If we type Social Proof into Google search, we’ll find plenty of articles: “What It Is”, “18 Ways to Use It in Your Marketing” or even “Social Proof Is The New Marketing”. Well, last headline sounds really brave, but no, it’s not “new marketing”.

Ok, what is Social Proof?

Firstly, this conception was introduced to the world by psychologist and writer Robert Cialdini in his book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” (which, by the way, we would recommend reading to everyone. We’re not even talking about those who work in marketing and sales. It’s a necessity for them!).

To put it simply, this is the idea that consumers modify their behavior according to what other people are doing. Let’s say, it is a signal to a person to choose a certain behavior, way of thinking, product because others have already chosen it.

Experiments performed by psychologists show that under various circumstances, people systematically avoid being separated from the group by accepting its opinion.

How does the influence of group work?

Just why do we humans do this? Why as independent individuals do we refuse to make our own decisions and succumb to other people choices for us?

We appreciate individuality, personal freedom, but when we find ourselves at a crossroads, we look where others have gone, not just turn where we want to go.

Well, the answer is simple: we instinctively believe that others know better than us. Because “others” are already a group, and there are more people, experiences. That said, more = better.

In terms of the peculiarities of human behavior, we always rely on human evolution. A group of people has always been a stronger unit than an individual, so being with a community/tribe had an evolutionary advantage.

A person’s ability to interact with other individuals is one of the main things that has helped humanity develop and prosper. Just because it was more chances to survive! After all, each of us has the same goal.

Therefore, the desire to be part of a group has been passed down from generation to generation and this is still with us. The influence of group remains crucial in making decisions and choosing direction of our behavior, even if we don’t consciously think about it.

The importance of Social Proof of business in shaping consumer decisions

If you are developing your own product or you’re working with marketing, sales – you probably know this is great potential, which, if properly exploited, can increase sales and grow a business.

Be able to raise the group and you will get more and more new shopers. And of course, it will work even better than the agency that creates advertising campaigns for you.

Let’s take a look at the statistics:

• 53 percent. consumers mentioned that product reviews are one of the most important parts of quality online shopping (US);
  

• 78 percent. consumers trust the feedback left by other internet users in the same way they trust personal recommendations (US);
  
  
• 95% of consumers read reviews left by other shoppers before making a purchase decision.

Ok, how exactly to take advantage of Social Proof?

Well, you need to show your potential customer that many other consumers have already chosen your product and they are satisfied with it. People want to buy from brands they can trust. 

Here are some methods to leverage the influence of group.

Reviews 

This is the most commonly used method. In order for your existing users’ feedback to be useful in bringing you the new users, there are important two factors.

Have as many reviews as possible (positive, of course); The savvy consumer will realize that a few reviews do not objectively reflect the situation! Or…It can be left by your friends or yourself.

Ask for feedback. Usually, only a few consumers leave feedback organically, and the most often – when they are dissatisfied (so they leave negative). After each successful purchase, find a way to ask your users to leave a positive feedback!

Social media 

The number of followers on your company/product page is really important. Shoppers check the FB or Instagram pages of an unknown business. They’re insterested how many followers the page has, whether those followers respond to company content, discuss, and so on.

This clearly shows if the business has consumers that are interested in their products. So, be active and encourage your users to get involved!

Forums and Facebook groups

Does anyone there talk about your product? This factor is the most important of all we have mentioned here. It is not controlled by the company, so in the eyes of the user, this way is the most reliable.

Social Proof apps

There are plenty of sales notification tools on the market. One of them – blackfomo. It is one of the most powerful Social Proof tools for business websites. With it, you can automate Social Proof by showing real-time customer activity notifications on your website in the form of an eye-catching, unobtrusive popup.

Numbers

You can show how many people bought your product, how many users subscribed to your page.

Endorsements from celebrities & influencers

Consumers trust earned media and public opinion more than brands themselves. So it makes sense that they’d trust the word of people with influence as well.

It’s important to keep in mind to find the right match. That means knowing your audience.

Media mentions

If possible, take excerpts from media mentions and paste them on your website to establish authority.

Recommendations 

Offer special benefits to your existing customers so that they can recommend you to their friends.

Unethical social proof – business solutions in the eyes of consumers

So, what suspicious features should you pay attention to? 

Fake followers 

This method is so easy to figure out by looking at user engagement in the content that the company is published (quality of comments). If it is low, it is likely that the audience is formed by fake methods.

