Social Proof Sells: How to Implement This on LinkedIn
Online, it’s very easy to buy from or work with people who don’t do what they say they will do.
Social proof is when we look to others’ actions and opinions to guide our own decisions before either speaking to someone or making a sale. Classic examples of this online are reviews on eBay or Google, which help to guide us to buy or try, based on others’ recommendations of a product or service. In this way, we’re relying on the experiences and wisdom of others to help us choose.
On LinkedIn, they provide us with the functionality to add social proof, but we also need to take matters into our own hands to use these features and bring them into our everyday activities on LinkedIn. Before we get into using social proof on LinkedIn, let’s quickly look at why social proof is so important.
Why is Social Proof Important?
Differentiates Your Brand
Social proof sets you apart in a crowded market, showing you deliver real results.
Builds Trust
72% of people trust a business more after seeing positive reviews, especially when it’s from people they know or are like them.
Reduces Risk
When buyers see others succeed, their fear of making the wrong choice drops. Increases Conversions: Reviews and testimonials can boost conversion rates by up to 270%.
Shortens Sales Cycles
Trust signals nudge prospects to act faster and with fewer objections.
Boosts Confidence
87% of buyers say social media helps them make purchasing decisions.
Ultimately, social proof builds trust and credibility faster than not doing it, and certainly trumps any sales pitch. People like to do research, so help them to do this and be confident about you, your offer, and the company you work for.
Let’s get into how to use social proof on LinkedIn.
Your LinkedIn Profile
Your LinkedIn profile has many places to add social proof.
Let’s take a look at them, and I’ll show you what I’ve done, which will hopefully give you some ideas.
Cover Image (Banner)
Adding in statistics like “10,000+ users,” “500 companies served,” or “98% satisfaction rate” gives visitors to your profile confidence that you haven’t just started and have a successful track record.
On my profile, I have used the logos of four of the companies I’ve worked with to show my audience the types of companies I have worked with, ranging from the well-known to the less well-known.
About Sections
On your LinkedIn profile, you have the opportunity to add text and media. However, not all sections have the media option, and the About section is one of those.
Instead, though, you can (and should) add the results of what you have achieved. Profile visitors tend to look up at the top of the profile first, and the about section is high up.
On my profile, I have added a mix of different results to give readers of my profile a flavour of what we have done for others. I also signpost my recommendations section for further confidence-building and research.
Services / Featured Sections
Within the Services sections and the Featured sections, you can add media (as you can on many other sections) to your profile.
Not all sections have the same functionality. The image below shows the functionality you have in the Services section compared to the Featured section. As you can see on the left, the services section has many fewer options than the Featured section. This will impact the type of media you can use in each section.
On my profile, I chose to add case study covers as images in the services section (as it’s higher up my profile than the Featured section, so more chance of being seen by a ‘researcher’. Whereas within my Featured section, I’ve chosen to showcase resources that add value to the visitors of my profile.
The other helpful feature within the Services section is the ability to showcase Reviews, with a rating system. As you can see in the image below, I have 10 reviews, all 5 stars out of 5.
In this way, visitors to my profile should have confidence in what I am helping people with on LinkedIn.
Experience Section
The experience section is another section in which you can add media.
On my profile, I have added case studies that are hosted on my company website, to help drive traffic to my website for ‘researchers’ to find out more about my business. For those who don’t have a website with case studies on it, you could also add a PDF that can be viewed locally, as well as other media options.
Certifications & Courses Sections
Having successfully completed certifications or courses shows your profile visitors the knowledge and skills you have. It’s all very well to say you have a certain level of knowledge, but when 3rd parties back this up, it boosts trust.
On my profile, I added 5 of the 12 Digital Marketer courses I successfully completed. I chose the 5 most relevant certifications for what I am doing today. You don’t have to add all your certifications and courses; just add the most relevant for what you’re doing now.
It should be noted that the functionality in the Courses section is more basic than the Certifications section, so bear this in mind. For my courses section, I have added 4 Sales Navigator courses, although, due to the functionality, it doesn’t look that great (IMO).
Skills Section
The skills section is where endorsements live. The more endorsements, the more credible your ‘expertise’ appears. Make sure your top two endorsements, the ones that show before clicking to see more, are the most relevant skills for you. I also recommend my clients to make sure the top five are the most relevant and showcase you in the best way.
As you can see from my profile, I have 99+ endorsements for my top two skills. Once you receive 100 endorsements, the number changes to 99+.
Recommendations Section
The Recommendations section is the traditional ‘social proof’ on LinkedIn. The unfortunate thing, though, is that it’s near the bottom of your profile. That said, it is a section that many people, if they are serious about buying or hiring you, will scroll down to see.
Most people feel a little awkward about asking for referrals, so the best option is to ask for them immediately when someone has said something positive about you. Write what they say down and send this to them in your recommendation request, so they don’t start with a blank piece of paper!
In Summary
Using social proof on your profile isn’t just a marketing tactic; it’s a trust accelerator. It’s a way to provide proof of your impact and confidence to your potential buyers.
Start today by reviewing your profile to see what you can add to your profile to add additional credibility.
In the next article, I’ll be looking at adding social poof to your content and messaging. Until next time.
