How to Generate Social Proof for a New Offer in No Time
When you’re brand new to the entrepreneurial game, you’ve got a lot riding on things working out. It’s up to you to build name recognition for your business, find clients, create offers, and then sell them. That’s a lot. Do you know what makes it all a little easier? Social Proof.
Social proof works because we love to copy other people. It’s why grown women covet each other’s handbags. It’s natural for us to look around to see what other people are doing or to want what they have.
In the marketing world, social proof is a way to show people that others like your business or your offers. I’m talking reviews, recommendations, endorsements, all that good stuff. That’s the stuff that will convince people to buy. But what if you don’t have any social proof because your business or offers are so new?
You can still gain social proof quickly by using a few of these ideas. If you’re just about to launch a new offer and don’t have any social proof for it, keep reading to the bottom. I share tips specifically for your fledgling offer down there!
1. Schedule client interviews
Do you know who your best resource is? Your clients or customers. They know who you are and how you work (or how your physical or digital products or other offers work).
If you want to improve your services or offers, you’ve got to talk to them. Set up a client interview. Even a quick fifteen-minute discussion can help you determine your ideal client, build a buyer persona, and identify your business’s weaknesses and strengths. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions like:
- What value did this offer/my services provide?
- Are you satisfied with our work/your results?
- How can we improve?
Simple, direct questions like these can help you improve, especially when you are just starting out. We all make mistakes initially (and even when we are more seasoned), so this valuable insight from your clients can be a great help.
Did those interviews net some really awesome information? Share your client interviews as a social post, a blog, or even ask your client if they’d be interested in co-hosting an Instagram Live with you about their experience! These are all great ways to showcase your work and to let people know you can help them, too.
2. Client offboarding forms
A client testimonial is so valuable, but you don’t have to sweat for days and days over asking for one. Instead, build a request for a testimonial, review, or feedback into your offboarding process for your services, or as the last module of your course or membership. This makes it easy to get some good reviews and testimonials for your work or offers, and it’s instantaneous — you don’t have to worry about them forgetting what it was like to work with or learn from you because it’s still fresh on their minds.
Once you get a great review or testimonial, make sure to put it on your website and social media. You want to showcase your client outcomes and update them frequently!
3. Create case studies
Everyone loves to hear a success story. It makes us believe that we can achieve the same results. That’s why case studies, testimonials, and reviews are necessary if you want your offer to be a success.
Never created a case study before? An excellent case study should answer three questions:
- What problems did your client face?
- What service did you provide to address the problem?
- What result did your client get?
The key to a good case study is that there has to be some sort of transformation. You need to show that your help was invaluable to your client and helped transform the way they do business or life. It has to be clear that they couldn’t have accomplished their goal without you!
Remember, this is a deep-dive into your work with your client. So don’t be afraid to show your work process, any setbacks that may have come up, and how you navigated each challenge. Transformation happens when people invest in experts like you — so show your work!
4. Appear on other people’s podcasts
If your goal is to grow more reach, generate more leads, and to establish your brand as one that’s trusted in your niche or industry, you don’t just need testimonials. You need proof that you’re engaging with brands people recognize and showing up in places they trust. This is where podcast pitching, connecting with others, and even speaking at summits or events can come in handy.
While these don’t always connect directly to your offers and the testimonials you need for those offers, you can add “As Seen On” or “Trusted By” modals on your website, so that people know you’ve built a positive reputation. This is another layer of social proof; some people want to know that you’re trustworthy and have established expertise before they look into your offers any further.
Launching a new offer and need social proof before it goes live?
Here are a few ways to increase social proof before anyone buys into your offer.
Offer a beta round
When you’re creating a new offer, like a course, mastermind, or even a service, you know that you’ll need social proof to sell it. But how can you do that when nobody has seen the inside of the program or completed the work yet? Two words: beta rounds.
A beta test or beta round is a great way to test out your offer or product with real people who are your ideal customers/clients before you launch the offer publicly. Often, beta testers get a huge discount or free access to the offer in return for their feedback and participation.
How do you run a beta round? First, find some willing participants that you can invite to test out your offer (again, make sure they’re in line with your ideal audience). Give them access to the course or start your curriculum/process with them. As you go, ask for explicit feedback from your participants. Ask them what’s working for them and what isn’t, what they like and what they don’t. Finally, when the test is over, ask your participants for honest reviews or testimonials. Focus especially on the transformation they were able to achieve!
Host a challenge
Social media challenges are a fun, creative way to get some buzz going for your business and your offer. First, make sure that your challenges are safe and will showcase your offer in a good way. Then, once you set up your challenge, get busy promoting it. You want as many people participating as you can get!
Connect with fellow entrepreneurs
When you are just starting as an entrepreneur, or when you want to find success with your first-ever offer, the best thing you can do is to boost your online presence by connecting with fellow business owners, especially ones with larger audiences. Not only are fellow entrepreneurs more experienced and can provide guidance and feedback, but they can also open doors to new audiences and connections.
Participating in a live Q&A, appearing on a podcast, or participating in their social media challenges or events are all great ways to build interest in your name, brand, and/or offers. Appearing on other people’s platforms can show who you are and what you do to more people than you can on your own. Plus, you’ll get some extra clout because you’re cool enough to work with some awesome people!
Partner with a brand or organization
Look for ways that you can help other organizations with your product or offer. For example, if you sell a course that helps people boost their presence on LinkedIn, why not reach out to a few professional associations whose members need LinkedIn help? You never know who may need your services or how it can benefit them.
Bonus tip: If your partnership is successful, ask to showcase the association's blog or credentials on your website. It will give your future clients an idea of the caliber of work you do and the type of clients you work with.
When you focus on serving people well, social proof will come!
The first rule of social proof is to showcase who you are and what you can do for your clients. The second rule is to be willing to put in the work and serve people well, so that they want to share how awesome their experience was with you. So don’t be afraid to ask for help gathering social proof. You’ll need all the help you can get when you’re starting out!
Want more tips on how to establish yourself as an expert, launch new offers with great success, and grow a sustainable business? Join the Launch BFF email list. Each week, we share new advice on launch strategies that work and ways to build offers that align with the kind of business you want to build.