Other people
Social proof
When unsure, people look at what others do to decide.
Well supportedSeveral studies or meta-analyses point the same way.
Example
A line outside a restaurant makes you want to eat there.
Why it works
In a hotel towel-reuse experiment, "most guests reuse their towels" beat a standard environmental appeal. Norms tied to the guest’s own situation, "most guests in this room," worked best.
On the web
Place user counts, reviews, and customer logos next to the decision. Prefer numbers from groups close to the visitor, such as companies in the same industry.
When it backfires
Fake reviews and made-up "N people viewing" counters can breach advertising law, including Japan’s Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations. Use real numbers with the counting period.
Sources
Descriptive-norm messages increased towel reuse over environmental appeals, and norms about guests in the same room worked best.
Goldstein, N. J., Cialdini, R. B., & Griskevicius, V. (2008). A room with a viewpoint: Using social norms to motivate environmental conservation in hotels. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(3), 472-482. Open source
Since October 2023, Japan regulates undisclosed advertising as a misleading representation.
消費者庁. ステルスマーケティングに関する景品表示法の規制. Open source