Table of Contents
3 Strategies for Social Proof in Marketing
Call-to-Action
Networking for Social Proof
How to Avoid Commercial Culture (Keep it Real)
Social Proof in Marketing (3 Take Away Thoughts)
3 Strategies for Social Proof in Marketing
The power of social proof in marketing is well established as a conversion tool and brands that learn how to use it correctly will benefit both their reputation and their bottomline. Social proof in marketing comes from amplifying the voices of existing clients, cross-promoting with other brands and establishing networks that highlight your values.
There are plenty of ways to utilize the power of social proof on the micro and macro scale. Here are three basic strategies to inject social proof into your digital marketing campaign.
Call-to-Action
The most powerful tool in the social proof toolbox is the call-to-action.
Your current audience is with you because they like your product and value your content. Amplifying those voices is crucial to showcasing why your brand is unique and what you have to offer. A good social media marketing campaign puts social proof in the spotlight.
There is no one strategy to implement. Social media is ever-evolving. Some folks swear by an Instagram and Twitter schedule. Other folks focus on working Facebook for all its worth. No matter what platforms you use, make sure they are connected coherently to each other.
Anywhere your content lives, you should have a share stripe that efficiently directs viewers to all the OTHER places your content lives. There should always be an option for your followers to comment and share. This helps your audience interact with your brand and each other.
Most importantly, when your audience speaks, amplify that voice. Retweet, share, or highlight the posts that showcase your content. Sharing client content serves to maintain good relations with your existing clients and display your best successes to potential clients.
HOW’S YOUR SOCIAL PROOF?
Does your brand need help with social proof? I’m here to help. Book a call with me today!
Networking for Social Proof
Tirelessly retweeting hundreds of clients is one way to improve brand visibility, but it only gets you so far. Sometimes one large voice is more impactful than one hundred small voices. But, who’s voice should you amplify?
By partnering with influencers, you can position your brand in front of a new audience. Because those influencers are a trusted voice, their approval goes a long way towards providing social proof. Establishing a good relationship with influencers who enter your social network is the first step to inviting them to become a brand ambassador.
Another strategy is to network with other brands that share your values. By linking to each other’s work and sharing each other’s content with your respective audiences, you help create a coherent network of content that draws both crowds together.
When choosing who to cross-promote with, make sure you share similar values, products, or services. Even if they are a competitor in some respects, your mutual cooperation helps improve visibility while showing potential customers that you aren’t just trying to make a sale, but help guide them to the service that is right for them.
Remember that cross-promotion isn’t just a like for a like, share for a share, link for a link. Make sure your cross-promotion content provides value to the reader and is relevant to their needs.
How to Avoid Commercial Culture (Keep it Real)
Social proof in marketing works because it is genuine. When we amplify voices, big and small, we showcase our content while providing an unbiased assessment of value. The key here is unbiased.
When we hold giveaways or share freebies with influencers, we walk a fine line. A voice you pay for is advertising, not social proof, and your audience knows a sales pitch when they see one. Don’t make the mistake of writing sales copy when you should be promoting interaction. There is no faster way to annoy your audience than to try and sell to someone who wants to be informed.
It isn’t wrong to incentivize social activity or brand ambassadors. Just make sure that any time money, goods or services change hands you are transparent about who got what, and why. An influencer is more than capable of sharing honest feedback regarding a freebie, as long as the limits of your influence are clear.
To make sure you learn how to use social proof in marketing correctly, you need to understand the line between incentivizing and advertising. Check out this article on what social proof is and is not.
Social Proof in Marketing (3 Take Away Thoughts)
In the words of author and personal branding guru Bernard Kelvin Clive.
“Man is a social being; it’s not surprising we love social proofs, it sells brands fast.”
Social proof in marketing is as simple as tapping into the natural human tendency to share and interact with the spaces and brands they enjoy. When working social proof into your digital marketing campaign, keep in mind these three things:
- Partner with those who match your style.
- Amplify the voices of your existing followers.
- Don’t wreck a good thing with an advertisement.
How about we practice a little social proof together? Comment or share to get the wheels turning in your social network and mine!
HOW’S YOUR SOCIAL PROOF?
Does your brand need help with social proof? I’m here to help. Book a call with me today!
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