It's true. My love for Airbnb has already been documented.. My wife, Janelle, and I stay in them almost every time we travel.
Many people I talk to have had bad experiences. I've only had one. And I chalk it up to my obsession with reviews. I only book a place if it has numerous (in the 20s or 30s) 5-star reviews. I don't trust the host. I don't trust the photos. I do trust the reviews.
This is an example of the concept of social proof at it's finest. Airbnb motivates me to rent a place by showing me (in an authentic way) that other people love the place. These people's opinions transfer trust to the host and to the overall Airbnb brand.
And just like that, I book my next stay.
Social proof is a powerful concept that you should incorporate into your inbound marketing. Kuno Creative recently wrote an excellent post about it. Here's a little bit about what they had to say:
"People like to examine the actions of others to determine what their own actions should be. That’s why sitcoms use pre-recorded laugh tracks to influence the audience at home to join in the laughter and perceive humor in the moment. Can you imagine watching Seinfeld or Cheers without laughter in the background? It would be a completely different experience."
Their post is filled with tactics that will help you increase your conversions using social proof. We suggest you have a read.
