Imagine this: You’re scrolling through your inbox, bombarded with emails trying to sell you something.

Most get ignored. But then – bam! – one grabs your attention.

It feels different. It feels trustworthy. Why?

Because it leverages social proof in a way that doesn’t feel slimy or desperate.

Social proof is the secret sauce that makes people trust you, believe in your offer, and, most importantly, buy from you. And if you’re only using testimonials in your email marketing, you’re leaving massive money on the table.

So, let’s dive into the seven types of social proof that will make your emails more persuasive and increase your conversions – without feeling pushy.

Want to get more sales from your email marketing?

Before we get started with today’s episode, we’ve put a little something together for you.

It's really cool and it's FREE (yes, it's cool and free – we're nice like that). We all know that subject lines are important to get right and are a leading measure of your open and click rates – but writing them can be a challenge.

That's why Kennedy has spent months training an AI to write powerful subject lines that is beating top copywriters' subject lines 80% of the time in A/B tests – and you can get access to it here.

---

1. Testimonials – But Not How You Think…

Sure, testimonials are the go-to social proof method, but most people slap them into an email and call it a day. That’s a mistake.

💡 The Fix: Don’t just copy and paste a testimonial. Instead, pull out one specific lesson or insight from it and craft your email around that.

🚀 Example: If someone says, “I made $5,000 in seven days with your program,” your email should focus on speed—how fast results can happen. The testimonial becomes proof, but the story sells.

✅ Pro Tip: Always provide value alongside your testimonial. Instead of “Maggie said this course is great,” teach a lesson: “Most people think email marketing takes months to work—but Maggie saw results in just seven days. Here’s why…”

2. Case Studies That Connect Emotionally

Case studies take testimonials a step further by telling a before-and-after story. But here’s the mistake most marketers make: They make the “before” sound terrible.

🚫 Bad Example: “Chris was a total failure before my course. Now he’s rich and successful.”

✅ Better Approach: Frame the before in a way that your audience identifies with.

💡 Example: “Chris is a smart, hardworking entrepreneur, but he just couldn’t crack the email marketing code. He was frustrated—just like you might be. But after using this system, everything changed…”

People need to see themselves in the before stage so they believe they can achieve the after transformation.

3. The ‘Crowd Effect’ – Show Popularity

Ever noticed how e-commerce sites tell you, “16 people are viewing this right now” or “12 people have this in their cart”? That’s social proof in action.

👀 How to use it in emails:

• Mention how many people have signed up for a waitlist: “3,226 people are already on the list—are you?”
• Share page visit numbers: “We’ve had over 612 people check out this offer today!”

✅ Why It Works: It creates FOMO (fear of missing out) and reassures people they’re making a good decision.

4. Proof Through Numbers – How Many People You’ve Helped

People trust large numbers.

🚀 Example: Instead of saying, “I teach email marketing,” say, “7,800 people have used my strategies to improve their email marketing.”

Even if you don’t have thousands of customers yet, flip it into exclusivity:
👉 “Only 12 people have had access to this so far—will you be next?”

That turns small numbers into a VIP opportunity!

5. Five-Star Reviews—But With a Twist

Having dozens of five-star reviews is great. But here’s the trick: Show proof that they exist.

🚀 What to do:

• Take a screenshot of Google or Trustpilot reviews.
• Show a raw, unedited Facebook comment from a happy customer.

People trust what looks real. A polished graphic with “5 stars” feels fake, but a screenshot of a real comment? That’s powerful.

💡 Example Email Hook:
Subject: “We just hit 100 five-star reviews!”
Body: “When we launched, we had no idea we’d get over 100 five-star reviews this fast! Here’s what people are saying…” (Insert screenshot)

6. Experience as Social Proof – But Use It Right

Telling people you’ve been in business for 20 years can backfire. They might think you’re outdated instead of experienced.

✅ How to Frame It:
Wrong: “I’ve been doing this for 20 years.”
Right: “Over the last 20 years, I’ve seen every trend come and go—here’s what still works today.”

If you’re new, flip it:
🚀 “I cracked this system in just six months—here’s how you can too.”

The key? Tie your experience directly to the reader’s success.

7. Celebrity & Authority Borrowing

People trust who you associate with.

💡 Two ways to use this:
1️⃣ If you have a photo with an industry leader, tell a story around it. Don’t just drop a picture and say, “Here’s me with [famous person].”
🚀 Instead: “I was lucky enough to meet [expert] and we talked about X. Here’s what I learned…”

2️⃣ If you don’t have celebrity photos, use guest experts in your content. Having well-known people on your podcast or endorsing your work automatically boosts credibility.

