Social proof in marketing helps you influence people by showing how others engage with your brand. This could be through customers using your product, testing your service, or even celebrities endorsing what you offer. Everyday customers also play a powerful role—what they say about you matters. When people share positive experiences, it reassures others and builds trust.

In this guide, we’ll explore what social proof is, why it works, and marketing examples that you can use to propel your social proof messaging to the next level. Discover how to build credibility for your business.

What is social proof?

Social proof in marketing refers to the influential power of seeing others’ experiences with a product or service. When people observe others using and approving of something, they’re more likely to take action themselves—for example, making a purchase.

According to Gartner, three psychological components drive this behavior:

• Conformity: Following the crowd to feel included.
• Trust: Watching others engage reduces uncertainty and makes the unknown feel safe.
• Belonging: Creating a “people like me” effect that validates values and fosters emotional connection.

Why is social proofing so important?

Social proof builds credibility and reassures hesitant prospects—often making the difference between losing a sale and winning one. But authenticity is crucial: people quickly see through exaggeration or fake endorsements. Done right, social proof strengthens trust and helps convert interest into action. Here are a few key benefits of using social proof in marketing.

• Helps to frame narratives: Highlighting groups of positive reviews—especially from verified users—helps shape the story your brand tells.
• Builds trust: When people see others using and praising your product, it inspires confidence and creates positive associations.
• Encourages conversions. Reduces hesitancy by validating purchase decisions and giving customers the confidence to act. by validating purchase decisions and giving customers the confidence to act.
• Boosts brand credibility. Media coverage and endorsements from influencers or industry experts reinforce legitimacy.
• Fosters community engagement. Seeing content creators and share their experiences on social media creates a sense of belonging and customer loyalty.
• Makes your brand more visible. Reviews, shares, and social mentions increase reach and organically attract new audiences.

How to use social proof in marketing.

We’ve looked at the social proof definition, now let’s look at how it works in practice, with some real-world examples:

Customer reviews and testimonials.

Positive reviews increase purchase likelihood. Display them on your website, social channels, and even in ads. Both quality and quantity matter—research from the Association for Psychological Science shows that products with more reviews are more likely to be chosen.

Award wins and nominations.

Industry awards act as authority signals, showing that your brand is recognised and respected by peers. Being shortlisted adds credibility; winning projects a “best in the field” image.

User-generated content.

Videos, shorts, and posts from real customers using your products feel authentic and engaging. They are also great for sharing across platforms and social media channels.

Real-life demonstrations.

Showing products in everyday use—or alongside other items in your portfolio—brings them to life and helps customers visualise practical value.

Influencer partnerships and endorsements.

Partnering with influencers gives you access to an established fanbase and extends your reach. While often paid, the credibility and visibility they bring can outweigh the cost.

Real-world case studies.

In-depth stories of how your product solved customer problems build strong credibility. Whether offered as detailed PDFs or web pages, they highlight success and provide proof of value.

5 stand-out social proof marketing examples.

Social proof shines when it’s creatively displayed across real-world and digital touchpoints. Some social proof marketing examples are:

• Award logos on flyers and posters
• Star ratings on product packaging
• Influencer quotes in ads
• User generated content walls at events.

These act as hard-to-miss trust signals that instantly boost credibility and brand appeal.

5 social proof website banner examples.

Some social proof website banner examples are:

• Star ratings from review platforms
• Standout customer testimonials
• Influencer or media quotes
• Trust signals like “10,000+ happy customers” or “Award-winning service”

High-visibility spaces like homepage headers or campaign landing pages are perfect for showcasing credibility. Explore testimonial banner ideas with Adobe Express Templates.

5 social proof advertising examples.

Social proof can make your advertising more persuasive—whether online or offline. Some social proof advertising examples are:

• Testimonial videos shared in social media ads
• Customer star ratings featured in display ads
• Review quotes highlighted in print campaigns

Explore how advertisers can use social proof to build trust and drive sales.

More social proof marketing ideas.

Social proof makes trust concrete and visible. It provides clear signals that reassure hesitant customers and build engagement. Real reactions, expert validation, and peer activity all work together to strengthen confidence in your brand. The goal is to shift undecided curiosity into conviction.

Some extra social proof examples to try:

• Include a customer showcase on your homepage. Include a collection of reviews, testimonials, and user-generated content on your homepage.
• Create a compilation video of customer reactions or testimonials. Create highlight reels of customer reactions or testimonials to use on your website and social channels like Facebook and Instagram.
• Minor case studies with quantified wins. Share quick success stories with measurable results, e.g., “Client X increased conversions by 50% in two months.” Keep them concise, evidence-based, and ROI-focused.
• Referral incentive programs. Offer rewards to current customers to refer their peers. Like for example, “sign up and get £50 credit for you and your friend”.
• Proof screenshots and unedited social shares. Display unedited screenshots of positive tweets, messages, or social shares to add authenticity.

How can Adobe Express help you with social proofing?

With Adobe Express, it’s easy to turn customer praise into eye-catching visuals—no design experience needed. Adobe Express makes it simple for marketers and business owners to create professional social proof quickly:

1. Create your own customer testimonial videos.

Turn authentic customer stories into engaging video content with Adobe Express’ simple video creation tools. Add text overlays, branded graphics, and music to make testimonials pop.

Create Videos with Adobe Express

2. Customise our banner templates with ratings and awards.

Highlight star ratings, awards, or customer quotes on eye-catching banners for your website or ads. Adobe Express offers hundreds of editable banner designs to suit your brand.

Explore banner templates with Adobe Express

3. Build your own case studies.

Showcase client successes with sleek, easy-to-read case studies or infographics. Use Adobe Express’ report templates or infographic maker to combine data, visuals, and quotes.

Build your own cases with Adobe Express

Create your own effective social proof with the AI template generator.

Enter a few simple prompts and watch the Adobe Express AI generator bring a custom template to life in a flash. For example, you could put “award winning flyer with customer star ratings”. It’s fully editable too, if you don’t like what you see first time around – refine it until you’re happy.

Try the Adobe Express AI template generator

Good to know.

What is social proof bias?

Social proof bias is the tendency to copy others’ actions or choices, , assuming they are correct. In marketing, this means people are more likely to buy, trust, or engage with a brand when they see others doing the same.

Are reviews social proof?

Yes. Customer reviews and ratings provide real-world feedback that builds trust, reduces uncertainty, and guides purchasing decisions by showing others have had positive experiences.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our pricing page for details and to compare plans.