Between the two examples of social proof below, which is more convincing?
Chances are you picked option one and did so not because of the numbers, but because those nine images served as proof that there are real people behind the likes.
A recent study from the psychology department at Victoria University at Wellington suggests that humans are more likely to trust social proof that is accompanied by imagery. In the study, subjects were presented with a series of statements about celebrities, some accompanied by photos and some not. Results showed that participants were more likely to believe the statements that included a photo, which led the psychologists concluded that photos “inflate the subjective truth” of statements — in other words, we’re more likely to trust statements that are accompanied by relevant imagery.
3 winning examples of photo-backed social proof
Muck Rack
Muck Rack is a handy new tool for journalists, bloggers and communications professionals. Their landing page shares product benefits and wisely backs up these claims with a scrolling feed of quotes from notable journalists. Headshots are included as proof that these satisfied journalists are indeed real people.
Sprout Social
The social media marketing software space is growing more and more crowded by the day, so it’s vital to differentiate products using social proof. Sprout Social provides this proof with a series of testimonials from industry professionals, each paired with an image.
TaskRabbit
But social proof imagery isn’t restricted to headshots, though. Since company logos are often more recognizable than the name itself, consider including them on your site, as TaskRabbit does in the screenshot above.
For more tips on converting customers, check out our ongoing landing page design series.
