Have you ever made a donation based on facts presented to you, videos that made you emotional, or by looking at images? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you probably acted under the influence of social proof.

Social proof is making decisions based on the actions and decisions made by a large group. It is very powerful in convincing people to contribute to a cause you support. Social proof can be testimonials from people who benefitted from your organisation, shares by celebrities, statistics, and interactions on social media.

Social proof can encourage action and become a catalyst for social change if used correctly. It can also help nonprofits increase their reach and impact. How? Let’s find out.

Different Ways Social Proof Can Help Nonprofits Increase their Reach and Impact

Social proof is a powerful tool of persuasion that nonprofits can leverage to increase the impact of their cause. Using social proof, they can influence people’s decisions. The thought behind it is that people get influenced by the opinions and actions of those around them. Meaning that if all are doing certain things, we think it must be the right thing to do.

Suppose someone whom you respect and admire supports a nonprofit. You will mirror that person’s action and support the same nonprofit as long as you believe that it is the right thing to do.

There are different ways in which social proof can help nonprofits increase the reach and impact of the cause that they support. Let’s know more about them.

1. Motivate a Prospective Donor to Support Your Cause

Using social proof on your website can motivate your prospective donors to lend their support to your cause. It can make others believe in your cause, resulting in your fundraiser getting more donations.

Let us consider the example of Moms Clean Air Force. They used social proof in the form of numbers in their CTA. They are informing the prospective donors that they are a community of over one million moms and dads. Using numbers in their CTA will encourage others to join them in their fight against air pollution.

The support is not limited to just donating. The donor may talk about the organisation they support with their family and friends.

2. Create Awareness and Bring People Over to Your Cause

With social proof, you can create awareness about your organisation’s cause. If you use social media for nonprofits and post a testimonial on your social channel, you can tell your story to all your supporters. If people resonate with your cause, they will join you and donate to your cause.

To reach a larger audience, you can run paid ad campaigns based on the testimonials of your supporters. If people feel that your supporters are doing the right thing and they also need to do that, they are more likely to mirror their actions. And the more people you reach, the more support you will get for your cause.

3. Gives Credibility to Your Campaign

When nonprofits use social proof in any form, it provides credibility to your organisation’s cause. For instance, you can show live donations in the form of pop-ups on your website. It will lend authenticity to your nonprofit, give your website visitors a reason to trust you, and help them make a more informed decision. They are great for building trust and credibility. Once your website visitors see these pop-ups, it helps convert them to supporters. It is an essential step to enhance the organisation’s credibility, and it helps to gain the trust of the donors, stakeholders, and supporters.

You can even go one step further by using storytelling for nonprofits and adding a donor story. You can record interviews with the donor and ask questions like what motivated them to donate, why they chose your organisation to donate, how they found your organisation, etc. Once prospective donors see the story, they know the cause you stand for is worth supporting. Their money will go in the right place by contributing to your organisation.

4. Builds an Emotional Relationship, Encouraging Engagement

If you are just talking about how you are making a difference, what all your team did, etc., you are not encouraging people to interact with your content. But if you share a video testimonial, people will not passively watch it.

Instead, it is highly likely that they will feel a connection and will help them build a relationship with your brand. They will share their own experience in the comments. They may talk about your cause, publicising it. And we all know there is no publicity greater than word-of-mouth. It will help you cause gain momentum and have more impact.

5. Social Proof in the form of Videos will Drive Website Traffic

It is a known fact that we humans are visual creatures. We are more likely to spend some time watching a video than reading about the content of the same video. So, if your social proof includes videos, people will take time to watch those videos. The testimonial videos will help you raise brand awareness and drive valuable traffic to your website.

Bonus: Useful Tips for Increasing Your Impact Using Social Proof

1. If you are a nonprofit and asking for a donation, you can suggest an amount, saying that many people are giving this amount. Highlighting an amount can boost the donations for nonprofits.
2. Using statistics and figures can give weight to your argument. They can increase your potential donor’s trust in your cause. You can use stats to show how successful your work has been. Additionally, you can inform your potential donors of the difference your organisation made and show how much you have spent on your cause.
3. Never caution people on the risks of not donating to your nonprofit, and then go on to provide proof of those who never donated money. In that case, your social proof will work against you.
4. Use Social proof in your CTAs. You can encourage donors to contribute by using a call to action like “Join the Community of 10K+ Donors” or “Contribute Towards the Change Now”. It would be more impactful and have a positive effect on the donor.

Final Words

If you support a nonprofit or run a not-for-profit organisation, you can use social proof to your advantage. It will immensely benefit the cause that you support. So, what are you waiting for? Leverage the power of social proof today!