# What is Social Proof?

What is Social Proof? A psychological phenomenon: people choose based on what others do. In a store: reviews, ratings, purchase counts, UGC, media logos.

## How it works in practice

Social proof answers 'why should I trust you?' A new customer looks for what others have said. One 5-star review beats 10 marketing sentences.

## Related metrics

- Reviews — the most common type
- UGC — visual social proof
- Trust Signals — social proof is a trust signal
- CR — directly boosts conversion rate

## Common misconception

'5 reviews are enough.' A product with 50+ reviews converts 4x better than one with 5. Review count matters as much as the rating. 4.3 stars × 200 reviews beats 5.0 × 3.

## How to fix it

Too few reviews? (1) Send a post-purchase email 7 days after delivery, (2) SMS VIPs with a direct link, (3) offer a 10% discount for a review, (4) reply to every review.

## Real-world example

A candle store had 8 reviews and a 0.9% CR. A post-purchase flow generated 180 reviews within two months. CR rose to 2.4% with reviews placed above the fold on the product page.

## Where to start

Social proof is priority #1 for new stores. Gather 20+ reviews before scaling ad spend. First build proof, then scale.

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Category: UX · From the [Jimmy OS KPI Glossary](https://jimmy-os.com/glossary/kpi.md) · Source page: https://jimmy-os.com/glossary/kpi/social-proof