✅ Example Email Hook:
“I just had an eye-opening conversation with [Industry Expert]—here’s what they said that changed my entire strategy.”

BONUS HACK: Use Social Proof As a Reason for Discounts

Instead of saying, “Limited-time offer,” try this:

🚀 “I’m offering this discount because I need new testimonials. Want in?”

This does two things:
1️⃣ Gives a legit reason for the lower price.
2️⃣ Implies the product is so good you’ll be willing to leave a testimonial.

It’s psychological magic.

The Bottom Line: Blend These for Maximum Impact

Social proof isn’t just “putting testimonials in emails.”

It’s about weaving trust signals throughout your marketing in a way that feels natural and persuasive.

Start using these today:
✅ Highlight testimonials—but build a lesson around them.
✅ Use case studies that make readers see themselves in the story.
✅ Show numbers to prove demand and past success.
✅ Screenshot your best five-star reviews for credibility.
✅ Frame experience in a way that benefits your audience.
✅ Borrow credibility from experts and influencers.
✅ Use social proof as a reason for discounts.

The more types of social proof you use, the more irresistible your emails become. Start implementing these now—and watch your conversions soar! 🚀

Subject Line of the Week

This week’s subject line is a masterclass in curiosity – “Secret 10K Goal.”

At first glance, it’s simple. But don’t let that fool you. Every word in this subject line is doing heavy lifting to get that all-important open. Let’s break it down:

🔑 Why It Works:
✅ “Secret” – Triggers curiosity. We all love knowing something others don’t. It makes the reader think, What’s the secret? And why are they telling me?
✅ “10K” – This could mean $10,000, 10,000 subscribers, 10,000 customers – but without a dollar sign, it’s open-ended. That ambiguity makes the reader need to open the email to find out.
✅ “Goal” – It hints at ambition. Everyone has goals, and this implies a behind-the-scenes look at a big achievement.

💡 Pro Tip:
If the original subject line was “Secret $10,000 Goal,” it would still be good – but less intriguing. The missing dollar sign makes the reader pause and wonder.

🚀 Try This in Your Emails:
Use words like “secret,” “hidden,” “little-known,” or “behind-the-scenes” to create curiosity. Then, leave out just enough detail to make opening the email irresistible.

Related episodes

3 Buyer Triggers You’re Ignoring (And How They’re Killing Your Sales!)

How to Use ‘Memory Craving’ to Make Your Offers Irresistible

[CASE STUDY] From Email Burnout to 10X Sales: How Karishma Transformed Her Marketing in Record Time

FREE list of the top 10 books to improve your email marketing

If you want to write better emails, come up with better content, and move your readers to click and buy, here's how. We put together this list of our Top 10 most highly recommended books that will improve all areas of your email marketing (including some underground treasures that we happened upon, which have been game-changing for us). Grab your FREE list here. 

Join our FREE Facebook group

If you want to chat about how you can maximise the value of your email list and make more money from every subscriber, we can help! We know your business is different, so come and hang out in our FREE Facebook group, the Email Marketing Show Community for Course Creators and Coaches. We share a lot of training and resources, and you can talk about what you're up to.

Try ResponseSuite for $1

This week's episode is sponsored by ResponseSuite.com, the survey quiz and application form tool that we created specifically for small businesses like you to integrate with your marketing systems to segment your subscribers and make more sales. Try it out for 14 days for just $1.

Grab The Email Hero Blueprint

Want more? Let's say you're a course creator, membership site owner, coach, author, or expert and want to learn about the ethical psychology-based email marketing that turns 60-80% more of your newsletter subscribers into customers (within 60 days).

If that's you, then The Email Hero Blueprint is for you.

This is hands down the most predictable, plug-and-play way to double your earnings per email subscriber. It allows you to generate a consistent sales flow without launching another product, service, or offer. Best news yet? You won't have to rely on copywriting, slimy persuasion, NLP, or ‘better' subject lines.

Subscribe and review The Email Marketing Show podcast

Thanks so much for tuning into the podcast! If you enjoyed this episode (all about how to kick off an email reactivation campaign and get back on the email marketing wagon) and love the show, we'd really appreciate you subscribing and leaving us a review of the show on your favourite podcast player.

Not only does it let us know you're out there listening, but your feedback helps us to keep creating the most useful episodes so more awesome people like you can discover the podcast. 

And please do tell us! If you don't spend time on email marketing, what do you really fill your working days with? We'd love to know!