The main purpose of marketing is to convince people that your products and services provide the perfect solution to the unique problem they are facing. I can testify as a business coach and business consultant that it is not always easy to convince others to buy your products and get your services. That is why we find effective ways to persuade our target market to be our customers and then work continuously to retain them. 

Producing content on social media has been the cornerstone of modern-day marketing. However, not every piece of content is sufficient to convince your audience. But luckily, there is a type of social media content that is very effective at drawing attention to your brand’s products and services – and that is social proof.

What is Social Proof?

Social proof content shows why your product or service is great, not from your point of view but from others. It is basically a live review of what your business provides as stated by others. 

Its convincing power comes from the idea that a third party is less likely to be biased in their opinions of your product. Essentially, people trust these reviews since those who made them have gone through the experience of purchasing your goods.  

Why Having Social Proof in Marketing Will Make Your Brand Shine

As a business owner, I can testify how social proof has helped me leverage my company and get more clients for my business consultant services. That is why I highly recommend you also use social proof when marketing your business. 

How can social proof affect your marketing? Keep reading to find out. 

Brings Authority to Your Brand

Imagine if a well-known celebrity used your foundation primer, posted it on Instagram, and captioned “This is the best primer I had EVER tried!”. It would be a dream come true, right? But more importantly from a business perspective, your brand will also get instant recognition and stand out among your competitors. 

Since it was a celebrity that had made that post, this will create a halo effect for your whole brand. If you use that kind of post as social proof, you will be able to position your brand as a leader in the industry.

Makes People Trust Your Products and Services

Since social proof can bring authority to your brand, more people will begin to trust your products and services. Even if no expert is commenting on your business, just having a few loyal customers who keep raving about your products on social media is enough. Their collective opinion is enough proof for others to have trust and try out your products as well. 

Generates the so-called “FOMO Phenomenon”

If this is your first time hearing it, FOMO means “fear of missing out”. If you have a group of friends who share a positive opinion on your business and they talked about it on social media, it’s highly likely that their friends and family will get curious. Since they want to know what they are talking about, they inevitably will stalk your business and even try out your products or services. 

Therefore it’s really important to take advantage of this feedback content regarding your business and use them as social proof content. 

Different Types of Social Proof and How to Get Them

A customer’s feedback about your business is not the only type of social proof that you can utilise in your business marketing. Other types of social proof content can diversify your social media posts. 

Below are the different types of social proof and how you can get them.

Business Milestones

You may have seen companies posting content like “Thank you for the 1 Million Instagram Followers!” or “On this day, we have sold 100,000 Brand X Lipsticks!”. Although this is something that a company has shared from their point of view, they could not have done it without their customers. This type of content is called business milestones. 

So next time your business social media profiles reach a certain number of followers or you have served an outstanding number of clients, be sure to use it as social proof. You will be surprised by how many people would want to be part of your next business milestone. 

Awards, Recognition, and Features

As a 14x award-winning eCommerce business coach and business consultant, it is no surprise that this is one of my favourite types of social proof. Getting an award is extremely difficult, and that is why it acts as very strong social proof. 

Search for local business awards in your area and do your best to apply for them. The application process can be time consuming and often tedious – but I’m telling you that all the effort is worth it for your business even if you simply became a nominee. 

Another option is to aim to get featured on a local press outlet or a well-known website. You can reach out to these outlets and pitch your business to them. Also, you can visit authoritative websites that provide recognition such as rankings and have your business listed there. Once your company gets a feature, share about it on social media. 

Case Studies

Case Studies are like customer testimonials. The difference is that the former is more in-depth and comprehensive than the latter. They detailed the services you provided to your clients and how the client was able to benefit from them. 

This type of social proof is commonly a partnership with your client. Thus, you need to reach out to your client about working on a case study together. Once you have collected the data and written the case study, you should then post it on your business' website. That way you can share it on social media and encourage your audience to head to your website to read it. 

User-Generated Content

User-Generated Content or UGC is any type of content posted on social media that users made that highlights a product or service. These are usually photos and videos that give the audience an idea of how a product is used or how a service works. Creators of this type of content usually include their input and explain why they like a particular brand. 

To be honest, you will need to have a loyal fanbase for your brand so you can get this type of content unsolicited. Thus, your immediate option is to encourage your customers to make this type of content. 

The best way to accomplish this is to hold challenges and competitions where they need to post UGCs. You can award them with freebies and discounts to motivate them to generate social proof for social media marketing. 

There you have it! 

Getting social proof is essential for your marketing strategy. I can hand on heart testify how this very tactic worked wonders for clients and my own business coaching and consulting business. So, follow my tips and start generating convincing content for your social media audience! 

If you need more help in getting clear on the winning marketing strategy for your business, I have the perfect solution for you.

Book me for a 1-on-1 Business Strategy Session or join the waitlist for my Business Coaching and Business & Marketing Consulting services. See you soon!

Olivia x