A major key to achieving this, especially on the social web, is social proof, the psychological phenomenon whereby people will do something because our peers, who we may regard as better informed, are doing it.

In the battle for consumers’ attention, social proof often provides the stickiness that companies need to make their brands, content and products desirable. 

The best part is, if you play your cards right, it doesn’t even have to take so long to build up your social proof signals. Bear in mind, though, that by itself, social proof isn’t going to do much except make a lot of noise. You still need something to make noise about. Sure, it’s possible to build a certain level of social proof mystique out of thin air, but eventually these efforts will fizzle out.

Let’s take a look at some of the most powerful yet sustainable ways to cultivate social proof – even with limited resources and a relatively unknown brand.