Looking for the latest social proof statistics & trends? I’ve got you covered.
Social proof is one of the most powerful forces in marketing. It’s the psychological phenomenon that shapes consumer trust in your brand and can have a huge impact on your bottom line.
In this post, we’ll be sharing some interesting statistics about social proof and the many forms it comes in. This includes reviews & testimonials, ratings, influencer endorsements, UGC, and more.
General social proof statistics
Let’s start with some general statistics that highlight the power of social proof and the benefits it offers to businesses.
1. The top three most trusted forms of advertising are all related to social proof
Nielsen recently surveyed shoppers to find out which forms of advertising they trust the most and the least. They found that the most trusted forms of advertising all relate to social proof:
- 92% of people trust personal recommendations from people they know
- 70% trust consumer opinions posted online
- 58% trust editorial content such as newspaper articles
In comparison, traditional paid advertising channels are among the least trusted:
- 67% of people don’t trust online banner ads
- 64% of people don’t trust ads on social networks
- 60% of people don’t trust search engine ads
Source: Nielsen
2. 34% of shoppers have abandoned an online sale due to a lack of brand trust
And trust matters even more to Gen Zers. 42% of Gen Z shoppers have abandoned a sale due to a lack of brand trust, compared to 23% of baby boomers.
The best way to bolster trust in your brand is through social proof. If customers can see that other people already trust you, they will too.
Source: Salsify1
3. 42% of shoppers discover new products through friends and family recommendations
Word-of-mouth recommendations are the holy grail of social proof. 42% of consumers discover new products this way, according to a recent survey, making it the second top offline discovery channel.
Source: Salsify1
Related: How To Use Social Proof In Your Marketing (Beginner’s Guide)
Social proof statistics: Reviews & testimonials
When most people think of social proof, they think of reviews and customer testimonials. So, let’s look at some statistics that tell us more about this powerful form of social proof and its impact on consumer behavior.
4. Customer reviews are the #1 most important factor that makes shoppers trust a brand
In a recent survey by Salsify, shoppers were asked ‘What is the single most important factor that makes you trust a brand?’, and 23% pointed to positive customer ratings & reviews.
The only factor that more customers said was most important was ‘brand reputation’ (24%), but reputation is something intangible that’s hard to measure. Of concrete, measurable factors, reviews & ratings ranked at the top of the list.
Source: Salsify1
5. 72% of shoppers rate customer reviews as ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important to their purchasing decisions
Positive reviews don’t just build trust, they also boost conversions.
In fact, reviews rank as the third most important factor shoppers look at when deciding whether or not to hit the buy button, with 72% rating them as ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important.
The only factors customers consider more important when deciding whether or not to make a purchase are pricing and discounts (79%), product images (78%), and product descriptions (78%).
Source: Salsify1
6. 30.5% of consumers say positive reviews encourage them to complete a purchase
Customer reviews are the fifth most impactful online purchase driver, according to We Are Social’s Digital 2024 report.
Internet users were asked what factors would drive them to complete a purchase online, and 30.5% points to customer reviews. That’s only less than free delivery (50.6%), coupons & discounts ( 39.3%), easy returns (33.2%), and simple online checkout (30.6%).
Source: We Are Social
7. 56% of shoppers have abandoned an online sale because of negative reviews
Reviews can make or break a business. Low star ratings and negative reviews are the second top reason shoppers abandon their carts. The only factor more likely to make a customer abandon their purchase is a price that’s too high (58%)
Source: Salsify1
8. 88% of shoppers say they’re likely to use a business that responds to all reviews
Shoppers don’t just look at the reviews customers leave you for social proof—they also look at the way you respond to them.
According to a recent survey, 88% said they’re likely to shop with a brand that always responds to every review.
In comparison, just 47% said they’re likely to shop with brands that don’t respond to any reviews. 54% said they’re likely to shop with a brand that only responds to positive reviews, and 58% said they’re likely to shop with those that only respond to negative reviews.
Source: Bright Local
9. 74% of shoppers would only consider using a business with at least 20 reviews
A handful of reviews won’t cut it when it comes to social proof—most customers need to see a substantial volume to trust you enough to buy.
31% expect to see 20-49 reviews, 28% expect 50-99 reviews, and 15% expect 100+ reviews. Only 13% are happy with less than 20 reviews, and 12% say they’re not fussed.
Source: Bright Local
10. The minimum number of reviews the average shopper expects is 112
Salsify also looked at how many reviews customers want to see, and they found that the average is around 112.
However, they also note that that varies by age. Younger shoppers expect more. Those between 18 and 24 expect 203 on average, while those aged 55 to 64 expect just 38.
Source: Salsify2
11. 37% of consumers primarily use customer reviews for brand research
Surveyed internet users were asked which channels they use as a primary source of information when researching brands, and 37.2% pointed to consumer reviews.
That makes reviews the third most popular brand research channel after search engines (50.3%) and social networks (46%).
