Sharing Social Proof Is Critical In Getting The Sale

Social proof. Reviews. Testimonials. Likes. Followers.

These are an inseparable part of being a digitally connected business. They can also seem overwhelming when you’re trying to climb to the top of your niche. But with markets saturated with choices you need to gather proof to show clients you are worthy of their time. 

At times we may struggle to capture the social proofs we need, especially as female entrepreneurs. We may have difficulty announcing that we are the bomb while less qualified men are out there flexing and saying x, y, and z to get the sale. 

This is an inner limitation we need to break through as female business owners.

According to psychological patterns of purchasing and selling, a relationship needs to be built between brand and client. This is especially true for women selling to women. The relationships you cultivate are the cornerstone of your business. And you need to understand how you are showing that what you do can solve your clients’ problem.

Are you speaking in a language that resonates with your client? 

Does your content handle the obstacles that they may be dealing with?

One way we can accomplish this as business owners is through our social media channels with the help of social proof. So let’s take the plunge together into what social proof is, why we need it, and how we can gather it.  

What Is Social Proof

So what exactly is social proof? 

It springs from the idea that people will do what they witness the majority of people choose to do. It is an innate psychological tendency studied by psychologist Robert Cialdini for people to view the behavior of others as the “right” way to act.  

Psychologist Solomon Asch’s experiments on conformity in the 1950s also showed this tendency. Through a visual judgment test, he showed that people frequently conform to the majority, even when they know it's wrong, demonstrating how powerful the influence of others is on our own decisions.

Why You Need Social Proof

We live in a digital world. And our businesses thrive based on how well we navigate the virtual landscape. This has made social proof vital for digital marketing. 

Since many of our sales are online where consumers can’t physically check the quality of a product, we need to allow them alternate ways to compare and test the value of what we are offering.  

This is what social proof allows us to do. 

As a business owner, social proof is a way to build an emotional relationship with your client, influence their decision about working with you, and grow your sales. Through customer reviews, testimonials, or other kinds of certifications, you can show how meaningful what you offer is, and persuade consumers to invest in your brand. 

Your digital marketing plan should include positive client reviews showcased on social media channels, customer testimonials shared on your website, or endorsements. Whatever you choose needs to show how sought after your service is. 

As you launch your business and grow your online presence, you need to begin gathering social proof right away! 

When you’re just beginning to grow your brand, it might not be your first priority to start collecting social proof, but it is something you should be thinking about from day one. The longer your business operates without gathering these endorsements, the more valuable reviews you could lose out on. 

Ways You Can Gather Social Proof

You are probably receiving social proof already without realizing it!

Every customer, follower, or expert who interacts with your business is a potential source. You need to carefully gather these interactions so you don’t miss out on any that could sway prospective clients. To gather social proof, keep in close contact with clients and ask for their reviews, ratings, and input. Make them part of an authentic conversation, and they will be happy to help.

These are some excellent ways to gather social proof:

• Ask for customer reviews after every sale. Collect them in written, audio, or video form. You could also send an automated form requesting clients to post on the social media channel where you make the most sales or use DMs asking the client permission to use their reviews. 

• Ask for testimonials from clients who have had a positive interaction with your brand and use these on your landing page or ask them to post them directly to your Linkedin or Facebook pages.

• Encourage clients to produce user-generated content (UGC) for your brand. Reposting your follower’s posts about your brand on your social media or creating a branded hashtag they can use will generate a feeling of authenticity and community.

• Acquire a stamp of approval to legitimize your account through Google, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Instagram, so when users come to your account, they feel it is trustworthy. 

• Try to attain media mentions from trusted sources. These will increase the trust of potential clients, endorse your brand, and position you as an authority in your niche.

• Leverage influencers and experts’ mention of your products and or services on your channels. People tend to believe that experts and influencers have special knowledge, and they want to emulate them.

• Highlight your followers and stats on your sites. Create social proof that showcases your number of followers and shares which could persuade others to get involved.  

When it comes to gathering and keeping track of your social proof, you need a smooth way to collect reviews and testimonials from clients. If your method isn’t easy and systemized, you may miss out on great testimonials from clients. You also don’t want to irritate your clients by repeatedly asking them to resubmit reviews you lost track of! Don’t do it to yourself!

The best way I have found to collect this information is to have a prepared form in Google Docs that I send to every client. Once that is returned, you can repurpose it for use in any of your channels. You could even use Canva to easily create social media images with the testimonial for your website, Facebook, or Instagram stories. 

One effective new tool for testimonial collection is Video Ask. This tool allows you to ask for reviews via video, giving your clients the option to respond through video, audio, or text. It is a free tool that makes it systemized for you and autonomous for your client. 

Proof Yourself and Watch Your Business Soar

Social proof is here to stay in our social media-obsessed world. 

By understanding its power, starting to gather it right away, and repurposing it to multiple media channels, we can get more clients to make contact with and invest in our business.  Through these relationships, we can score the sales that grow our business to its maximum potential. 

If you want to learn more about how to expand your social reach and how to build authentic relationships with your clients, you should check out my business membership network here. This community is an incredible resource for building confidence in your business decisions, constructing and executing your business plan, and elevating your mindset.

Or if you’re looking for a more personal coaching session, you can schedule a direct call with me by filling out this form.