Sage Blog

Offering social proof – showing that other people have taken a similar decision – is a proven method of driving marketing response rates.

Jason Sullock

Negative social proof

But one of the most common mistakes, made even by experienced marketers, is provide negative social proof.  And this, with the best of intentions, can actually decrease the likelihood of getting you a good result.

Surely no-one would do such a thing?

You’d think so wouldn’t you?  But it happens all the time… the sign in your Doctor’s Surgery that tells you ‘36 patients did not show up for their appointments last month’… the notice at the National Park that tells you ‘Your countryside is being spoilt every day by the picking of wild flowers’… the politician who tells you ‘22 million young people did not vote in this year’s election’.

What these examples tell you as the reader or the listener is that ‘this is the norm’.

In fact, in one test, a negative social proof statement actually increased the rate of theft of petrified wood in an Arizona National Park by a whopping 5%; whereas the picture of a lone thief and a simple statement asking the tourists ‘not to steal’ reduced the rate by 1.25%.

Another test, again in Arizona, improved the level of recycling by 25.4%, simply by displaying the slogan ‘Arizona recycles’ and an outline of the state filled with the smiling faces of different people.

Clear evidence of how important the use of positive social reinforcement can be.

Using positive social reinforcement in the workplace

And this can be taken into your workplace too.  Rather than expressing disappointment at how many members of staff have not implemented a new process (and highlighting that people have not listened to you), it might be more advantageous to publish a list of all those who have already done so.

So the next time you’re trying to change a situation… think positive.

Jason Sullock, Customer Marketing Manager in Sage’s Small Business Division and author of 555 Quick n Dirty Marketing Tips