7 Ways to Build Social Proof That Will Make Your Business Thrive
September 19, 2021 | 165,551 views | 11 min. read time
You may not realize it, but your potential customers are constantly judging you. Whether you’re launching a new business or trying to bring it back from the brink of death, social proof is what can make—or break—your company. Social proof is essentially any type of third-party validation that helps your customers trust you. It can be almost anything that makes your business appear trustworthy and reputable in the eyes of potential customers. For example, when you see a Yelp page for a local restaurant, you know that it’s trustworthy because there are lots of reviews from verified users saying whether or not the place was worth visiting again. Those reviews are social proof that the restaurant is good and trustworthy. Without them, would you go there? Probably not as quickly.
The Importance of Social Proof in Marketing
When you’re starting a new business, it can be hard to gain traction. You have to do everything you can to build trust and credibility with customers. Social proof is one of the best ways for you to do that. It’s basically any third-party validation that makes your customers trust your business. For example, if your company has been in business for 30 years and has lots of satisfied clients, that’s social proof—those are trusted testimonials on your website that people use to make decisions about what company they want to work with or buy from. Social proof is an excellent way for marketers to build trust and make a good first impression with potential clients. Building up social proof takes time, but even small actions can help:
How to Achieve Social Proof in Your Marketing Strategies
One of the most common examples of social proof is reviews. Reviews are a valuable form of social proof because they provide your customer with an unbiased opinion on how your business is, even if you're not there to present it. If a potential customer is looking for a new place to eat that has been reviewed by reviewers, then they're likely going to trust the review more than a picture you post on Facebook that says "OMG, this food was so good!" Reviews should be something you work towards every day and ask for whenever possible. Another way to achieve social proof in your marketing strategies is through testimonials. Testimonials can take one of two forms: videos or written form (usually an image). The video testimonial is often used when you have someone who has used your product or service and wants to share their experience with it publicly. The written testimonial is almost always associated with social media posts and other websites where people can leave feedback about your company. Testimonials are valuable because they show potential customers that other people who have had similar experiences came away feeling satisfied with the results. This type of information reassures them that they will also come away satisfied after using your services or products.
Testimonials and Reviews
Social proof can come in many forms. Reviews, testimonials, and customer feedback are all great ways to build social proof for your business. For example, if you’re running an eCommerce store, you could offer free trials of a product or service as a way of getting reviews from customers who have used it. If you’re a restaurant and your food is excellent, ask customers to write reviews on Yelp or other online review sites like TripAdvisor. You can also offer incentives for those who leave reviews. Social media campaigns with high engagement or discounts are great ways to incentivize people to do something they would otherwise not do: write reviews about your business on social media platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Do I need social media to succeed in business?
A: No, but it can help in terms of building a trustworthy company.
Q: How do I use social media to market my business?
A: You can use Twitter or Facebook to share posts, pictures, videos, and other information about your company. You want customers to feel like they are getting access to exclusive content. By doing this you'll show them how awesome your company is and how interested you are in their feedback. This gives them the feeling that they have an inside look into your business which helps build trust.
Free Trial or Demo
Offering a free trial or demo is another type of social proof that can help your business thrive. If you have a product, for example, the free trial or demo is the perfect way to show potential customers how it works and how it’s different from other products on the market. If you provide them with a sample or an explanation of what your product can do for them, it’s very likely that they will be more likely to purchase it. If you have a service instead, like accounting services, then offering a free consultation is also an excellent way to prove that you are qualified and trustworthy. With both types of businesses, offering something for free will boost customer confidence in your brand and create loyalty among new and old customers alike.
Social Media Ads
Advertising on social media is a form of digital marketing. Though it has its limitations, social media advertising can be an effective way to reach new customers and drive additional revenue. One limitation of social media ads is the lack of targeting capabilities. You can’t choose who views your ads with any specificity which means you may have to pay a higher price per click just to get your ad seen by people who are more likely to buy your product or service. With Facebook, for example, you can target either by age or location; however, with Google Adwords, you can target based on demographics such as gender, interests, and behaviors.
Video Ads
There are many types of social proof that can give your company the boost it needs. One of the most popular is video ads. With a video ad, you’re able to show your potential customers what your business is all about. You’ll have an opportunity to talk about your products and services in an entertaining way, which will make them more likely to trust you. Video ads are perfect for those who are just starting out or who want to increase brand awareness. If you’ve been building up your customer base over time, video ads can be a great way to get new customers while still maintaining the loyalty of existing ones. Without video ads, you may not have enough social proof to keep people coming back for more.
Bottom Line
Social Proof Is More Important Than Ever There are so many different types of social proof to use for your business. They range from testimonials, reviews, ratings, and more. The key is to find the social proof that will work best for your business. You can also utilize social media content like tweets and Facebook shares to help spread the word about your products or services. It’s important that you incorporate a variety of types of social proof in order to make your company as trustworthy as possible. Keep in mind that customers are constantly evaluating whether they should trust you or not, so it’s important to give them reasons why they should by using various forms of social media validation.
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