Social proof hooks |Social proof is one of the most powerful ways to build trust and credibility in a cold email. A social proof hook shows your recipient that others have benefited from your solution, that you’re trusted by respected brands, or that you have relevant experience.
What is a Social Proof Hook?
A social proof hook is a sentence or phrase—usually near the beginning of your email—that references clients, users, awards, testimonials, or results to quickly establish credibility and interest. This technique is proven to increase response rates in cold outreach (Prowly).
Cold Email Hook Examples
Social Proof Hooks (Best for: Establishing Credibility)
1. Mention Well-Known Clients or Brands
- “We’ve helped companies like Google, Shopify, and HubSpot reduce onboarding time by 40%.”
- “Brands like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour use our platform to streamline hiring.”
- “Our clients include Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft, Salesforce, and IBM.”
- “Startups like Canva, Notion, and Figma scaled with our solution.”
- “Enterprise leaders such as Amazon, Netflix, and Spotify trust our security framework.”
- “Y Combinator-backed startups rely on our tool for candidate screening.”
- “We’re the preferred vendor for companies like Zoom, Slack, and Dropbox.”
- “Major banks like Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America use our compliance software.”
- “E-commerce giants like Shopify and Etsy automate hiring with our AI.”
- “Tech unicorns like Stripe and Airbnb improved retention using our analytics.”
2. Reference Impressive Results or Metrics
- “Last quarter, we helped Salesforce increase demo bookings by 60% in 3 weeks.”
- “A SaaS client reduced churn by 35% after implementing our solution.”
- “One company scaled from $1M to $10M ARR using our growth framework.”
- “A recruiting firm cut time-to-hire from 45 to 21 days with our AI.”
- “A startup grew its inbound leads by 300% after optimizing funnels with us.”
- “A client saved $250K/year by automating manual HR tasks.”
- “An e-commerce brand boosted conversions by 27% using our personalization tool.”
- “A B2B company increased sales pipeline velocity by 50% with our CRM.”
- “A client reduced customer support tickets by 40% using our chatbot.”
- “A fintech startup improved loan approval speed by 65% with our software.”
3. Use Testimonials or Endorsements
- “Here’s what Sarah K., Head of Growth at Shopify, said: ‘Your tool saved us 20 hours/week.’”
- “Mark Z., CEO at TechCorp: ‘This was the fastest implementation we’ve ever done.’”
- “Our client at Airbnb: ‘Your platform made hiring 3x more efficient.’”
- “A Google HR Director: ‘We’ve never seen a better candidate matching system.’”
- “From a Stripe product lead: ‘This cut our onboarding time in half.’”
- “A Dropbox engineering manager: ‘Your API integration was seamless.’”
- “A Forbes 500 CEO: ‘This transformed our sales process.’”
- “A Y Combinator founder: ‘Best decision we made for scaling.’”
- “A Fortune 1000 CTO: ‘Our team productivity skyrocketed.’”
- “A startup founder: ‘Wish we had found this sooner.’”
4. Highlight Awards or Recognition
- “Our solution was named ‘Best HR Tech Tool’ by G2 in 2024.”
- “We won ‘Top SaaS Innovation’ at the TechCrunch Awards.”
- “Featured as a ‘Top 10 Startup to Watch’ by Forbes.”
- “Voted #1 in customer satisfaction by Capterra.”
- “Recognized as a ‘Cool Vendor’ by Gartner.”
- “Winner of ‘Best AI Recruitment Tool’ at HR Tech Summit.”
- “Awarded ‘Fastest-Growing SaaS’ by Deloitte.”
- “Named a ‘Top 50 Disruptor’ by Inc. Magazine.”
- “Winner of ‘Best UX’ at the Webby Awards.”
- “Featured in G2’s ‘Best Software for SMBs’ list.”
5. Mention Media Coverage
- “Our work has been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, and The Wall Street Journal.”
- “Recently covered in Harvard Business Review for our hiring AI.”
- “The New York Times highlighted our impact on remote work.”
- “Bloomberg called us ‘the future of HR automation.’”
- “Fast Company named us among ‘Most Innovative Companies.’”
- “Inc. Magazine featured our founder’s scaling strategies.”
- “CNBC discussed how our tool helps Fortune 500 firms.”
- “VentureBeat covered our $10M funding round.”
- “Business Insider listed us as a ‘Top Startup to Watch.’”
- “The Economist cited our research on hiring trends.”
6. Leverage Mutual Connections
- “I noticed you’re connected with John D. at Google—he introduced us to their HR team last month.”
- “Sarah M. from LinkedIn suggested I reach out—we helped her double inbound applicants.”
- “Mark T. at Microsoft is a client—he mentioned you might benefit from our solution.”
- “Your colleague Alex R. referred me—we automated their hiring process last quarter.”
- “We work with your connection Jane L. at Stripe—she saw great results with our tool.”
- “Your network includes David K., who’s been a client for 2 years.”
- “Your former coworker Lisa P. recommended I contact you.”
- “Your LinkedIn connection Mike S. uses our software daily.”
- “Your mentor Rachel G. is an advisor to our company.”
- “Your industry peer Tom H. saw a 40% efficiency boost with us.”
7. Reference User Numbers or Community Size
- “Over 50,000 recruiters use our AI screening tool.”
- “More than 10,000 companies automate hiring with us.”
- “Our SaaS platform serves 1M+ users globally.”
