Homeowners researching local plumbers, roofers, or other service providers are naturally drawn to those with many positive reviews and recommendations from other internet users.
This stems from a psychological phenomenon first coined in 1984 as social proof.
When I invested millions into developing my software tool, DataPins, my goal was to equip local contractors with the resources to generate and demonstrate social proof as part of their marketing campaigns.
I can say today that I’ve succeeded in that goal. Still, only a small percentage of contractors understand social proof and how it translates to marketing a local business.
With this in mind, I’ve compiled 25 social proof statistics that impact marketing in 2024.
Social Proof Statistics
1) 72% of consumers will only purchase after reading a favorable review.
Source: Search Engine Watch
2) 93% of consumers complete a purchase after researching a service or product via mobile.
Source: Think With Google
3) On-site reviews or testimonials increase conversions by 34%.
Source: ImpactBND
4) 89% of consumers say they will likely use a business that responds to all reviews.
Source: BrightLocal
5) 57% of consumers will only use services with a minimum 4-star aggregate review rating.
Source: Hubspot
6) Nearly 87% of purchase decisions start with online research.
Source: ConversionXL
7) A typical consumer reads ten online reviews before purchasing.
Source: Hubspot
8) 200+ Schema pins increase impressions for a typical contractor website by 169.2%
Source: DataPins
9) Consistent social proof can increase revenue by 62% per customer.
Source: BigCommerce
10) 85% of consumers distrust reviews older than three months.
Source: BrightLocal
11) After reading its reviews, half of all consumers navigate to a company’s website.
Source: Hubspot
12) Consumers will spend 31% more on businesses with favorable reviews.
Source: Invesp
13) Customers trust reviews 12x more than descriptions or sales copy.
Source: Econsultancy
14) 66% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase after viewing a video testimonial.
Source: Wyzowl
15) Articles with relevant images receive 94% views.
Source: SproutWorth
16) Photos can increase content recollection by 65%.
Source: MGD Advertising
17) Nearly 50% of consumers find website trust badges reassuring regarding trust and security.
Source: Yieldify
18) Website images with human beings can increase conversion rates by 48%.
Source: VWO
19) 97% of consumers in the B2B space consider testimonials or peer recommendations the most reliable content type.
Source: Demand Gen Report via This Moment
20) Testimonials produce an 89% content effectiveness rating, the highest of any content marketing tactic.
Source: Social Fresh
21) 5-star aggregate review ratings for GMB listings increased CTR by 28%.
Source: Bright Local
22) A roofing company that installed DataPins on their website increased organic traffic by 660% and top 20 keywords by 118%.
Source: DataPins
23) A water heater repair company receives an average of 1,100 monthly clicks from Google organic search alone with DataPins.
Source: DataPins
24) Websites with multiple pages of pins averaged 80.9% more monthly Google clicks than websites with only a single pins page.
Source: DataPins
25) DataPins users that utilize automated review requests increase frequency by over 94%.
Source: DataPins
Social Proof Examples
Various things fall under social proof in a digital marketing context. The key is credibility and verification, whether it’s a customer review, an award badge, or a geotagged photo of your company providing services. DataPins focuses on social proof that users can verify with a single look.
Customer Reviews
Most websites have a testimonials or reviews section. However, the feedback only qualifies as social proof if it comes from a verifiable source. For example, a screenshot of a customer review is not social proof because the web admin can manipulate the photo to serve an agenda.
Consider using a plugin like DataPins, which inserts a reviews slider onto your website. The slider plugin pulls Google and Facebook reviews via API so that users can see genuine reviews from top platforms and click them.
Award Badges
If you receive an award, the platform should provide a custom badge that you can upload to your website’s homepage using its HTML. In addition, the nominator should send you a transparent image file, usually in SVG format. Ask your web developer to insert the image onto your site.
Awards can come from various sources. However, the best social proof comes from reputable institutions within your industry or region. For example, a roofing company in Denver, CO, should showcase awards from roofing-related institutions or regional and local organizations.
GeoTagged Photos (Pins)
The SEO industry disagrees on the value of geotagged photos as a ranking factor. Our research found that geotagged photos of themselves provide marginal SEO value, if any. However, DataPins software combines geotagged photos with mini-maps, schema markup, and geo-coordinates.
We call this consolidated data a pin. The good news is that the software tool collects and inserts this data into one pin for each job you perform. The software does all the work; you only need the DataPins plugin. Pins increase local SEO rankings and boost conversion rates significantly.
Applying Social Proof to Your Marketing Campaign
You can benefit from the statistics above by demonstrating social proof on your business website. My software, DataPins, is available to contractors throughout the United States and has proven to generate favorable results for its users. You can contact me directly to discuss how DataPins impacts social proof.
