37 Convincing Social Proof Statistics to Skyrocket Your Fitness Studio Success

Wouldn’t it be great if your business had a constant stream of raving testimonials and reviews that you could showcase to potential leads? Fortunately, many statistics support a social proof strategy.

Social proof isn’t just a marketing buzzword, it’s a critical part of the client journey. In fact, studies show that 92% of consumers read online reviews and testimonials when considering a business.

Social proof, in the form of testimonials, reviews, star ratings, customer success stories, influencer marketing, and more, can make all the difference when it comes to attracting new leads and clients to your business.

Without a solid social proof strategy, you risk consumers choosing one of your competitors. But, when it’s executed well, you create a positive feedback loop that constantly attracts, converts, and retains more clients through your loyal promoters.

There’s a lot of proof that backs up the power of testimonials and reviews, too. Let’s dive deeper into statistics to prove how social proof can build trust, increase conversions, boost your revenue, and more.

How social proof impacts your marketing and why the type of social proof matters

Let’s start by talking about the impact of social proof.

Testimonials, reviews, star-ratings, and other types of social proof are all about building trust and illustrating real experiences from your community. As a result, consumers can decide what gym or fitness studio is right for them. At the same time, by understanding the type of social proof that works best, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are more successful. A lot of social proof statistics back this up, too.

1. First of all, 83% of consumers don’t trust the ads they see on social media, radio, TV, etc. [Status Labs] They prefer hearing about businesses from reviews. In fact, 91% of millennials trust online reviews as much as a family member or friend. [BrightLocal]
2. According to a survey, 81% of buyers will research before they choose a business. This means that the more social proof you can provide, the more likely people are to buy your product or service. [Content Marketing Institute and SmartBrief]
3. 92% of people will trust a recommendation from a friend or colleague, and 70% of people will even trust a review from someone they don’t even know. This shows that social proof really does have an impact on buyer behavior. [Nielsen]
4. 89% of marketers agree that both customer testimonials and case studies have a major impact on purchasing decisions. This makes sense, as potential buyers want to hear from real people who have had positive results using the product or service. [Webdam]

Testimonials and reviews

Testimonials and reviews are the bread and butter of your social proof strategy and they make all the difference. When someone searches your website and business profile, they want to learn all about your business and how you can help them. They want proof, and you better believe that these types of social proof will influence their decision.

5. 56% of people say that they find customer testimonials helpful. [Wyzowl]
6. That said, 72% of customers don’t take action until they’ve read reviews. [Testimonial Engine]
7. Also, 95% of people say that reviews – whether positive or negative – influence their purchasing decisions. [Wyzowl] However, 73% of consumers will need to read at least six reviews before they make a decision. (Vendasta)
8. Remember, to out-do your competitors, you need to respond to at least 30% of your reviews. [Uberall] Best practice is to respond to every review that comes in so that you build that trust with your audience and show that you care.

How to acquire reviews

Asking for reviews can be awkward at times. So, you’ll need to ask at the right time, like after a client tries your services or when it’s time to renew their membership. As far as asking for reviews or testimonials, sending off an email or asking survey questions are good things to do. Let’s take a look at a few of the social proof statistics that support this.

9. When it comes to asking survey questions, about 75% of your clients will respond to one to five of them. This means that you can gather valuable feedback from your customers, and it can be used to create a positive testimonial that you can post on your website or social media. [GatherUp]
10. And, if you want a review, just ask. 68% of consumers are willing leave one just because they were asked by a local business like their gym or fitness studio. [BrightLocal]
11. Even if a client doesn’t respond to your email, send a follow-up. Up to 80% of reviews originate from follow-up emails urging customers to leave a review. [Spiegel]
12. Sending an email with a direct link to your review site is also smart. Why? You can expect your average star-rating will increase. [Spiegel]

Social proof and videos

When you’re creating testimonials, make sure to include videos. People are more likely to believe something when they can put a face to it and they’re also able to see your customer’s emotions and connect to their story in a powerful way.