- “500+ HR teams rely on our analytics daily.”
- “Top 100 tech firms use our solution.”
- “Used by 30% of Fortune 500 companies.”
- “Trusted by 20,000+ sales professionals.”
- “Our community includes 100K+ marketers.”
- “Adopted by 5,000+ startups in the last year.”
- “Active in 80+ countries with enterprise clients.”
8. Point to Case Studies or Success Stories
- “Our case study on how Uber scaled hiring by 3x might interest you.”
- “Spotify reduced time-to-hire by 50%—here’s how we helped.”
- “Read how Airbnb improved candidate experience with our platform.”
- “A SaaS startup grew MRR 5x using our framework—want the details?”
- “Netflix cut onboarding time in half—see the full breakdown.”
- “How Shopify automated 80% of recruiting with our AI.”
- “A fintech firm saved $500K/year—case study attached.”
- “Google’s HR team saw a 30% efficiency boost—here’s their story.”
- “A unicorn startup scaled from 50 to 500 employees using our system.”
- “How a Fortune 100 company reduced bias in hiring—data inside.”
9. Industry Expert Partnerships (Best for: Leveraging respected authorities)
- “We’ve partnered with Harvard Business School to develop our hiring algorithm.”
- “Our methodology was co-designed with MIT’s AI ethics team.”
- “Nielsen analyzes our recruitment data for industry benchmarks.”
- “SHRM (Society for HR Management) certifies our training programs.”
- “LinkedIn’s talent team consulted on our candidate matching system.”
- “Our sales framework is taught in Wharton’s executive education program.”
- “Gartner includes our solution in their Market Guide for HR Tech.”
- “We’re an official technology partner of the HR Certification Institute.”
- “Our CEO regularly speaks at TEDx about the future of work with our tools.”
Here are two additional sub-categories of Social Proof Hooks, each with 9 powerful examples:
10. Celebrity/Influencer Endorsements (Best for: Borrowing star power)
- “Gary Vaynerchuk uses our platform to hire for VaynerMedia – here’s his testimonial.”
- “Tim Ferriss featured our productivity tool in ‘Tools of Titans’.”
- “Marie Forleo’s team automates 80% of their hiring with our software.”
- “Neil Patel’s marketing agency runs on our analytics dashboard.”
- “Grant Cardone’s sales org onboarded 200 reps using our system.”
- “Huberman Lab’s research team tracks KPIs with our BI tool.”
- “Mr. Beast’s creative team manages 500+ freelancers through our platform.”
- “Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec calls our solution ‘a game-changer’.”
- “Oprah’s leadership team uses our DEI analytics for hiring decisions.”
Pro Tip:
- Works best when the influencer is:
• Recognizable in your prospect’s industry
• Known for being selective/credible
• Has publicly endorsed you
11. Government/Military Adoption (Best for: Security/scale credibility)
- “Our encryption meets Pentagon standards – used by 3 NATO countries.”
- “The FDA runs clinical trial recruitment through our platform.”
- “US Department of Labor uses our analytics for workforce trends.”
- “NASA’s contractor screening is powered by our verification system.”
- “Interpol trains agents with our simulation software.”
- “The VA (Veterans Affairs) hired 5,000+ medical staff using our ATS.”
- “TSA pre-check enrollment runs on our scheduling infrastructure.”
- “UK’s NHS standardized employee onboarding with our solution.”
- “Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative built on our IoT platform.”
When to Use:
- Selling to regulated industries (healthcare, finance, defense)
- Emphasizing security/compliance capabilities
- Competing for large enterprise contracts
Hybrid Social Proof
Mix these for maximum impact:
“After MIT validated our algorithm (Industry Partnership), the US Air Force adopted it (Gov Adoption) – now Gary V’s team uses it daily (Influencer).”
How to Use Social Proof Hooks Effectively
Key Takeaways:
- Social proof builds trust—use recognizable names, metrics, and testimonials.
- Be specific—exact percentages, client names, and results work best.
- Keep it relevant—tailor examples to your prospect’s industry.
- Place your social proof hook in the opening lines for maximum impact (Cognism).
- Be specific—mention numbers, names, or recognizable brands.
- Only use social proof that’s relevant to your recipient’s industry or pain point.
- Keep it concise and authentic.
More Examples
- “Trusted by teams at Google, Atlassian, and HubSpot.”
- “We’ve helped over 500 SaaS companies improve their onboarding experience.”
- “Our clients have seen a 25% average reduction in churn after 90 days.”
- “Featured in The Wall Street Journal as a top HR solution.”
- “Recently, [Mutual Connection] used our platform to double their response rates.”
Pro Tip
Combine social proof hooks with personalization for even higher response rates. For example:
“Hi [Name], I saw you’re leading growth at [Company]. We recently helped [Similar Company] boost their MQLs by 35% in just two months.”
Harness the Power of Social Proof
In a world where trust is everything, social proof isn’t just a marketing tactic—it’s a psychological necessity. Whether it’s customer reviews, influencer endorsements, or viral trends, people rely on the choices of others to guide their own decisions.
By leveraging social proof—through testimonials, case studies, user-generated content, or trust badges—you can build credibility, reduce skepticism, and drive more conversions. Brands that master this don’t just sell products; they create movements backed by real people.
The evidence is clear: If others trust you, new customers will too. Start showcasing your social proof today—and watch confidence (and sales) grow.
