I'm sorry to tell you this, but most people do not trust you. Because when you break business down into its simplest form, your job is to build enough trust with your audience so they feel comfortable buying from you. Because although people may not trust what you have to say about yourself, they do trust what other people have to say about you. Customer action proof This sort of social proof marketing comes direct from your customers' mouth. Authority proof There are many ways to prove your authority, although much of it revolves around PR: "Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine" "Named Top 10 Marketer in Entrepreneur.com" "New York Times Bestselling Author" Social proof marketing like this helps you build an element of authority. In today's social media-centered world, this form of social proof marketing can prove very influential. This is a more powerful form of social proof marketing because it provides instant and tangible results. Case study proof This is the most powerful form of social proof marketing, and it involves your actual customers providing in-depth video testimonials or case studies. When it comes to building meaningful trust with your audience, a short, three-minute video goes a long way. It won't help you capture someone's attention (that's what the other four types are for), but when it comes to building real trust and authority, this is what you need and this is how you get the sale.
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I’m sorry to tell you this, but most people do not trust you.
It has nothing to do with you as a person, or your business, values or past. The fact is, we live in a world where we wake up every single day, bombarded with messages, ideas, “opportunities,” and people trying to capture our attention.
There’s too much white noise, which makes your job as an entrepreneur harder than ever.
Because when you break business down into its simplest form, your job is to build enough trust with your audience so they feel comfortable buying from you. In the past, this was easy. All you had to do was appear on TV and they would trust you in an instant.
Today, it’s much harder.
Which is why social proof marketing is one of the most important parts of your marketing plan. Because although people may not trust what you have to say about yourself, they do trust what other people have to say about you. According to Nielsen, 83 percent of respondents to its Global Trust in Advertising Report trust the recommendations of friends and family, while BrightLocal found 85 percent of respondents to its Local Consumer Review Survey trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.
Social proof marketing provides you a platform to speak to people you do not know yet. From there, you can build their trust, but until you capture their attention you have nothing to work with.
So, how do you do this? It begins with these five types of social proof marketing you need to start using now.
1. Customer action proof
This sort of social proof marketing comes direct from your customers’ mouth. It involves them saying:
- “I bought this, it was great.”
- “I downloaded this guide.”
- “I watched this video.”
- “I attended this webinar and stayed until the end.”
It isn’t specific and doesn’t offer any tangible results, but it does show your audience that other people have already taken action, and that the content you create is valuable.
When it comes to social proof marketing, this is the bare minimum. Without this, you cannot expect people who do not know…
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