We often hear people talking about social proof, but why is it so important? The good news is that to get it, you just need to know where to look and how to approach all those happy customers, industry influencers, and other relevant parties in your sector.
So let’s start by briefly explaining what social proof is because many people still get hung up on the definition. For me, social proof is basically anything that demonstrates how people feel about your brand or how they have been helped by it.
Our natural tendency is to follow the crowd (rightly or wrongly) and so we listen to what other people have to say, especially if they are individuals who we respect or whose opinions we value.
The bottom line is that if 1,000 people are saying product A is absolutely amazing and zero people are saying product B – which is identical – is substandard, the majority of consumers are going to choose product A.
But how can you start benefitting from social proof? Here are 10 great suggestions to get you started.
1. Social Media Subscriber Counts
First and foremost, I want to say that follower counts and likes are not the be all and end all when it comes to social proof. However, they do matter.
For example, let’s say you are considering employing the services of two companies. You check company A’s social media profiles and see they have lots of likes/followers and high engagement, and they post on a regular basis.
You then check company B’s profile and discover they have hardly any likes/followers and low engagement, and they rarely post. Rightly or wrongly, you’ll immediately have a preference for company A – that’s just how we humans are.
That’s why – in addition to all the other benefits social media marketing affords – you need to ensure you’re present, consistent, and relevant, all the time, online.
2. Social Share Counts
You’ll have undoubtedly read about the recent Facebook algorithm changes that detrimentally impacted the organic reach of business pages. This Facebook News Feed Armageddon, for want of a better phrase, has made the appeal of paid reach even greater.
At a time when businesses are already struggling to stand out online, here’s Facebook turning the organic screw and offering relief in the form of paid reach.
Anyway, you might be wondering where I’m going with this. The bottom line is that it’s harder now to reach the people who matter to your business through social media.
However, you still want to benefit from all the shares and engagement you did before – after all, that’s definitive social proof right there. So you may want to start investing in paid social, even if you can only allocate a few dollars a month.
3. Client Testimonials
Chances are your clients think you do a damn good job. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be your clients, right? So why not leverage the high regard in which they hold you by asking them to provide a client testimonial which you can display on your website, landing pages, social profiles, etc.
The key is to time your testimonial request right. First, you need to ensure you’ve added tangible value to the client, e.g. solved a particular problem of theirs with one of your products/services, or gone above and beyond when it comes to customer service.
Second – and this is where many businesses go wrong – you shouldn’t wait too long to make a testimonial request.
Right after the project has finished (for service providers) or around 30 days after a new product has been purchased (for physical goods) is the accepted norm. Any longer and you run the risk of never actually receiving a testimonial for all your hard work, or the customer might even have forgotten what it was that you did for them. It happens, which is why it pays to be memorable, always.
4. Professional Certifications
You’re inevitably skilled, knowledgeable, and experienced at what you do. Over the years, you’ll have almost certainly earned industry-recognized awards, accreditations, qualifications, and credentials. So why not proudly display them on your website for everyone to see!?
If people visit your website and see professional accreditations and badges they recognize, it will immediately tell them you’ve put in the hard work in terms of learning and, ultimately, you’re the real deal when it comes to what they need.
5. Customer Logos
How many times have you visited a company’s website and seen a logo wall (a section or list of all the businesses the company has worked with)?
The reason these logo walls exist is that they are a really great way for businesses to showcase all the professional partnerships they’ve had/currently have.
Think about all the companies you’ve worked with over the years and approach them to see if it’s okay for you to display their logo on your website/landing page. It won’t usually be a problem, especially when you consider they are getting a bit of free advertising in the process, but it’s always good to ask permission first.
6. In the Press/Media Page
A particularly powerful type of social proof for charities, non-profit organizations, and even for-profit businesses is the press and media mentions they get from time to time. Content of this nature is particularly influential because it comes from a neutral source and is not (usually) designed to act as promotional material.
Nevertheless, press mentions provide fantastic social proof of all the good work you’ve been doing. The fact that news agencies, online publications, and other media sources are writing about your business is a big deal, and you should be shouting it from the rooftops (or at least linking to the sources in a section on your website).
Not sure how to get this type of social proof? Try starting out with services like HARO or ProfNet, where journalists are always looking for experts in particular areas.
7. Influencer Marketing
Influence has long been a major contributor to driving business. That’s why influencer marketing is such a powerful form of social proof – and it has been for a long time. You only need to think back to the commercials you used to see on TV that featured your favorite celebrities.
Nowadays, though, influencer marketing often tends to focus on industry influencers, the people who have a finger on the pulse in your sector and know what’s hot, what’s not, and what threatens to be the next big thing. These individuals – if you can get them on board – can be extremely beneficial to your business, exerting their authority over the people who matter to you.
In fact, because so many businesses have realized how effective influencer marketing is for driving social proof, it’s become a key part of their marketing strategies, rather than just an optional extra or afterthought.
8. Guest Blogging
Many people hear the term guest blogging and immediately think of the spammy, low-quality blog posts that content farms used to churn out on a daily basis in an attempt to get a backlink from a reputable, high-ranking website.
These spurious links were shoehorned into the content – which, by the way, usually offered very little in the way of value – in an attempt to deceive the search engines.
However, guest blogging done right isn’t spammy and isn’t designed to deceive anyone. It’s designed to provide real value and earn the author a deserved bit of exposure.
The key is approaching respectable blogs or websites with a blog relevant to your business and your customers. It’s no good publishing a cracking guest post on a gardening blog if you’re in the digital marketing game. It won’t benefit anyone – least of all you.
If you’re just starting out blogging, consider using LinkedIn or Medium. Both provide excellent platforms for you to give your audience(s) some real value.
Finding the right blog to publish your guest post on can be tricky. A great starting point is to read this guest blogging post by Lilach Bullock. It contains tons of suggestions, all of which are categorized accordingly, of blogs that accept guest posts.
9. Eye-Opening Statistics
In your eyes, you’re the best at what you do. And while that may be the case, nothing says it quite like statistics. At the end of the day, we can all say we’re the best, but being able to back that up with meaningful, accurate, quantifiable stats further cements our claim.
Businesses use stats a lot. For example, when you visit a landing or product page, you may notice taglines like “50,000 satisfied customers can’t be wrong” or “We’ve helped over 500 businesses fulfill their efficiency dreams to date.”
Providing what you say is true, you can utilize all kinds of cool stats to help support your claims of being the best (or at least being right up there with the best).
10. Case Studies & Reviews
Whether it’s a large organization you’ve worked with and helped realize significant cost savings or a smaller operation that you’ve improved efficiency for, case studies and reviews are excellent ways to show your potential customers how you can also help them.
Obviously, if your business is primarily product-focused, an in-depth case study may not be applicable, but customer reviews absolutely will.
Google My Business is a good place to start, especially if you’re a local business that relies on local search to attract new customers. The Google Reviews aspect is particularly powerful and you can learn more about it on the relevant Google My Business Help page.
If you’re a business that provides a service and helps other organizations achieve amazing results, perhaps a case study is more applicable than Google Reviews. You can outline the issue that needed help, the solution you implemented, and the fantastic results you achieved.
Other businesses in similar predicaments that read the case study may just seek out your services and employ them as a result.
The long and short of it is you don’t have to be a powerhouse brand to get social proof. In fact, you may already have some – now it’s time to show it off and take advantage of it!