We’re sorry to break it to you but there’s a good chance that most of your customers didn’t choose to make a purchase because of your clever tagline or your one-day, ‘exclusive to VIP members’ sale. Don’t get us wrong—they are helpful. They can capture potential customers’ attention, but can they keep it? Not always. New customers don’t know you, so they don’t quite trust you—yet. Don’t take it personally, it is just business, after all. Besides, they’ll get to trust you once they’ve made their purchase. But before then, they’re going to need some proof from their peers.
Social proof is essential for sales. Everyone, including the savvy business owner can be influenced by his or her peers. How many time have you rushed to a brand’s site because a colleague told you about a product, “you just have to have?” How many times have you searched for a store’s location because you overheard a conversation where a product, “makes life so much easier?” Even if you don’t know someone, you can identify with them, because you want life to be much easier as well.
This is just what your website and social media channels need—actual customers talking about your product or service, and here’s how you do it.
Shared Posts
Don’t be afraid to prompt your customers to share your post. Everyone shamelessly does it, from bloggers to brands. And guess what, it works. Not everyone on Facebook thinks to share a blog post or a promotion, even if they’re intrigued. Ask them to ‘tag a friend who needs this’ or ‘share with friends who can relate,’ can help expand your audience.
Believe it or not, negative reviews can still play a positive role in your social proof strategy. Click To TweetGlowing Reviews
Whether they’re on Google, Facebook, Yelp or directly on your website, reviews are the holy grail of social proof. If you don’t have reviews on your website, you can create a series of review graphics and display them on your site. You can even add a CTA that links to your Yelp or Facebook page and prompt your audience to ‘see what more of our customers have to say about us.’ We know you’ll choose the best reviews to display on your site, but you don’t have to worry about the not-so-happy customers. The negative reviews can still play a positive role in your social proof strategy, which brings us to our next point.
Negative Reviews
Now if 90% of your reviews are complaints, it may be time to revisit the drawing board and amend certain aspects of your business. But if you have a few complaints from disgruntled customers, there’s no need to hide every comment. Allowing a few negative reviews on your Facebook page can actually—wait for it—increase trust! No, we’re not crazy, just clever. Respond to these customers calmly and offer a chance to address their concerns.
There’s no harm in hiding a few, especially when the customer leaves an inappropriate comment, filled with explicit language. But leaving a few visible with your response gives your customers the impression that your brand is mature and has nothing to hide. It shows that you really do care about your customers’ concerns, even when they’re unhappy with you.
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