Fake reviews

Reviews are a huge topic…To put it simply, they can be fake, and they happen! As we mentioned earlier, nothing is more important than its quantity. Remember, several thousand positive reviews communicate better than just a few.

See you soon,
Team Dropton

Facebook captures a lot of attention, with people spending on average of 35 minutes every day on the platform, so it seems like a no-brainer that engaging with your Facebook community is a great way to grow your business.

So in this article, we’ll show you the steps to create a Facebook page for business. 

First, what is the Facebook shop?  

It’s simple version of online store that lives inside Facebook and Instagram mobile apps. It makes easy for billions of users to find, browse, and buy your goods in the apps they use daily to discover new experiences.

The benefits of Facebook store

First, Facebook shop also doesn’t discriminate from small businesses who do not have a third-party e-commerce store. The best thing, this type of store allows you to have a maximum reach with zero investment! All your products and categories will automatically transfer and be live on your ecommerce store on Facebook, so you get easy access to an untapped customer base.

It’s mobile-friendly experience for your audience! Your Facebook store will provide a seamless shopping experience, as it will display your products on any screen size – on tablets, mobile phones, or laptops.

Also, this platform allows your ecommerce business stores to get valuable insights regarding their page like the reach of your page, posts, engagements, clicks, etc.

What is more? Your products can be tagged on a visual post or promoted on its own when you set up Facebook shop.

Lastly, you can dig deep and analyze the performance of specific posts and find out the demographics of your customers. 

What are the risks of selling on Facebook?

The risks are relatively minimal, especially if your product catalog will go through an approval process before being posted. The biggest issue sellers run into on Facebook is selling counterfeit or trademarked items. So it can suspend your personal account. 

How to build Facebook store?

First, you need to know your options. In essence, you can do it by using a third-party application such as: Payvment, EasySocialShop, Storefront Social. 

Also, top ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Ecwid, and BigCommerce let you list and sell products in a Facebook Shop, plus many other places if you will need.

So what do these platforms offer over the Facebook-only option? Well, It’s a full suite of product listings as well as automated order and shipping management tools designed to save you time. 

Or…What is the traditional way of creating a facebook shop?

Follow these steps  for setting up a Facebook store: 

Step 1: First, go to your Facebook Page and configure the Shop page

Step 2: Set up your shop details

Step 3: Configure your payments

Step 4: Add a products  to your Facebook store

Step 5: Managing your orders

Step 6: You’re ready!

How to tag your products on Facebook posts? 

Tagging products and services in your Facebook posts is a great way of increasing awareness of them. Not only does tagging encourage more clicks and help your posts stand out. It also makes life easier for people browsing your page to find (and buy) the products they like the look of. 

OK, let’s take a closer look how to do it:

  
Step 1:Set up products in your Facebook shop. See this post to get set up, and this post to help you manage it once set up

Step 2: Go to your Facebook business page and write a post. Click the “Tag a Product”

Step 3: When you click the icon, you’ll see the products currently listed in your Facebook shop.

Step 4: Choose a product and publish the post. When someone clicks on the product, they will be able to purchase it. 

How to be successful with a Facebook store?

Adding your shop to a Facebook page isn’t enough…Don’t forget to spread the word about your intention to sell goods or services. So, let’s move on and discuss what you need to do to be successful.

ADS!

Facebook is one of the best advertising platforms available to companies.While creating ads, insert directly a link to your Facebook store. Your targeted audience (some probably soon-to-be customers) can just a click away from seeing your products and making a purchase decision. Of course, use newsfeed and mobile ads for the best results! 

Offer discounts and promos

Statistics show that 42% of people like a Facebook page to get a discount or coupon. So by offering discounts through your Facebook page, you’ll be able to entice new consumers.

Say bye to Stock Images

Instead of posting professional photos of your products, show how your products look in reality and shoppers can use those items in their everyday lives. 


Show how your (satisfied!) customers use your products! 

Showing your customer’s photos to others, new and potential customers will know that you already have happy feedback about your goods.

See you soon,
Team Dropton

Dropshipping is an order fulfillment strategy where the retailer does not keep products in inventory, but relies on wholesalers or manufacturers to actually ship orders to customers. You can start a dropshipping business with zero inventory and immediately start making money.

