Remember the last time you bought a pair of shoes online?
How about email marketing software or even the last restaurant you went to?
I’ll bet that you read at least one review before you pulled your credit card out for every purchase you made in the last month. We all do it; we’re conditioned to consider others' opinions about a product before we commit to buying it.
If you’re struggling to sell online courses that can scale your business, you can take advantage of that same principle to propel your business to new heights.
In marketing-speak, we call this principle social proof, and it is incredibly powerful in greasing the wheels of your sales funnel. Your customers are savvier than ever when it comes to researching and informing themselves before making a purchase decision.
In this article, I’ll share how you can leverage social proof to your advantage.
What is Social Proof?
Social proof is when you back up your marketing or sales claims with reviews, data, or expert insights to help make your point.
In other words, you can say you’re selling the greatest course ever, and it’s worth the $100 you wish to charge, but social proof backs your claims up and convinces your prospective students that you can do what you’re claiming.
I’ll share six specific examples of social proof later on, but a quick list for now could include:
The Ultimate Online Course Launch Checklist
Use this checklist to take action with your online course today!
Why Use Social Proof to Sell Your Online Courses?
According to Gartner, social proof demonstrates the value of your products or services by creating an authentic customer experience.
The easy decision comes when you can provide positive proof that your product or service gets results and that real people like what you have to offer. That’s not all, though; Wisernotify has a few stats about social proof that are worth paying attention to:
So you see, social proof is not just a checkbox to tick off your sales page. Social proof is an immensely valuable sales tool that can be the difference between a sleeper of a launch and a smashing success.
6 Types of Social Proof To Help Sell Online Courses
While there are countless ways to bring social proof into your course sales pages, here are the top six I’ve found work the best:
Customer Reviews
There is little better to pump up your sales than honest, detailed feedback from verified customers.
Customer reviews are powerful because everyone hitting your sales pages may be inherently skeptical of your messaging, but their defenses will lower the second they see others have bought your course and loved it.
Unlike marketing copy, reviews provide an unfiltered view of your course. As a bonus, customer reviews will give you better insight into what your customers value, which can guide you in writing even better copy! Check out my guide to asking for reviews for your online course for a deeper dive here.
Your Background and Expertise
You can demonstrate your credibility through your professional background too.
Relevant experience, qualifications, and industry achievements can build trust with potential students. Not only does this help position you as an expert, but it also builds a connection with your audience by showing there is a real person behind the business.
For instance, on my “About” page, I share that I’ve spent over 30 years creating marketing and training programs for Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and entrepreneurs.
The Ultimate Online Course Launch Checklist
Use this checklist to take action with your online course today!
Case Studies and Testimonials
If reviews are effective, then case studies and video testimonials are a sales superpower.
By documenting specific challenges, implementation steps, and measurable results, case studies provide foolproof evidence of your course's effectiveness and help potential students see their own path to success. Video testimonials can be especially effective: it’s estimated that 72% of customers trust a brand more if they have a positive video testimonial, and customers will retain 95% of a video testimonial versus 10% of a written one.
Awards
If you have recognition from anyone in your industry, show it off! From industry recognition to certifications, there are plenty of ways to add a bit of external validation that proves you know your stuff.
Not only does this cement you as an expert in your clients’ minds, but it also helps increase the perceived quality and value of your courses. Talk about a win-win!
Endorsements
Similarly, if you have endorsements from industry vets or celebrities, show those off too!
Recommendations from recognized industry leaders, experts, or influential figures can be a rocket ship for your credibility. When other leaders vouch for your course content, it signals to potential students that your material meets high professional standards and delivers meaningful value.
Results and Numbers
Finally, show off those results.
Including stats like enrollment totals, completion rates, or a quantifiable impact your course generated for your customers can relay to prospective customers that they are not alone in buying your course and give them proof that it is a good investment.
Obviously, not every type of social proof is going to be relevant to your business. So look through each and think about where you could obtain some of this proof right now. Then, make a plan and start asking people directly for their results. Be prepared to capture good reviews, testimonials, social media comments, and other social proof whenever it comes up.
Ready to Launch A Successful Course? Download Our Free Course Launch Checklist
Even with plenty of social proof, launching an online course is no small feat.
You need a sales page, and a launch sequence, and I didn’t even mention pre-selling. If you’re getting overwhelmed, then let me stop you right there. I created a checklist for launching a successful online course, and you can download it for free.
Click the button below to get your free course launch guide!
Enjoy!
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