How social proof can build up your brand

15 November 2020By Michelle

How social proof can build up your brand

Never heard of it? No problem, a lot of businesses haven’t. But that’s why we’re here…

What is social proof?

OK, so this is how social proof works.

Social proof is based on the thinking that people make their decisions by looking at what other people have done before them. We’ve all done it (like, who doesn’t book a holiday without checking TripAdvisor?). Psychologically, you feel safer when and more positive in your choice of hotel when you can see lots of people have stayed there before you and had a great time. If the reviews are 90% amazing with just a few dodgy ones thrown in, you’re going to trust the crowd right?

There are generally speaking six types of social proof

These are:

User:User social proof comes from your customers. So they might buy something from you, really love it, and then praise it on social media or leave a glowing review.

Expert:Expert social proof is when a highly respected ‘expert’ endorses your brand by recommending your products or services. A good example might be having an industry expert on your Twitter chat.

Celebrity:This is about celebrity endorsement for your product. So maybe a celebrity or an influencer has put a picture on Instagram of themselves wearing something your brand designed.

The wisdom of the crowd:This is when you have large numbers of people endorsing your brand. It might mean having a million Twitter followers for example.

The wisdom of your friends:Ever seen something your friend has liked on social media and you’ve then hit ‘like’ yourself? Usually this is followed by “Oh I love your bracelet/duvet cover/new shoes”. That.

Certification:This type of social proof is where your brand is given the seal of approval by someone in your industry who has authority. The little blue check mark next to a username on Twitter is an example of this.

So how can being a social proof genius big up your brand?

At LeadSocial this is our thing. So here are our top 5 tips to include in your social media marketing strategy:

1. Use celebrity endorsements

Don’t panic; a “celebrity” endorsement doesn’t have to mean grabbing the attention of Jennifer Aniston or one of the Jonas brothers (although that would be nice). Frankly, your budget may not stretch even if they agreed to it.

But – it’s still worth looking for people with large followings who might be willing to recommend your brand or give it thumbs up. You might just need to do a bit of research (no time? Get in touch with LeadSocial and we’ll take the hassle out of it for you).

2. Display your amazing reviews

Nothing screams THIS BRAND IS FABULOUS!! more than a whole load of good reviews (especially recent ones). So make sure they’re displayed somewhere obvious and really grab the reader’s attention.

3. Show your product in action

You know your product is super cool, so what better way than to show it working on your website and social media channels? The best trick is to post a video (preferably with lots of happy smiley people enjoying your product) and add lots of pictures of it too.

4. Create surveys and share the results

For many of your customers, writing a review is too long winded and a bit of a pain. But surveys are a great way to gauge opinion in seconds, as people can simply click a few buttons. Then display your results on social media (assuming they’re good of course!)

Not sure how best to do this? Choose one of our flexible, great value packages and get us on board to help.

5. Write case studies

If done well, case studies can be incredibly powerful. They act as a way to make your customers feel they’ve been thought about, and that your brand really cares about people.

With case studies, you can get the whole picture of your customer’s journey. Like, what made them choose your brand and what obstacles did your business help them overcome?

We suggest picking a few customers to approach to ask them if they had a good experience with your brand. If they did, check it’s ok to create a case study about them and if they’re happy for you to show their details. Then publish the case study and shout it from the rooftops.

By the way, we know that writing case studies doesn’t always come easily, and many businesses simply don’t have the time. So why not check out our handy support packages to find one that suits you, and we’ll do it all for you!

Itching to get your social proofing off the ground?

Whether you’ve got some amazing ideas around this topic or you’ve got literally no clue, don’t worry! LeadSocial is here to help.

We have years of social media marketing experience behind us and can guide you through all the best ways to make social media proof work for you. And, if frankly it all sounds like your idea of misery, we can do it all for you instead!

Simply select a package and get signed up with us today, or drop us a line.