Benefits of dropshipping 

First, you don’t need to store your products

What is the main difference between dropshipping and the standard retail model? In the first case, the merchant doesn’t have to purchase the products until the moment the customer pays for it.

Dropshipping does not require large initial capital to start. This is one of the biggest benefits for a start-up entrepreneur. When we talk about capital, big or small, we have to keep in mind that we are saving thousands of money on inventory, stockpiling, renting premises and the associated costs. In this case, you don’t need to worry about warehouse management, order packaging and delivery, inventory accounting, the return of products, stock maintenance. 

Flexibility

An attractive opportunity opened up by dropshipping is to work whenever you want. The internet and phone are sufficient for this method of marketing. If you can easily communicate with suppliers and customers – you will be able to manage your business as well.  Manufacturers also get more flexibility since there is more product movement.

Increase the lifetime value of customers

With the ability to add new and expanded product selections consistently, you can keep your existing customers engaged and returning to see what new items you’ve acquired.

Thousands of vacant niches!

Dropshipping business is still staying at the growth stage. Technologies and automated solutions for its smooth running emerge every year, and new exciting products and product categories appear daily.

How to choose the right supplier for your business?

The biggest mistake new entrepreneurs make, they’re choosing unknown suppliers or even without counting their number.

If you immediately start to work with several different suppliers, this means you will need to supervise not only the production of each supplier, but also to check the pricing, follow news, communicate smoothly with different companies. In the beginning, this is not that easy. Therefore, we recommended to start with one supplier and later increase their number.

How to find suppliers?

Suppliers can be found by visiting the largest exhibitions. There is a perfect place to make imporant contacts for your dropshiping business. Also, this will help you to get to know the different products and find out the first news. 

The big advantage is working with a supplier who goes hand in hand with technology. Features such as real-time inventory, a comprehensive online catalog, an order history, and the ability to accept orders via email can greatly facilitate your daily work.

The location of the supplier is of equal importance. For example, wholesalers in central America can deliver a parcel anywhere in the country in just two to three days. Faster delivery times can not only become a competitive advantage, but also help reduce shipping costs.

However, a successful wholesaler search result is just the beginning. You will take a lot of time to analyze its products, study pricing, negotiate more flexible prices or conditions.

How to choose a product group? 

If the only valuable thing you can offer to the market is the lowest price – the business is doomed to fail in the first year. In price racing, you will limit your own profits.

Here are several groups of customers whose needs can be precisely selected for the product:

• People who invest in their hobbies. That’s why there are so many cyclists whose mountain bikes cost more than their cars, or fishermen who rent a small apartment, but have a large motorboat.

• Business customers. They almost always order in larger quantities.

Experts recommend finding a product whose marketing can be targeted at both individuals and legal entities. Make sure your product group price matches the presale you will going to make. Once you have selected a product group, supplier and pricing, you should put your attention on a marketing plan and create a quality trading platform.

Create online store design is not enough

Even a product in demand will not bring business in success if you make a customer use discomfort e-shop or he or she simply can’t find it in a search engine… For e-shops, nothing is more important than SEO and the ability to find your products by keywords.

Well, you’ll say great! Let’s calculate how much it can cost an entrepreneur to create an online store: a professional product photoshoot, website optimization, and advertising through other marketing channels… A lot! However, if this will be done in poor quality, there is very little chance that your business will move on. 

See you soon,
Team Dropton

Practice shows that only 10% of advertisements affect the consumer and motivate them to make a purchase decision. Due to the high competition, more than half of brands end up shortly after their launch. 

Brands seeking to dominate in the market must pay increasing attention to packaging design, which can boost consumer purchasing decisions by as much as 50-80%.  

Packaging elements such as sharpness or roundness of corners, color, shape, font size and font, choice of graphic design, or production material will influence the customer purchase.

FORM OF PACKAGING

Global research has confirmed that consumers prefer more the packaging of round rather than square or rectangular. 

Rounded corners add exclusivity to the product, associate it with luxury for the buyer, and match global sustainability trends with up to 30% less material. However, it is necessary to see a holistic view and not to follow the same rule in different markets.

For example, one of the biggest failures in packaging design came in 2018, when  Dove, which spreads the message that all women of all ages, looks, race or shapes are beautiful, released a limited set of tools to embody women’s silhouettes. However, one clear-cut package made the woman feel formless and this highly unsuccessful experiment caught  consumers anger.

