Get an A+ in Back-to-School Marketing by Leveraging Social Proof

With summer coming to an end, many (or maybe most) parents of school-aged children are ready for one thing and one thing only — for their kids to go back to school. For retailers, this is perhaps the second most wonderful time of the year, after the holiday season, of course. This season brings a boost in both add-to-cart and conversion rates that can have a positive impact on revenue. 

Whether in the classroom or learning online, getting a student prepared for the school year nowadays is more than just buying a pack of notebook paper and a few No. 2 pencils. Besides school supplies, students also need new clothes, shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes and other accessories. However, office supplies and apparel manufacturers are not the only ones that benefit from the back-to-school season. 

Depending on a student’s extracurricular activities, other purchases may have to be made, such as sporting equipment and apparel, dance shoes, instruments and other sundry items. Older students will need big-ticket items, like graphing calculators, tablets and laptops.

And for college students, they likely have a dorm room or an apartment to furnish, meaning that housewares, décor, furniture and electronics retailers also have a stake in the back-to-school season. In fact, back-to-college spending is expected to reach almost $74 billionOpens a new window this year, according to an NRF survey.

See More: Supply Chain Issues Foster Retail Marketing Evolution To Bolster Consumer Loyalty

The Economic Impact of Back-to-School Shopping

So, while we know that back-to-school drives heightened demand across several retail categories, we must also consider the economic impacts of the back-to-school season.

Did you know parents spend on average $612 per childOpens a new window during the back-to-school season, according to Deloitte? If parents have more than one child, they are potentially spending thousands of dollars annually to get their students outfitted and prepared for school or university. With inflation and interest rates rising in 2022, parents are more likely to comparison shop than ever before. Parents will be more strategic about their back-to-school budget and in deciding how and with whom they spend their dollars.

What can retailers and manufacturers do to stand out, provide value, and make sure that customers feel confident in their purchasing? 

The answer lies in personalization and social proof marketing. So, grab your notebook and pen and get ready to take a few notes.

Social Proof 101: An Introduction

So, what is social proof? It is a psychological phenomenonOpens a new window that rose to prominence from author Robert Cialdini’s 1984 book Influence. From a psychological standpoint, social proof refers to the concept that people will copy the actions of others to emulate behavior present in specific situations. 

But how does social proof apply to retail? In the retail world, social proof occurs when shoppers rely on reviews, ratings and product recommendations to inform their purchasing decisions.

After all, if there is one thing that positively influences both add-to-cart and conversion rates, it is the glowing endorsements of other shoppers. This feedback, when harnessed correctly by merchandisers and retailers, is a powerful force to inspire and drive purchasing. It is the backbone of social proof in retail.

Besides displaying reviews and ratings in product listings and showing shoppers how often something has been purchased, there are a few other ways clever retailers and merchandisers can leverage social proof. Are you ready for your assignment?

Three Ways to Leverage Social Proof Marketing

Here are three ways to leverage social proof marketing for back-to-school:

1: Highlight popular products

What are your most popular products? Consider highlighting and featuring products online that are highly rated and have numerous user ratings. This combination carries more weight with users than just a product with a handful of high ratings. The more people that have commented, rated or reviewed a product, the more it helps shoppers narrow down their choices and feel more confident when making a purchase. You can up the ante by highlighting the most popular items of the day on your homepage or go even deeper into personalization and show popularity recommendations based on a shopper’s recent searches.

Because back-to-school is seasonal, consider promoting and highlighting items that will resonate with parents and students, like shoes, backpacks, electronic gadgets, dorm furnishings and other tools that students require.

2: Trending searches

Applying personalization to search results on your ecommerce website is another great way to leverage social proof. When shoppers search for a product, in addition to the search results, you can also present the most popular choices in the product category within or next to the search results.

For example, if a shopper searches for backpacks, you can provide information on the search results page about the top-selling backpacks by category. 

This will not only help a shopper quickly get to the product page for their chosen backpack, but thanks to social proof, the customer will be more confident in their choice of backpack based on its popularity.

3: Insider deals

Consider incorporating personalized deals on your ecommerce website, app, and in your newsletters and emails to customers. By sharing the most popular products or products that have been selling quickly that day across your digital channels, you can build a sense of urgency for shoppers. Extra Credit: To fully leverage insider deals, A/B testing and data go a long way to delivering value. You can rely on testing to constantly tweak and improve promotional elements across your digital channels to see what really moves the needle and drives purchases.

See More: How Small Retailers Can Offer the Same Personalized Service Online as the Ecommerce Giants

Final Exam: Social Proof in Action

When shoppers feel confident about their purchases, they can rest assured that their money was well spent. This is especially important as preparing for a new school year is often a stressful experience.

With social proof, retailers and merchandisers can use these tactics not only to make shopping easier for parents but also to use the power of popularity to boost add-to-cart rates, conversions and revenue.

What steps have you taken to stand out and ensure parents are confident making purchases during the back-to-school season? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .

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