Social proof for authors: 7 easy ways to get and share it

"Social proof" is marketer-speak for public evidence that people won't be wasting their money if they buy your book. Here's how to get it.

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What is “social proof,” and why should you care about it?

“Social proof” is marketer-speak for public evidence that people won’t be wasting their money if they buy your book.

Reader reviews are the most important kind of social proof for authors. Still, because there are now so many opportunities for readers to provide public feedback, social proof in general has become super important.

Knowing this, I “blurbed” Laura Laing’s book, Math for Writers: Tell a Better Story, Get Published, Make More Money, to give it a social proof boost. Then I shared my endorsement on social networking sites using an image of my blurb and including a link to the book’s sales page.

I do this all the time for books I like. I hope it helps add to that book’s “social proof.”

Social proof for authors checklist

Social proof for authors takes many forms, including:

• Reader reviews on retail sites
• Media/trade/literary reviews of your book written by review professionals
• Comments on your blog posts that tell others that people are paying attention to what you’re saying
• Number of times the information on your website (most likely your blog posts) gets shared by others
• Opt-in newsletter mailing list size
• Testimonials from fans
• Media interviews (especially for nonfiction authors)
• Endorsements from people who influence your target audience
• View counts on your videos
• Number of connections you have in social media networks
• Interviews you’ve done with the press and others
• Badges you can add to your site if your book has won an award

It can be a little overwhelming, can’t it?

Fortunately, you can generate and leverage social proof pretty easily.

7 easy ways to get and share social proof

Here are seven easy-to-implement ideas for showcasing your social proof:

1. Pursue reader reviews with gusto.

Reader reviews are the ultimate social proof for authors.

Just as you need a book marketing plan, you need a plan for soliciting and acquiring reader reviews. Don’t expect them to happen organically. You need to help generate them.

Is it work? Yes.

Can it be a frustrating experience? Yes.

But pursuing reader reviews isn’t optional.

2. Create content that people will want to share.

Before you can get people talking publicly about your book and information related to it, you have to give them something worth talking about.

Maybe it’s images people will want to pin on Pinterest, or it’s informational blog posts.

It could be a killer excerpt from your book or a free download.

What book-related content can you create that others will feel compelled to share?

3. Gather testimonials (blurbs) and add them to your website.

When someone writes to tell you how much they liked your book, ask for permission to quote them on your site. 

(Bonus tip: Ask them to leave a review on Amazon and give them the link where they can do that.)

If you don’t have unsolicited testimonials, reach out to those you know have read your book and ask for them.

4. Showcase top blurbs or review excerpts on Amazon.

Authors often forget that the blurbs from influencers that they add to their book cover and inside pages also belong in the “Editorial Reviews” section of their Amazon sales page.

Here’s what it looks like on the best-selling novel The Correspondent‘s page. (This is a partial screenshot. There are many more endorsements there.)

You can also use them for Amazon A+ content, that “bonus” feature that allows you to give readers more information through eye-catching images, text, and comparison tables.

This example also comes from The Correspondent‘s Amazon page.

5. Share your book’s endorsements on social media.

Make sure those excellent testimonials from influencers and professional reviewers see life outside your book and Amazon sales page, too.

Turn them into quote graphics that you share on the social networks your readers use.

But don’t stop there. Tag the influencer and reviewer so their followers see their glowing feedback, too.

6. If you blog, add a “share” plugin to your blog and ask a question at the end of each post.

If you’re a blogger, you want to make it easy for people to share your content on the social media networks they use. There are several plugins that will add social media sharing options to each blog post.

And, when you enable the social media sharing plugin you use to display how many times each blog post is shared, you’re showing site visitors that people read and like your content.

Always ask a conversation-generating question at the end of each post, too. It helps generate comments, discussion, and engagement.

Reply to each comment because it’s the courteous and appropriate thing to do, but also because it increases the total number of comments (a form of social proof).

7. Give social proof to other authors.

We reap what we sow.

Contribute to the social proof and word-of-mouth marketing for other writers, especially indie authors.

Loved a book? Review it.

Found one of their social posts helpful or full of insights? Share it.

Create your own social media content about their books.

Set a positive example for your peers, and perhaps those authors will repay the favor.

What’s your next step?

You’re probably doing some of this already and just need to add a plugin, make a few changes, or make this more of a priority. Is there anything more you can do?

It’s something I work on constantly. Here’s a quick look at some of the things I do — and I’m sure there’s lots of room for improvement:

• I share links to my blog posts on social media using my site’s social sharing bar. (Finding a reliable blog plug-in for social sharing is an ongoing struggle, though. I’ve had to replace mine at least twice, and still have glitches from time to time. Got any suggestions?)
• When someone shares my content, I thank the poster and reshare when possible.
• I respond to all blog comments so that people providing that type of social proof know how much I appreciate their thoughts and opinions.
• If someone emails me about how much they like my site, newsletter, or one of my products, I ask if I can use the feedback as a testimonial.
• When I’m a guest on someone’s blog or podcast, I share the link on social media. That helps others see that I’m open to sharing what I know while it helps send visitors to my host’s site.

I need to get better at sharing milestones that could include an unusually high number of Pinterest pin shares or steady growth of the Build Book Buzz Facebook book marketing group.

For you, it might be achieving a certain number of reader reviews, the number of times your book has been added to shelves on Goodreads, or hitting a target number of book sales or downloads.

Examine what you’re doing now; assess what you can add or improve.

Social proof is necessary and important. Make sure you’re demonstrating it.

What social proof do you provide now on your website? What do you plan to add?

(Editor’s note: This article from June 2019 is now updated and expanded.)