How to Market Your App Using Social Proof

TL;DR

  • Social proof is the idea that people will follow others and model their behavior when it comes to buying things online

  • Use social proof as a marketing tool to grow your app and number of subscribers

  • Encourage user testimonials and reviews, offer limited-time-only discounts, and partner with other influencers

Being influenced to buy things we see on the internet is the new normal nowadays. We see a product — that we may or may not even need — and due to glowing reviews, a celebrity endorsement, or simply FOMO, we purchase it. If this has happened to you, you have experienced the psychological phenomenon that is known as social proof.

Keep reading to learn more about how you can apply social proof as a marketing strategy for your app to grow your subscription business.

What is Social Proof?

Social proof is the idea that when we as humans don’t know what to do or when we feel uncertain in a given situation, we look to others and model their behavior.

You may be asking yourself, what does that have to do with marketing?

Well, you can use the power of social proof to persuade potential customers into buying your app.

In marketing, social proof is made up of the reviews on your website or social media and the customers who are posting about your app on their own social channels. When a potential customer then comes to your site or social media accounts and they see reviews and recommendations from others, it makes their decision much easier. They will be more likely to download your app.

As a creator on Playbook, social proof can include:

  • Asking your followers to share their before/after photos on social media and tagging you.

  • Reposting the before/after photos your followers share to social media.

  • Sharing reviews your app has received on your social platforms to influence potential customers to subscribe.

3 Ways to Use Social Proof to Market Your App

Here are some simple, easy ways to use social proof to better market your app and grow your subscribers. Ultimately, the goal is to show potential subscribers that fans of your app are happy with the subscription and how highly they recommend it to others.

1. Encourage User Testimonials & Reviews

You may receive direct messages on your social media platforms or messages in the app itself from fans who are loving your workouts. Share these user testimonials and reviews to your social media pages (in your Instagram Stories, for example) to showcase how much your subscribers love your app. You may also receive before and after photos from fans in your direct messages, or you can ask your subscribers to share these with you using a hashtag or by tagging you in their posts. Sharing these to your social platforms is a great way to show people your program works and that users are seeing real results.

This type of social proof lets potential subscribers know just how great your app is. It is the simplest form of social proof to implement into your marketing strategy because your followers are essentially doing the marketing for you!

2. Offer Limited-Time-Only Discounts

Offering limited-time discounts can create a sense of FOMO in your audience. Potential customers will feel a sense of urgency to purchase whatever it is you are offering with the discount before it goes away. It is a bonus if they see other people buying the product before they do and seeing how little time is left in the promotion.

When your subscribers sign up for your app, they automatically get a 7-day free trial. This promotion is already created for you and all you have to do is post it to your social channels and encourage your followers to do the same when they sign up. Add the promotion to your Instagram bio, Instagram stories, and at the top of your Instagram captions with a CTA to download!


3. Partner With Other Influencers

Working with influencers or micro-influencers (those that have follower counts of 10,000 to 50,000) to share your app to their social platforms and followers is another great way to get more subscribers. Influencers usually are followed by people who like seeing what they have to share and the products or services they use and love. When an influencer posts about your app, their followers will want to also be a part of it. The more people that these influencers can reach, the better.

You can partner with influencers by building relationships with them. Send them a direct message that includes information about your app and your programs, offer to walk them through the app, invite them to workout alongside you, or offer to promote something of theirs on your Instagram to create a mutually beneficial partnership.

Why Should You Use Social Proof?

We are now familiar with the different ways to use social proof, but if you are still not convinced about using this tactic to market your business, these statistics may persuade you:


People who shop online really do trust the reviews they read! Therefore, if you utilize social proof for your app, it will result in more subscribers and fans.

Now that you have a good understanding of what social proof is and why it is important, you can start implementing it into your marketing strategy