Struggling to build a legion of fans that really ‘trust’ your brand? Sounds like you need to bolster your business with social proof.

What is social proof?

Internet users are sharper than ever, and you need to give them the evidence – or ‘proof’ – that your brand is authentic and trustworthy. Social proof is a way to assure potential customers that your business is the real deal.

Some examples of effective social proof can include:

Social media following

On social media, numbers are equated with how popular a brand is. How many followers or Likes your business has can deter or encourage potential new customers to follow you. This can make or break your brand’s credibility.

With that in mind, it’s worth making the effort to grow your audience – paid advertising is one avenue that can be particularly effective. Not only should you try to grow your audience, but also creating an engaged audience through regular posting and high quality content should be your goal to put your best foot forward online.

Reviews

Customer reviews are an important piece of social proof. 88% of online users trust reviews from strangers as much as a personal recommendation from someone they know. Therefore, it’s obviously important to strive for a good star rating. To keep ratings high, try asking your happy customers to give you a review, whether that be on a product page, your Facebook profile or your Google listing.

Testimonials

Testimonials function in much the same way as reviews, but are longer and generally less focused on the star rating. Testimonials are a powerful way to showcase your company’s strengths, and can be featured on your website and social channels as a means to show off your strong points and your positive interactions with customers.

Ready to strengthen your brand with social proof but don’t know where to start? Get in touch.