13. Many people prefer video testimonials, too. 79% have watched a video testimonial to find out more about a company, service, or product. On top of that, two out of three people say they’d be more likely to make a purchase after watching a testimonial video demonstrating how that business had helped a person like them. [Wyzowl]
14. Why are testimonial videos so effective? Well, 37% believe it’s because they’re more authentic than a business’s own sales pitch. [Wyzowl]
15. Trust also plays factor. 39% of people believe video testimonials make a business more trustworthy, and nearly half of people say they’d be more likely to use a product or service if they saw how it worked from other customers. [Wyzowl]

SEO and web traffic

In addition, client testimonials and reviews can boost your search engine optimization (SEO) and get you found online. Here’s how with some SEO-related social proof statistics…

16. Whether it’s your homepage or another landing page, you need testimonials on your website. It increases traffic to your site by 45%! [Yotpo] In addition, visitors will stay on your site two minutes longer if you include a video testimonial. [Vocal References]
17. The number of reviews you get is also important. 10 or more and you’ll see a 15-20% increase in traffic to your Google Business listings. [BigCommerce]
18. In total, reviews account for 9.8% of total search engine ranking factors, which also include your page speed, mobile friendliness, security, and overall user experience. [Search Engine Watch]
19. What about businesses with a 5-star rating? You’re likely to see 25% more clicks on Google, and 69% of total clicks amongst top Google listings. [Bright Local]
20. If your web page has a video, it’s 53 times more likely to appear on the first page of search engines like Google or Bing. [Vocal References]

Social media

Whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or TikTok, if a lead sees a customer testimonial, you have their attention. Let’s examine a few reasons why.

21. People want to see more video content on social media, specifically on LinkedIn where videos are shared 20 times more than other types of content. [HubSpot]
22. Why might you want to add your testimonial videos to YouTube? It’s the world’s second largest search engine, with people watching over 1 billion hours of video every day. [Oberlo]
23. Additionally, 167 million hours of video are watched on TikTok every minute. [InfluencerMarketingHub]
24. But, you’ll want to spread your testimonials on other platforms as well. 30% of consumers are likely to make a purchase after viewing testimonials they found on platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

The power of influencer marketing on your social proof

Getting people to talk about your business with testimonials or reviews also goes hand in hand with influencers on social media. What’s impact of influencers?

25. Influencer marketing has become the fastest way to get more clients, with content from influencers earning eight times more engagement than content shared directly from brands, especially among millennials. [Optinmonster]
26. If you can get one, endorsements from celebrities also have an impact. 14% of consumers aged 18+ say these types of recommendations have a major effect on the things they buy, and 40% of people say they’ve purchased a product online after seeing it used by an influencer on social media. [YouGov]
27. It’s also interesting that 6 in 10 YouTube subscribers would follow advice on what to buy from their favorite creator over any TV or movie personality. [SmartInsight]
28. Twitter users have a 5.2 times increase in purchase intent after seeing promotional content from influencers, while nearly half of users rely on recommendations from influencers on Twitter. [SproutSocial]
29. Influencers are significant for your ROI (return on investment). In fact, businesses earn an average of $6.50 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing, with the top 13% earning $20 or more for every $1. [Adweek]
30. In general, the market for influencer marketing has more than doubled in size since 2019 and is valued at $13.8 billion. [Statista]
31. Influencers also help you reach your target marketing, with 51% of marketers saying they help them acquire better customers. [DigitalMarketingInstitute]

How social proof influences conversions, buying decisions, and revenue

So, how does your social proof impact your sales and revenue? It all comes down to what your customers are saying. Reading or viewing a testimonial or review will give potential clients confidence that your gym or studio is the right choice.

32. Increasing your business’s rating matters, especially on Yelp. Increase it by just one star will boost revenue by 5-9%. [Harvard Business]
33. 90% of buyers who read positive reviews, testimonials, or case studies have claimed that it influenced their decision to purchase from a company. [DimensionalResearch]
34. Furthermore, 64% of people said that a testimonial video convinced them to purchase a product or service. [Wyzowl]
35. Testimonials can also increase conversions on sales pages by as much as 34%. [VWO] On top of that, multiple testimonials can generate 62% more revenue from every customer, not just once, but every time they visit your site. [BigCommerce]
36. 63% of consumers say they’re more likely to purchase from a site if it has reviews or a product rating. [Search Engine Journal]
37. Also, client testimonials about your more expensive training or workout programs can help you convert more leads by 380%. [Power Reviews]

Are you convinced? Harness the power of social proof.

A lot goes into a lead’s decision to invest in your business, and they especially rely on what people say about you through testimonials, reviews, and other customer success stories. According to various studies and statistics, your social proof can have a positive impact on conversions, buying decisions, revenue, and more.

How do you harness the power of social proof? WellnessLiving’s all-in-one business management software does wonders to help manage your reputation. Our tools can help you add reviews to your website, request reviews through automated marketing tools, create surveys and ask for feedback, reward clients for leaving a review, and allow clients to leave a review from an app.

It’s time to get your testimonials and reviews working for you. How else can WellnessLiving grow your business online? Book a free, no-commitment demo today to learn more.