would notice if a giant spider was in the corner of a room and why your brain seems to throw out everything else that isn’t important.
Your brain alerts you more of the things that can affect you negatively and focuses on them more than positive things to keep you safe.
In general, research shows that around 12 positive comments equals one negative.
Real quick before we get into countering social doubt…
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The Problem…
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Nightmare, right? Welcome to our problem.
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Usually a good thing, but -
Their audience “overwhelmed” our pixel, which convinced Meta to only target that particular segment - which, turns out, wasn't our ideal audience.
The Meta pixel is stubborn. Even when we set everything to broad, it continued to pursue people in that same (not optimal) segment.
That’s where Proxima stepped in.
When we went to them, they discovered Meta was going after people who weren’t really our customers. The solution? Leverage Proxima’s AI to source new, custom audiences for us. Then test them alongside our existing efforts using the same creatives.
This apples-to-apples comparison showed us Proxima was right.
Their new audiences were more efficient. We leaned into Proxima’s audiences and, over time, this helped re-calibrate our pixel and, eventually, our entire Meta account.
And what did our results look like…
Scaled ad spend (by over 2x)
Lower CPAs (by over 20%)
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This is a great example of how sometimes your scalability isn’t determined by creative volume or quality but by who Meta “thinks” it should target.
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Now, for those strategies…
Great, now we know what it is, and why it is.
But having all this knowledge is pointless without a counter.
1. Harness the Power of Reviews and Testimonials
There’s nothing that screams social double more than a lack of reviews.
When potential buyers don’t see feedback from others, they become skeptical.
Think about ways to offer rewards or freebies with early reviews.
For instance, G2, a software discovery platform, offers a $10 Starbucks gift card to users who leave reviews.
This not only accelerates the influx of testimonials but also encourages others to follow suit as they see others participating.
2. Showcase Authentic Feedback
Don’t limit your testimonials to your website.
While a polished website is essential, using social media to share genuine customer feedback can enhance your credibility significantly.
Raw, unfiltered testimonials create a connection with potential buyers and reduces the likelihood of social doubt creeping in.
Pro tip: You can use permission-granted feedback from your social media DMs to showcase real experiences.
It’s often more relatable and trustworthy than a carefully curated marketing message.
3. Clarify Your Target Audience
One of the best ways to address social doubt is to be transparent about who your product is for—and who it isn’t for.
As the saying goes, “If you sell to everyone, you sell to no one.”
By defining your target audience clearly, you can set appropriate expectations for potential buyers.
For example, Alex Cattoni uses this technique effectively on her sales pages, stating explicitly who will benefit from her digital products and who won’t.
This not only helps filter out the wrong customers but also prevents potential refunds or negative reviews.
4. Engage in Proactive Communication
Take the initiative to communicate openly with your audience.
Use your marketing channels to share not just the strengths of your products but also address any potential concerns.
This can be through blog posts, FAQs, or direct customer communication.
By being upfront about what to expect, you build a foundation of trust that can reduce social doubt.
Visual content is incredibly powerful. Incorporate images of real customers using your product, videos of unboxing experiences, or even user-generated content showcasing how your product fits into their lives.
The more potential customers see others enjoying your product, the less doubt they will have about their purchase.
Wrapping Up
Your customers are inherently risk-averse, and social doubt often lurks just beneath the surface of their decision-making processes.
They’re constantly searching for signs that buying from you won’t fulfill their expectations.
So ease their fears by removing their social doubt and replacing it with the confidence that your products will deliver on your promises.
The key to doing that?
Sprinkle in LOTS of social proof anywhere you can.
That's everything for today!
As always, I appreciate you,
And until next time,
Ankit.