Source: We Are Social
12. 15.9% of consumers primarily use specialist review sites for brand research
Shoppers will go out of their way to find reviews of your brand and products, with around a sixth reporting to use specialist review sites to gather information. That includes review aggregators like Yelp, Trustpilot, Google reviews, etc.
Source: We Are Social
13. 36.4% of customers will read between 1 and 3 reviews before deciding to purchase
Shoppers in a recent survey were asked how many reviews they typically read when making a purchase decision, and 36.4% said between 1 and 3.
A further 31% said they’d read between 4 and 6 reviews, 9.1% said 7 to 9, and 14.6% said more than 10. Only 8.7% said they wouldn’t read any reviews.
Source: Statista1
14. 77% of shoppers check 2 or more review websites before deciding to use a local business
Consumers are particularly thorough when they’re researching local businesses, with most opting to check multiple review websites before they’re ready to buy.
23% of those surveyed said they’d check just 1 site, 36% said they’d check 2 sites, 25% said 3 sites, 9% said 4 sites, and 7% said 5 sites.
Source: Bright Local
15. Google is the most popular review site for evaluating local businesses
81% of shoppers look at Google for local reviews, making it the #1 local review site. It’s followed by Facebook (45%), Yelp (44%), Tripadvisor (21%) and Better Business Bureau (20%).
Source: Bright Local
16. 97% of consumers check reviews when shopping for local businesses
Only 3% of customers say they never check any reviews when they’re purchasing a product or service from a local business. 22% will check reviews occasionally, 42% will check them regularly, and 33% will always do so.
Source: Bright Local
17. 92% of consumers think twice about completing a purchase if the product has no reviews
2% of those say they won’t buy the product at all. 35% say they’d be less likely to buy it, 32% will spend longer researching the product, and 23% say they’d have difficulty finalizing their decision.
Source: Salsify2
18. 56% of customers wouldn’t buy a product if they suspected it had fake reviews
It can be tempting to fake social proof by buying reviews. But as this stat shows, that’s probably not going to work out well—56% of customers wouldn’t buy a product if they were suspicious about the authenticity of reviews.
What’s more, 25% wouldn’t buy from that website again and 81% wouldn’t buy from that brand again. 48% would go one step further and leave a negative review, and 16% would even post negatively about the brand on social.
Source: Bazaar Voice
19. 52% of brands say reviews help to boost brand loyalty
Reviews don’t just help you earn more sales, they also have other benefits for your brand beyond conversions. 52% of marketers think they build loyalty. 53% think they positively impact in-store sales, and 63% say they positively impact SEO.
Source: Bazaar Voice
20. 79% of consumers have watched a video testimonial for product/brand research
And 2 out of 3 people say they’re more likely to make a purchase after watching a testimonial video. What’s more, 77% of people who have watched one say it played a part in convincing them to buy.
Source: Wyzowl
21. 25.2% of internet users watch product review videos every week
Videos featuring reviews of products are the 6th most common type of video content consumers watch online, with 25.2% of internet users reportedly watching at least one product review video weekly.
Source: We Are Social
Social proof statistics: Star ratings
Star ratings are another important type of social proof that brands need to pay attention to. They tell customers at a glance how others rate your brand, services, or products on a scale of 1 to 5. Here are some social proof statistics specifically about star ratings.
22. 72% of shoppers rate high star ratings as ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important when deciding what to click
Star ratings are the third most important factor influencing whether or not a customer clicks a product page they see in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
The only factors that rank higher on shoppers’ minds when deciding which pages to click are high-quality product images (76%) and pricing/discounts (76%).
Source: Salsify1
23. Products with a star rating of 4 or above account for 94% of all purchases
This is according to data from Yotpo, which analyzed a million reviews and 8.6 million purchases. What’s more, items rated 4 stars get 11.6 times more orders than those rated 3 stars.
Source: Yotpo
24. 71% of shoppers wouldn’t consider using a business with a <3 Star rating
3 stars seems to be the minimum benchmark brands should be aiming for. The large majority of customers won’t do business with you if you don’t hit that threshold.
Source: Bright Local
25. 54% of shoppers would only consider using a business with a 4-star or above rating
To put that another way, 54% of shoppers won’t even consider shopping with you if you have anything less than 4 stars as an average rating. What’s more, only 5% of shoppers say star ratings don’t impact their buying decisions at all.
Source: Bright Local
Social proof statistics: Social media
Your social media presence also acts as social proof for your brand—the number of followers and engagements you have affects how audiences see you.
Here are some stats that tell us more about social media as social proof.
26. 46% of consumers primarily use social networks for brand research
That’s more than any other source except for search engines (50.3%).
What does that tell us? Almost half your potential customers will be looking at social media platforms when weighing up your brand. When they do, it’s important they see strong social proof, meaning a strong brand presence and plenty of positive brand mentions
Source: We Are Social
27. 19.4% of consumers say social likes & comments drive them to complete an online purchase
According to We Are Social’s Digital 2024 report, social likes and comments are the 9th most impactful online purchase driver. 19.4% of surveyed internet users pointed to them when asked what factors encourage them to complete an online purchase.
