Tip: Emphasize different types of social proof at different levels of your funnel

Social proof is powerful, but it'll leave customers on the table if it's used as a blunt instrument. Instead, show specific pieces of social proof at different points in your funnel.

ShipBob recently received a billion-dollar valuation. One thing (of many) that they leveraged to get there was a stellar social-proof strategy that emphasized different pieces of social proof at different stages. Here's how to do the same. At the top of the funnel, share big wins (primarily on social media). That includes press, awards, big clients, and the like — anything that will show that you are a trusted brand while driving people toward your website. In the middle of the funnel, use landing pages to show video testimonials, case studies, and quotes showcasing the pain points that real customers/brands faced, along with the solutions you provided. At this stage, trust needs to be built up even further and the prospect needs to see how their needs can be met. Then, at the bottom of the funnel, add testimonials to your pricing page. The prospect has done the research at this point and is looking at pricing — a quick confidence boost may get them off the fence.