A COMPANY POSITION IN THE MARKET MAY ALSO DEPEND ON THE COLOR

Responsibly, the colors of the product packaging or brand should also be chosen depending on the context and the message being sent. 

Color increases brand recognition of more than 80%. This carefully selected element of a product or service, aligned with the values, emotion, and message of the market participant, can significantly strengthen a company’s position in the market, as the consumer subconsciously chooses brands that reflecting desired mood and internal preferences.

Here comes a list of color meanings.

YELLOW

Commonly seen: energy, optimism, happiness, playfulness, friendliness

Most suitable products/industries:

• Children’s products (bright yellow)
• Summer products
• Luxury/high-end market
• Fast food
  
  
  

The color yellow can be bright and intense, which is why it can often invoke such strong feelings. The color loves a challenge, particularly a mental challenge.

Yellow can quickly grab attention, but it can also be abrasive when overused. It can motivate people to become overly critical and judgmental, as well as deceitful. Too much yellow can cause apprehension, nervousness, anxiety, agitation and confrontation particularly in people who are already stressed.

Negative color meanings in business:

Impulsive, stressful, nervous, irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, anxiety.

RED

Commonly seen: excitement, rush, energy, love, passion, anger, aggression, power

Most suitable products/industries:

• Food/drink
• Sales/discount stores

Red is a color that dominates. It gets people’s attention and it holds it. This color exudes a strong and powerful masculine energy.

Red is energizing. It excites the emotions and motivates us to take action. It signifies a pioneering spirit and leadership qualities, promoting determination, ambition.

The color red has also been proven to have physical effects, increasing blood circulation, breathing rates and even metabolism. This actually creates hunger, and is one of the reasons why most fast-food chains and restaurants use red in promotions and branding. Red is used as a primary branding color by Burger King, McDonalds, KFC, Pizza hut…

Also, this color works perfect on short-term, irregular promotions such a sales and offers.

Negative color meanings in business:

Angry and quick-tempered, over-bearing, tiring, aggressive and domineering, resentful, violent and brutal.

ORANGE

Commonly seen: joy, energy, warmth, fun, enthusiasm, vitality

Most suitable products/industries:

• Creative
• Ecommerce
  

Orange is similar to red and it also creates physical effects blood pressure, breathing, etc.), but to a smaller affect. This secondary color adds vibrancy to the brand and always catches the eye. Orange is often used to draw attention, such as in traffic signs and advertising.

It’s a combination of yellow and red and is considered an energetic, which is perhaps why many sports teams use orange in their uniforms, mascots, and branding.

The color psychology of orange is optimistic and uplifting, rejuvenating our spirit. In fact, orange is so optimistic and uplifting that we should all find ways to use it in our everyday life, even if it is just an orange colored pen that we use. Fanta and Nikelodeon created their logos to represent fun.

Orange brings spontaneity and a positive outlook on life and is a great color to use during tough economic times, keeping us motivated and helping us to look on the bright side of life.

However, If you’re targeting the luxury market, avoid this color. It’s youthful feel, playful, so that can make your brand feel cheap, especially when it’s overdone. 

Negative color meanings in business:

Over-bearing, superficial and insincere, inexpensive.

BLUE

Commonly seen: calmness, coldness, reliability, intelligence, security

Most suitable products/industries:

• Social media
• Software
• Health and wellness
• Financial
  
  
  

Blue is the color of the sky, ocean, sleep, and twilight. It is a color that makes you feel so good. It allows us to calm down, destress, and think of the most ideal situation. Also, color blue is often seen as a sign of stability and reliability. Blue adds strength and unity, and is therapeutic to the mind and body. It brings harmony to the spoken word. However, it can be perceived as cold, unemotional and unfriendly.

The color blue is the most universally favored color of all and therefore the safest to use. It relates to trust, honesty and dependability, therefore helping to build customer loyalty. Also, businesses that want to project an image of security often utilize blue in their advertising and marketing efforts.

To put on your attention, younger people see blue in general as a color relating to maturity and the adult market, unless it is a bright electric blue.

Negative color meanings in business:

Rigid, deceitful, spiteful, self-righteous, superstitious, emotionally unstable, manipulation, unfaithfulness.

PURPLE

Commonly seen: degree, title, influence, power, strength, femininity, loyalty, calmness, luxury

Most suitable products/industries:

• Indulgent products
• Luxury/high-end market
• Sophisticated/mature target market
  

Purple suggests wealth and extravagance, fantasy and the world of dreams… Physiologically, it heightens people’s sense of beauty and their reaction to more creative ideas.

