Use social proof to get more email subscribers

Hesitant when asked for your email address? That is as natural as breathing.

But for marketers, this is a problem. Luckily, for every problem under the sun there is a solution – using social proof.

What is social proof?

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon that when not sure what to do in a certain situation, people tend to look to other people to guide their decisions and actions, in other words, follow the crowd.

A study published in the Wall Street Journal tested the effectiveness of social proof by using 4 different messages to persuade people to use less air-conditioning:

Message 1 informed them that they could save $54 a month on the utility bill.

Message 2 told them that they could prevent the release of 262 pounds of greenhouse gases every month.

Message 3 pointed out that it was a social responsibility to save energy.

Message 4 said that 77% of their neighbours are already using fans to save energy.

The result? Message 4, presenting a positive social proof, came out to be the most effective, more convincing than the incentives of saving money, protecting the environment and being socially responsible.

2 major tips for using social proof

So you see social proof has its power, and here are two major tips:

Tip #1: Show the number of subscribers if it is impressive enough

Adding the subscriber count to your opt-in form tells people that subscribing to your email list is a common behaviour. This is playing into people’s FOMO (fear of missing out), driving them to subscribe to be at the same pace as their colleagues or competitors.

Tip #2: Add testimonials from influencers

Getting a testimonial from industry influencers about your email list can be magnetic.

If you have the skills, you don’t need luck!