Source: We Are Social
28. 43% of shoppers discover new products through social media networks
This makes social media the third most popular online discovery platform after search engines (49%) and online marketplaces (47%).
Source: Salsify1
29. 2% of shoppers say a brand’s social media presence is the single most important factor that makes them trust them
To break that down further: 1% say the most important factor is that the brand is active and engaged with customers on social media, and another 1% say the most important factor is the brand’s popularity on social media platforms.
Source: Salsify1
Related: How To Grow Your Social Media Following The Right Way
Social proof statistics: Influencer endorsements
Endorsements from celebrities and influencers also serve as social proof for your brand. Here are some stats that highlight the power of influencer marketing for social proof.
30. 49% of consumers rely on recommendations from influencers
Almost half of all shoppers rely on influencer recommendations to help them find products, according to a recent survey. For comparison, 56% said they rely on recommendations from friends.
Source: Adweek
31. 21% of shoppers have recently bought a product because a social media influencer recommended it
That’s even higher among younger shoppers. 32% of Gen Zers have bought a product due to influencer endorsements in social media posts, compared to just 9% of Baby Boomers.
Source: Salsify1
32. 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations as much as their family and friends
Most shoppers say they trust recommendations from their favorite influencers as much as those from their loved ones.
Source: AdamConnell.me
33. 45% of consumers say they’re likely to purchase a product endorsed by influencers
What’s more, 44% follow influencers who regularly promote brands/products, 40% think influencers are knowledgeable about the products they recommend, 40% think recommendations from influencers are more informative than those from celebrities, and 36% think influencer recommendations are more trustworthy than ads.
Source: Statista2
34. 23.8% of internet users watch influencer videos every week
Videos and vlogs from influencers are the 8th most common type of video content watched online. 23.8% of adult internet users watch at least one piece of influencer video content weekly.
Source: We Are Social
35. 20.1% of internet users mainly use social media to follow celebrities and influencers
According to the findings of a broad internet survey reported by We Are Social in their Digital 2024 report, a little over a fifth of all internet users say their primary reason for being on social media is to keep up with influencers & celebrities.
So, if you do want to become an influencer, developing a strong presence on social media is essential. But it can be time consuming unless you use social media scheduling tools effectively.
Source: We Are Social
36. 83% of brands think influencer marketing is effective
Companies are confident in the value of influencer marketing, with the vast majority rating it as effective.
Source: AdamConnell.me
37. 61% of brands work with over 10 influencers
39% of brands work with less than 10 influencers, 21% work with between 10 and 50, 16% work with between 50 and 100, 11% work with between 100 and 1000, and 12% work with 1,000+.
Source: AdamConnell.me
38. Brands spend $257 per influencer collaboration on average
Influencer endorsements are valuable as social proof, but they don’t come cheap. The average cost of an influencer collab is $257. However, 83% of influencers say they’ll work with brands for free products if they like the brand or the product is highly valuable.
Source: AdamConnell.me
39. Brands spend $30.8 billion on influencer activities annually
That’s as of 2023 and is up +17% year-over-year. That makes influencer marketing the 4th biggest marketing activity by digital advertising spend. It’s behind only search ad spending ($279.3 billion), video ad spending ($176.6 billion), and digital banner ad spending ($161.8 billion).
Source: We Are Social
40. 53% of consumers think celebrities are most effective at promoting beauty products
Beauty and personal care brands are the best placed to benefit from celebrity endorsements, according to a recent survey.
The next categories celebrities are seen as most effective at promoting include clothes/accessories (45%), foodstuffs (25%), cars (21%), and electronics (21%). They’re seen as least effective at promoting financial services (8%)
Source: YouGov
41. TikTok is the most popular influencer marketing channel
69% of those surveyed think TikTok is the best place to source influencer endorsements. That’s followed by Instagram (47%), YouTube (33%), and Facebook (28%)
Source: Influencer Marketing Hub
42. A celebrity endorsement increases a company’s sales by 4% on average
What’s more, it can also lead to a 20-40% lift in brand trust, according to data on Appnova.a
Source: Appnova
43. The influencer marketing market is estimated to have reached $24 billion this year
That’s up significantly year-over-year. In comparison, the influencer market was at $21.1 billion in 2023, $16.4 billion in 2022, and $13.8 billion in 2021.
Source: Statista4
Social proof statistics: User-generated content (UGC)
Next, let’s look at some stats that highlight the value of UGC as social proof.
44. 40% of shoppers rate user-generated content as ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important when deciding to complete a purchase
UGC is the sixth most important factor shoppers look at when they’re deciding whether or not to buy. It follows pricing and discounts (79%), product images (78%), product descriptions (78%), customer ratings and reviews (72%), and product titles (49%).