Hell yes!
Even when you don’t know it.
What is social validation?
“When we are uncertain about what to do we will look to other people to guide us. And we do this automatically and unconsciously.” –Robert Chialdini
Have you ever caught yourself in Amazon’s “Customers who read this also read…” section and thinking, “huh, let me check this out”?
That is social validation.
If others buy it, it must be worth it.
And it’s not just that. It could also be…
- If others like it, it must be good.
- If others eat it, it must be delicious.
- If others style it, it must be trendy.
- And so on…
Social validation doesn’t only “work” when you see people you already know using that product, but also when complete strangers do.
It happens at your subconscious level. You don’t need to see it in a direct advertisement on which you are consciously aware that someone is trying to sell you something.
It could be as simple as showing that brand in a TV show, series, or movie. If you see everyone is having Moroccan tea, you might think of having one too.