As a digital marketer in the sciences industry, driving organic growth for your brand within the scientific community can be challenging.
Social proof can significantly help boost brand awareness with a niche researcher audience and maximize organic growth.
To help you understand the positive impact of social proof, we’ll take a look at three ways it can benefit your brand by improving your content reach and driving engagement.
But first, let’s start by looking at what social proof is and how it works.
Social proof is a psychological phenomenon based on “The Social Proof Theory.” It states that when people are unsure of how to behave in any given situation, they look to those around them to determine their response.
Human beings are social creatures who seek approval from their peers. So they adapt their behavior according to their social environment – including purchasing decisions. In fact, 83% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product or service after a recommendation.
That’s why social proof lies at the foundation of many effective digital marketing campaigns. For example, when A/B testing their advertising copy using social proof, travel brand Fred Olsen saw a 53% reduction in cost-per-acquisition (CPA).
How does social proof drive a researcher to engage with your brand and improve awareness and reach?
Let’s say you are walking down the street and see a line outside a restaurant. You’ll instantly have the perception that it's an established, high-quality venue. Similarly, if researchers see peers sharing or recommending your content, they will be more inclined to engage with your brand — whether it’s by engaging with your content themselves, visiting your website, or signing up for your event. Social proof helps boost researchers’ confidence in your brand.
From branded content shares on ResearchGate to online reviews, social proof comes in many forms, and audiences respond well to it. Sprout Social shared that 40% of consumers find new brands to follow online based on recommendations from friends and family. When it comes to making purchasing decisions for lab and science equipment, buying groups typically consist of three to five people — with group size increasing with the item price.
Ultimately, people trust other people over brands. So, by combining native marketing solutions with the power of social proof within a purpose-built scientific platform like ResearchGate, you can improve your reach and build trust earlier in the funnel — positively impacting your business.
If your branded content — be it a thought leadership blog article, e-book, or industry report — is shared with your target audience, it can reach many more researchers thanks to social proof. This not only drives traffic but it gives your brand credibility.
So, start by creating educational, informative, and compelling content or experiences (such as events) that provide value. Next, target the right audience through advertising campaigns. Using specialized research platforms like ResearchGate helps put your content in front of a relevant user group.
By engaging them where and when it’s contextually relevant — such as when they’re focused on finding content related to their work — it’s easier to generate social proof for your campaigns and get the most out of your ad spend.
Finally, researchers can share or recommend your Sponsored Content and Events. Their followers on ResearchGate will then see this activity as posts in their home feed, which instantly raises your brand’s authority.
Having scientists push your brand online, backed by their own enthusiasm and passion for your offering, not only builds awareness but creates a more authentic brand experience. That’s why user-generated content and influencer marketing remain popular forms of social proof.
To encourage social proof, incentivize your loyal customers and brand advocates. Recognize their loyalty and encourage them to share their support and positive brand experience via initiatives like referrals. This helps drive organic social proof seamlessly — all while boosting reach, driving sales, and raising ROI.
As a marketer in the sciences, you want to educate and inspire your target audience, persuading them to take action — whether it’s by sharing your content or signing up for your event.
For researchers, social proof is a valued part of the customer journey. So, encouraging social proof of your high-quality content helps build awareness and trust among your target audience – leading to organic brand growth.
By combining native marketing solutions with the power of social proof within the ResearchGate network, you can improve reach and achieve campaign goals. On the network, your branded content — from blog articles to e-books and application notes — can easily be shared by researchers with their followers via the home feed, generating social proof.
Ultimately, generating social proof is an ideal organic marketing tactic that can raise reach, awareness, and engagement – all of which can significantly impact your bottom line.
Grow your brand within the scientific community with ResearchGate Marketing Solutions. Find out more.
