Getting Social Proof
Hey, my self-publishing indie authors, guess what? If I tell you or anyone else how great I am, or how right I am, you may be hesitant to believe it. But, if you say it, or if others say it, then I have some credibility now. This sort of thing gets people wondering if perhaps you are right because others are saying it too.
The magic of others saying it too is called testimonials. We have all heard of this before. It’s not like it’s something new. However, most of us don’t spend enough time on this part of our authorpreneurship business in getting this just right.
It’s going to take a time commitment to make sure we have a bunch of testimonials or endorsements. And it’s going to take even more time to make sure we get them right.
So, how do we do this? Well, we want our testimonials or social proof to be longer and have more details in them. Most just have a few sentences about the products or services. We want to do better than that. We want our people endorsing us to share more details about the problem they had, the journey they took with us, and the positive outcome they obtained.
Social proof of this nature will really draw people in emotionally. After all, everyone loves a good story, right? And they especially love a good story where the hero gets to win in the end. It’s sort of like a modified version of the hero’s journey. They have a problem. They tried everything. Nothing works. Then they find us, and with some effort and adjustments, they create the better life they want for themselves and their loved ones.
Pretty cool, huh?
Who wouldn’t be drawn in by an endorsement like that?
Very few people will give testimonies. Just look at how hard it is to get Amazon book reviews. Also, almost no one will leave the kind of kick-butt testimony or social proof that we are looking for. Most just don’t have time, and no one really knows how to give us the kind of social proof that we’re looking for.
So, here’s what we should do.
When one of our customers loves us and what we do, and got great results from our product or service, we need to log their name somewhere. As soon as possible, while they are still excited about our product or service, we need to ask for feedback from them.
Start by asking them to tell you more about the problem they were having before they met you. Then write down their response. Shortly after, ask them about their journey. Write that down too. Then, ask them about their end results. Jot that down as well.
Next, spend some time writing their testimony for them out of the responses they already gave you. Remember, people are very busy. They don’t have time or know what we’re exactly looking for. So the answer to our problem is to write it for them and then ask them to edit or tweak it to their liking so that it’s really their own story of their journey.
After they are fully happy with the endorsement, put that social proof up on our website, social media channels, business cards, off-line marketing materials, and anywhere else we can think of.
In addition, also always work on increasing the numbers of your social media followers. People do notice that sort of thing. Furthermore, use the logos of famous media places that interviewed you on all of your stuff. Be sure to include those logos in your email signature.
Anytime you can get your picture put next to the image of another influencer, do it. People will associate you with that influencer. And if you can get the two of you in the same picture, it’s even better. People think this celebrity sort of thing is really cool, so they’ll assume you’re really cool, too. And if you’re really cool, then your products and services must be good also. After all, they’re an extension of you, right?
Social proof is worth its weight in gold. So, be on the lookout for it and get it done the right way when you can.
Watch the free video lesson on this chapter!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghS1NAoBrIA&list=PL_-39bUXJitwL8cHUpiZ5mO0-JJuaPOVl&index=84