You have worked hard to make donuts. You let many people taste them, and they said your donuts are tastier than existing ones. You even got excellent results in blind tests, so you were confident of success. However, when you started selling, people didn’t choose your donuts. Why does this happen?
Reasons Why People Don’t Buy My Products
1. Lack of Social Proof
People tend to observe and follow others’ actions in uncertain situations. Consumers are greatly influenced by others’ choices when making purchase decisions, not just by personal preferences. Microsoft researcher Duncan Watts revealed through his ‘closed society experiment’ that social influence is as important as personal preference in deciding what people like.
For instance, if a new restaurant opens and no one has visited it, people hesitate to go there. On the other hand, a restaurant with long queues naturally attracts attention, giving the perception that “this place must be good.”
2. Importance of Post-Purchase Reviews
Many consumers check online reviews before making a purchase decision. According to Dimensional Research, 90% of consumers read online reviews before buying. Positive reviews from others play a significant role in building trust in your product.
When a famous electronics brand launches a new smartphone, initial buyers’ reviews are as crucial as the product’s specs and performance. A plethora of positive reviews leads to more consumers trusting and purchasing the product.
3. Influence of Social Media
Consumers trust products that are frequently mentioned on social media. Thus, it is crucial how often your product is mentioned on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Encouraging consumers to voluntarily post about your product on social media is important.
Cosmetics brand Glossier achieved great success through social media marketing. Many consumers voluntarily shared their product experiences, which built trust among other consumers and led to increased sales.
How to Influence People’s Choices
1. Provide Social Proof
It is important to show that many consumers have chosen your product. Actively use phrases like ‘bestseller,’ ‘market leader,’ and ‘popular product.’
2. Secure Post-Purchase Reviews
Develop strategies to encourage customers to leave reviews after purchasing the product. Offering small rewards to customers who leave reviews is also a good approach.
For example, electronics brand X offers a discount coupon for the next purchase to customers who write reviews after buying a product. This encourages many customers to leave reviews, and accumulating positive reviews enhances brand trust.
3. Strengthen Social Media Marketing
Plan campaigns to encourage consumers to voluntarily post about your product on social media. For instance, you can run an event where customers who post product reviews on Instagram are entered into a draw for a prize.
Fashion brand Y runs a monthly event where customers who post photos with the hashtag #Ystyle on Instagram get a chance to win new products for free. This leads to many consumers voluntarily promoting the brand.
Conclusion
No matter how excellent your product is, lacking social proof can make it difficult to sell. Customer reviews and mentions on social media build trust in your product and encourage more consumers to choose it. Use these strategies to promote your product to more people and achieve successful sales.