Raise your hand if you've purchased something from Instagram because you saw someone you admire wear or promote it?
Whether you're doing so consciously or not, you trust the opinion of others online, and will often make purchasing decisions based of of that trust. That's called Social Proof. Here's another example. You're visiting a new city, eager to find an exciting restaurant to eat, so you head straight to Google and look at the reviews. Yeah...that's also Social Proof. Don't you want this kind of strategy in your social media marketing? We thought so! Here are 5 ways to include social proof in your social media strategy.
1. Reviews
This one is really straight forward. Reviews aren't only for Yelp! Facebook Page Rating is still very relevant, and buyers make purchasing decisions when they see these. Another great way to add reviews, is to snap a photo of your latest 5-star Google review and post it to your Instagram Stories.
2. Testimonials
Very similar to reviews, but a little different! If you have the opportunity to ask a current or past customer to create a quick 15 second video stating why they like your service or product, do it! Be sure you're sharing your customer's experiences as often as you can.
3. Influencer Marketing
You've all heard this term by now, right? It's been the hottest trend for the last three years, and it's not going anywhere soon. If your favorite Home Decorating Expert shares about her favorite deals at Target, you better believe we're out the door and headed there immediately. The power of Influencer Marketing is amazing. Remember, influencers don't have to have hundreds of thousands of followers, or be a celebrity. You may have local influencers right in your community!
4. User Generated Content
This one is our favorite! Just like testimonials, UGC (user generated content) is a great way to show how happy people are about your product or service. If you've been tagged in a story on Instagram, repost it! That's UGC!
5. Social Media Engagement
Here's the thing, folks. Followers and likes are definitely a vanity metric. They are not the be all, end all of social media - we promise. BUT....having a highly engaged group of followers, with a decent amount of likes and comments is indeed Social Proof. So, start building your strategy and growing those social platforms. As always, if you need help in this area, you know where to find us. (Click that link...that's where you find us)!