Tag: Testimonials

#AwesomeInSocial – Improve Your Credibility with Robust Social Proof

Influence and word-of-mouth are cornerstones to your credibility. This builds social proof. Social proof is the social pressure for consumers to purchase a product or service based on the reviews and influence of others. The more social proof you have, the more customers and clients you’ll gain. It becomes easier as the social proof increases.
But how do you gain a robust social proof?
You gain it through testimonials, ratings and reviews, influencer endorsements, media logos, certifications, subscriber counts, social connections, social shares, clients, and case studies.
Testimonials
A testimonial is a statement made by a customer or consumer that provides an objective viewpoint. This “outsider influence” is something you’ll see more of in this list. It’s important to note that testimonials involve stories about how your product or service bettered their lives in some way. It’s similar, but not the same, as reviews.
Ratings and Reviews
Think about the last time you purchased something online. If the rating was available, did you look at it? Did it influence your buying decision? Of course it did. And if reviews were available, you likely read a few of those as well. The scoring system of a rating is a powerful influence in social proof. A review usually accompanies a rating. The greater your number of ratings and reviews, the more power it holds over the viewing public.
Influencer Endorsements
Influencer Endorsements aren’t the same as testimonials. An influencer is a well-known person or business who has a heavy social media following. A mention of your business, product, or service can cause an instant rise in social proof. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, as your willingness to connect with them builds their credibility. Keep in mind that their reputation is just as important as yours.
Media Logos
You’ve noticed these before, and likely didn’t realize it. “As seen on…” is an excellent example. It’s important to note, you can only use these media logos if you’ve actually appeared on their networks, in their paper, etc. Misrepresentation of your credentials will destroy the credibility you’ve tried so hard to develop.
Certifications and Case Studies
Certifications and case studies are professional endorsements of your credibility. They prove your expertise, and therefore increase your social proof.
Subscriber Counts, Social Connections, and Social Shares
All of these combined build a pressing need to go along with the crowd. Like reviews and testimonials, the more you have, the more you’ll gain. It may take five years to get 10k subscribers, but the next 10k could take one or less. The more influence you have socially, the more people accept your credibility.
Clients and Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is still as strong as ever. People are more influenced by those they know than those they don’t. If a happy client spreads the word about your work, social proof will naturally follow.

Now you know the best ways to build your social proof. Building momentum is key to successfully enhancing your credibility. Take the time to do it right, and you’ll be #AwesomeInSocial.
Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!
Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedInFacebookTwitterBlogGoogle+YouTubePinterestInstagram and the tools to manage them.

#SocialProof – How to Build Social Proof

We’ve talked about #SocialProof before. It’s the “psychological preference for doing what other people are doing, because if other people are doing it, it proves that it must be worthwhile”. It’s what gives power to celebrity brand endorsements and phrases like “Limited Edition”.
So how do you build an influence wave of social proof
First of all, you need to understand that it is far easier to jump from 20,000 YouTube subscribers, Facebook Likes, etc. to 50,000 than it is to go from 0 to 1,500. This is called a growth curve. You will need to grind to build your social proof from scratch.
Secondly, you must leverage the numbers that provide the most impact. If a brand new food blogger has 18k Pinterest followers on their niche boards, there must be something going on that they need to analyze and figure out how to capitalize on.
Here are thirteen types of social proof and tips on how to get started: 
1. Raw Quantity: The number of people engaging or interacting with you. Gather these numbers immediately. For physical/digital products, how many sales have you made? Blog or podcast: how many countries do people listen or read from? Social media presence: number of followers and number of posts fall into this category. 
2. Celebrity and Expert Endorsements: This could take up a post all its own. When you’re first building your social proof, the likelihood of a celebrity endorsement is slim. Experts in your field, however, are much easier to approach. These are called influencers and influencer marketing is its own niche.
3. Testimonials and Quotes: Authors use other author or industry professional’s quotes on their covers. Testimonials are a fantastic way to build social proof. 
4. Featured locations: Did you show up on a podcast? Have you been featured in a popular or industry standard publication? If not, why not contact larger publications for guest posting? They are often starved for online content, so take the time to target your niche. 
5. Certifications: completely self-explanatory. If you have any that can be used as social proof, display them proudly.
6. Referrals: the #1 trusted source of advertising as proven by numerous case studies. Start by creating a referral program where a referring customer receives a discount for their loyalty. 
7. Gazing: Use photos and images to draw the reader’s eye to your call to action.
8. Ratings and Reviews: One of the most important parts of your Online Reputation and also the fastest growing part of social proof in our mobile market. Encourage your customers to leave reviews, but be careful if you offer perks. This can seem scammy and have the opposite effect you’d intended.
9. Case Studies and Proof of Concept: Lead by example in using yourself as a case study or use other people’s transformation studies as proof. 
10. Limited Time Offer or The Fear of Missing Out: Give a deadline, and stick to it. Create exclusivity. Both of these combine to make a very strong case for social proof.
11. Social (Media) Proof: This is really difficult from the beginning. You can start by creating a hashtag that represents you and your business. Use it and encourage your clients and customers to use it as well.
12. Rankings: New product launch? Use a product launch site. Food blogger? Try to get on Food Gawker. Almost every industry has submission sites that can get your brand noticed and give you the ranking you need to jump to the top.
13. Integration and Platforms: If your product or service is used or integrated with others, show it. 
14.   SEO: The higher your rank on Google, the more automatic credibility you give your brand and your business. 
How are your doing with your social proof? Any questions? Tell us in comments and we’ll tackle them in a future post.

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!
Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

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