Marketing a brand has never been more complex. The nuances of digital marketing and online promotion are accessible, but there are so many options that it can be difficult to know where to invest your efforts.
One marketing tool that always helps a brand pop is social proof. Let’s look at what social proof is, why it’s so important in marketing a health and wellness brand, and how you can generate significant social proof for your company.
What Is Social Proof?
Social proof refers to the psychological reaction where people use the behavior of someone else to guide and inform their own reactions.
You could encounter social proof when you see a social post where an influencer recommends a particular brand of clothing. Amazon reviews are another common form of consumer feedback that informs other people’s decisions. Even a suggestion from a friend to try a certain brand or product is an intimate form of this powerful marketing phenomenon.
Social proof establishes an immediate sense of trust. (For instance, 49% of consumers trust reviews as much as recommendations from a loved one.) It indicates that others are happy enough with their experience of your brand that they will recommend it to someone else.
How Can You Generate Social Proof?
Things like paid ads, email marketing, and digital PR come directly from your brand. In contrast, most social proof comes in the form of user-generated content (UGC).
This is content that, as the name implies, is created by users — not by companies. There are many ways you can engage in and encourage the creation of UGC to generate social proof for your brand, including:
- Social media mentions and shares: Social media is one of the best ways to get your brand out in front of your target audience. In most cases, these are posts created by consumers, which makes them an ideal form of social proof.
- Influencer endorsements: Influencer endorsements are a powerful way to amplify your social media voice through a third party to project social proof out to a larger audience.
- Own your GMB listing: Google My Business and similar industry business listings are a great way to garner social proof through feedback and reviews.
- Your own website: Your website is another place where customers can leave reviews, ratings, and feedback. You can also publish case studies and success stories that highlight specific cases of social proof.
Using Social Proof to Build Your Business
Social proof is a powerful way to market a brand. It is either affordable or free and is easy to generate in multiple formats.
However, with the potential for negative feedback and reviews a real possibility, it’s important to generate social proof with a clear strategy in place. This is where working with an established marketing agency like TruLife can help.
Our veteran team has decades of collective experience in the health and wellness industry. We have the plans, platforms, tools, and influencer connections to create meaningful social proof that drives brand awareness and helps close sales.
Looking to enter the US market? Let’s talk, and together, we can create a comprehensive marketing, sales, and distribution strategy that will take your brand to the next level.
