How to use social proof in facebook ads

UGC ads and influencer marketing still reign supreme in paid social ... 🤷 but why? 

Why do product recommendations mean so much to us, even when they come from a complete stranger?

It comes down to social proof — a psychological theory of persuasion.

There are so many ads that are winning on TikTok and Meta right now using social proof in new and inventive ways (that don't require hiring expensive influencers!). 

Experiment with the principle of social proof to build trust, win conversions, and turn your customers into an extension of your marketing team.

The psychology of social proof 🧠

In Robert Cialdini’s bestselling book Influence, social proof is one of the six key principles of persuasion. 

One study found that charities raised significantly more funds by showing people a list of their neighbors who also donated.

Humans are social creatures — we look to the group when we’re unsure of what to do.

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Use social proof strategies to make better ads ✨

One of my favorite creative strategists, Savannah Sanchez (clients include Dr. Squatch, Gainful, and Fabletics), shared some of her top-performing ads with us a few weeks ago.

They all had the same thing in common → social proof. 

Here are some ad examples to jumpstart your creative ideation with this principle in mind. ⬇️

Social proof through testimonials

Testimonials are the gold standard of social proof in ads. 

A simple static will do. As long as you put the glowing testimonial front and center. 

Here’s a great example from Jones Road Beauty.

But what if you don’t have great reviews or quotable testimonials yet?

This next format lets you bypass customer sentiment and create social proof from scratch. 👇

“I got dozens of DMs after posting this” 

This hook creates implied social proof with a simple story: I posted this product and people loved it so much that I’m making this video so I don’t have to answer everyone individually.

How it works → Hook viewers with text & audio like: 

• My DMs blew up when I posted this
• I got so many messages about this [product]
• My inbox is flooded with people asking about [product]

There are a ton of ways to phrase this. The key message is → everyone’s been asking me about this product I shared recently.

Then, transition into pitching the product.

Viewers want to know why this product made so many people DM the creator. All you have to do is give them the answer, which is conveniently your product’s features.

📝 Briefing tip: Ask your creator to talk about the product the way they’d tell a friend. You know your product’s top selling points, but your creator brings a fresh perspective. Use it!

Comment overlays as social proof 💬

This is a popular format for organic TikTok content: Overlay a comment from a previous video and use the current video to respond to it.

You can pull in a positive comment, or find a question from an interested customer and answer it. 

The positive comment builds social proof, the question builds trust.

If you want to get really bold you can overlay a negative comment, like HexClad did here. It’s a double-whammy that disarms customer objections while simultaneously building trust in your brand.

Text exchange hook 📲

The “text exchange” ad format is performing really well for Savannah’s clients right now. 

Why does this work so well?

Part of its success is the familiar medium → You recognize it right away as an iMessage and your brain is trained to read through it. 

On top of that, it feels like receiving a text from a friend or family member, someone whose opinion you trust.

This makes the effects of social proof even stronger.

Getting fancy: Fake podcast ads 🎙️

Speaking of people we trust — what is it about podcasters that makes everything they say feel believable? 

I can’t answer that 🤷 but I do know you can use it to your advantage.

The fake podcast ad format cashes in on the popularity of podcast clips on social media. 

When your audience is scrolling through TikTok or Reels, there’s a good chance they’re stopping to watch podcast clips, whether they follow the show or not.

All it takes is a cheap mic and a neon sign to imitate a podcast setup. 

This lets you speak straight to your audience about the product while sidestepping their “that’s an ad” alarm.

Tying it all together 🧵

You can use social proof in any ad, whether you have the budget to hire talent or not.

Social proof is more than just customer reviews or well-known influencers. It’s a principle you can apply across platforms and at all stages of the marketing funnel.

When you’re concepting creative, keep in mind how to leverage this principle. It can be as small as a hook or you can build the whole concept around it.