The purple color is the most prominent psychological trigger is that of royalty and nobility, making it an amazing choice for brands creating luxury and elegance. It has incredible high-end appeal and is a great way to increase the value of a product, of course.

If you are in a service business, use some purple in your marketing to denote your premium service. Also, many companies that stand out as being original and different use purple in their logos. Example – Yahoo! Cadbury, Taco Bell, etc.

Negative color meanings in business:

Immaturity, pompous, arrogant, fraudulent.

GREEN

Commonly seen: naturalness, life, energy, wealth

Most suitable products/industries:

• Green products
• Environmentally friendly
• Health and wellness
• Fitness

Green is a color of growth and vitality, associated with new life and renewal. This color is known as the color that calms you down, a symbol of rest and peace. With green, you create security and tenderness, harmony and balance. It has a more positive affect than most other colors.

Also, this is a color of Mother Nature, therefore it can be a great choice for designing the ecommerce stores that offer food products or cosmetics they are not artificial. The juice brand Tropicana wants the users to know that the juice is natural. 

Darker greens relate to money, wealth and prestige, while lighter greens relate to growth and freshness, it can also represent sustainable development, prosperity, and financial stability. Negatively, it can indicate stagnation and, incorrectly used, will be perceived as being too bland.

Negative color meanings in business:

Possessive, materialistic, over-cautious.

BROWN

Commonly seen: security, structure, support, seriousness

Most suitable products/industries:

• Finance
• Coffee
• Food
• Package delivering
• Outdoor products and services
  

Physiologically, brown gives people either reassurance and comfort or a feeling of suffocation and dirtiness. Also, brown suggests endurance, stability and duty. It relates to the outdoors, the practical and down-to-earth and the family unit. Many of us love brown due to its security, strength and practicality.

Brown is often used in food packaging because it can signify the food is natural, earthy and eco-friendly. Coffee and chocolate companies also often use it in their packaging because it’s the color of their product.

Negative color meanings in business:

Lack of sophistication or humor, too serious, heavy and dull, despairing, dirty, passive.

WHITE

Commonly seen: purity, cleanliness, innocence, effectiveness

Most suitable products/industries:

• Creative
• Desing
• Tech
  

In color psychology white is the color of a new beginning, it stands for everything good and right. Color white is calming as it creates simplicity, organization and efficiency out of chaos. It clears the way forward.

While isn’t stimulating to the senses, it opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can conceive.

White can feel distant, impersonal, and cold. Though we associate it with morality, it can make us uncomfortable, as if a space or project is too perfect, or too artificial. It communicates, “Touch me not!” White is purity and, like black, uncompromising; it is clean, hygienic, and sterile. 

Negative color meanings in business:

Fastidious, empty, isolated, cautious, critical and boring.

BLACK

Commonly seen: power, luxury, elegance, sophistication, safety, independence

Most suitable products/industries:

• Tech
• High-end products

Black is all colours, totally absorbed.

Psychologically black means authority, power and control. Alternatively, it can be seen as sophisticated, dignified and serious. Black is a neutral color, which is often used to “stabilize” or subdue more vibrant colors that run the risk of being overpowering. Because of these stabilizing properties, black can feel very powerful.

Also, black can be associated with being modern. The use of black in the Apple logo implies modernity, innovation, minimalism, and bold thinking. These are all traits the modern consumer has come to rely on Apple products in their daily lives.  

Negative color meanings in business:

Depressing, pessimistic, secretive, conservative, serious.

The message is encoded in font

A well-used font may also encourage the purchase of a product. Too complex and incompatible font style complicates the task of reading and researching the brand, makes the user feel uncomfortable and creates negative emotions.

According to the research, Sans-Serif is the most attractive font. It making less time-consuming for users to examine label information. Also, modern brands are seeking very popular Century Gothic and Calibri font styles.

Ignoring user needs is the death of the brand

Businesses often save money where they should spend more – packaging is made from inferior, cheaper materials, creates a logo that is unsuitable for their segment, and underestimates the attractiveness of colors and fonts and the power of symbolism.

Nowadays, with fierce competition and coming more brands than ever, business owners need to pay attention to packaging and not be afraid to be different.

Team Dropton

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