Social Proof Sells: How to Implement This on LinkedIn
Social Proof Sells: How to Implement This on LinkedIn
Online, it’s very easy to buy from or work with people who don’t do what they say they will do.
Social proof is when we look to others’ actions and opinions to guide our own decisions before either speaking to someone or making a sale. Classic examples of this online are reviews on eBay or Google, which help to guide us to buy or try, based on others’ recommendations of a product or service. In this way, we’re relying on the experiences and wisdom of others to help us choose.
On LinkedIn, they provide us with the functionality to add social proof, but we also need to take matters into our own hands to use these features and bring them into our everyday activities on LinkedIn. Before we get into using social proof on LinkedIn, let’s quickly look at why social proof is so important.
Why is Social Proof Important?
Differentiates Your Brand
Social proof sets you apart in a crowded market, showing you deliver real results.
Builds Trust
72% of people trust a business more after seeing positive reviews, especially when it’s from people they know or are like them.
Reduces Risk
When buyers see others succeed, their fear of making the wrong choice drops. Increases Conversions: Reviews and testimonials can boost conversion rates by up to 270%.
Shortens Sales Cycles
Trust signals nudge prospects to act faster and with fewer objections.
Boosts Confidence
87% of buyers say social media helps them make purchasing decisions.
Ultimately, social proof builds trust and credibility faster than not doing it, and certainly trumps any sales pitch. People like to do research, so help them to do this and be confident about you, your offer, and the company you work for.
Let’s get into how to use social proof on LinkedIn.
Your LinkedIn Profile
Your LinkedIn profile has many places to add social proof.
Let’s take a look at them, and I’ll show you what I’ve done, which will hopefully give you some ideas.
Cover Image (Banner)
Adding in statistics like “10,000+ users,” “500 companies served,” or “98% satisfaction rate” gives visitors to your profile confidence that you haven’t just started and have a successful track record.
On my profile, I have used the logos of four of the companies I’ve worked with to show my audience the types of companies I have worked with, ranging from the well-known to the less well-known.
About Sections
On your LinkedIn profile, you have the opportunity to add text and media. However, not all sections have the media option, and the About section is one of those.
Instead, though, you can (and should) add the results of what you have achieved. Profile visitors tend to look up at the top of the profile first, and the about section is high up.
On my profile, I have added a mix of different results to give readers of my profile a flavour of what we have done for others. I also signpost my recommendations section for further confidence-building and research.
Services / Featured Sections
Within the Services sections and the Featured sections, you can add media (as you can on many other sections) to your profile.
Not all sections have the same functionality. The image below shows the functionality you have in the Services section compared to the Featured section. As you can see on the left, the services section has many fewer options than the Featured section. This will impact the type of media you can use in each section.
On my profile, I chose to add case study covers as images in the services section (as it’s higher up my profile than the Featured section, so more chance of being seen by a ‘researcher’. Whereas within my Featured section, I’ve chosen to showcase resources that add value to the visitors of my profile.
The other helpful feature within the Services section is the ability to showcase Reviews, with a rating system. As you can see in the image below, I have 10 reviews, all 5 stars out of 5.
In this way, visitors to my profile should have confidence in what I am helping people with on LinkedIn.
Experience Section
The experience section is another section in which you can add media.
On my profile, I have added case studies that are hosted on my company website, to help drive traffic to my website for ‘researchers’ to find out more about my business. For those who don’t have a website with case studies on it, you could also add a PDF that can be viewed locally, as well as other media options.
Certifications & Courses Sections
Having successfully completed certifications or courses shows your profile visitors the knowledge and skills you have. It’s all very well to say you have a certain level of knowledge, but when 3rd parties back this up, it boosts trust.
On my profile, I added 5 of the 12 Digital Marketer courses I successfully completed. I chose the 5 most relevant certifications for what I am doing today. You don’t have to add all your certifications and courses; just add the most relevant for what you’re doing now.
It should be noted that the functionality in the Courses section is more basic than the Certifications section, so bear this in mind. For my courses section, I have added 4 Sales Navigator courses, although, due to the functionality, it doesn’t look that great (IMO).
Skills Section
The skills section is where endorsements live. The more endorsements, the more credible your ‘expertise’ appears. Make sure your top two endorsements, the ones that show before clicking to see more, are the most relevant skills for you. I also recommend my clients to make sure the top five are the most relevant and showcase you in the best way.
As you can see from my profile, I have 99+ endorsements for my top two skills. Once you receive 100 endorsements, the number changes to 99+.
Recommendations Section
The Recommendations section is the traditional ‘social proof’ on LinkedIn. The unfortunate thing, though, is that it’s near the bottom of your profile. That said, it is a section that many people, if they are serious about buying or hiring you, will scroll down to see.
Most people feel a little awkward about asking for referrals, so the best option is to ask for them immediately when someone has said something positive about you. Write what they say down and send this to them in your recommendation request, so they don’t start with a blank piece of paper!
In Summary
Using social proof on your profile isn’t just a marketing tactic; it’s a trust accelerator. It’s a way to provide proof of your impact and confidence to your potential buyers.
Start today by reviewing your profile to see what you can add to your profile to add additional credibility.
In the next article, I’ll be looking at adding social poof to your content and messaging. Until next time.
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