Social proof is a powerful tool. It gives credibility to prospects, current customers and even your employees. But how can businesses generate social proof, and what is the best way to use it?
Who better to ask than our very own client, Bryan Rutberg of 3C Communications! This business relationship whiz helps organizations understand and harness the power of building stronger connections with their customers and employees.
Bryan brings with him a lot of clout — over 20 years of working for some of the best names in global business (Hewlett-Packard, McKinsey & Company, and Microsoft), along with years of consulting expertise. He is the founder and principal of 3C Consulting — The Customer Connection Company — and helps brands communicate effectively and build the right programs and culture to drive customer value and loyalty. That means more deals, more referrals, and ultimately, turning more customers into fans. Who doesn’t want all that?!
I sat down with Bryan face-to-face — or rather screen-to-screen — to take a deeper dive into social proof and how it can help B2B businesses generate more customer and employee engagement (and increase profits).
If you’re looking to incorporate social proof into your business, I bet you’ll enjoy this conversation — maybe almost as much as I did!
How do you define social proof for a business?
BR: Social proof is largely getting others to tell your story for you, with testimonials, referrals, and references. The “social” element makes some assumptions about how it’s used. Sure, there is social media, but it can go well beyond that.
There are many different forms of social proof, is one type better than the other?
BR: The question makes an assumption that we shouldn’t make — that one is better than the other or if we could only pick one, what would it be.
The real value is in the variety and volume.
There is probably a correlation to the stage in the customer journey as well. If I’m trying to figure out which vendor I should get in touch with regarding my problem, I might be most impressed by the volume of testimonials and 5-star reviews, or marketing materials with good quotes and unsolicited social media with positive reviews. However, when I am getting ready to actually make the purchase, I want to talk to the one person who had a problem just like mine in my geography or industry, or someone who had a similar set of circumstances that needed to be addressed.
“There isn’t one type of social proof that’s better than another–each type has its place. Get volume and variety for early influence, and get very specific proof to get deals over the finish line.” – Bryan Rutberg, 3C Communications
I asked Bryan about the use of social media influencers, especially those who take free products or services in exchange for a positive review — as businesses often hesitate to engage with them. His response shed some light on the topic:
BR: As for social media influencers, there is a role for those, too. I may trust a social media influencer when I am in the awareness and consideration stage, but when I get down to the question of “am I going to spend my money on this,” especially in a B2B environment where the cost and stakes are much higher, I want to talk to an actual human.
The different types of social proof all have their roles to play. But, from awareness to consideration, and thinking about this kind of influencer, when going to an actual purchase I want proof that isn’t from a person who took free merchandise for an exchange on a product.
Why is social proof important both externally and internally (for customers/potential customers and employees)?
BR: Humans are essentially pack animals. Think of the old business saying: “Nobody got fired for buying IBM.” When I was selling Hewlett Packard back in the ’90s, nobody wanted to lose to IBM but I would rather lose to them than other competitors because even the bosses knew that was true. A prospect going with IBM was easily explained away because they had so much market share at the time.
That assurance of safety is the role that social proof plays for customers — the more of it there is, the easier it is to justify your decision or the easier it is to find someone that has a situation that is similar to yours, or that you can relate to, and can find a justification for making an emotional decision. It gives you that final push on top of the difficulty that there might be when assessing more quantitative measures of a solution.
For employees, it is similar. We want to be associated with a product or service that has value, and the social proof that it has value can be used by smart leadership as inspirational fodder, “Our customers love us! Look what they’re saying!”
The more social proof an organization can gather, the more proof points they have to show customers that “we are who we say we are, we do what we say we do.”
How can a business generate organic social proof?
BR: Organic could be as simple as setting up a comment section on your website, or inviting people into dialogue with you on social media.
Bottom line: start talking to people and get to know your customers. At some point, your sales reps should be asking if a customer is satisfied and getting their answer in writing.
Curate and monitor social media, and respond when someone mentions you or uses your hashtag. Have a strategy for using content that your customers and collaborators give you through natural interaction.
This is why my keynotes ask, “Do your customers ❤️ you enough?” The different ways that customers show love are all social proof. Will your customer be willing to stand on stage and talk about your organization, be a guest on a webinar, allow you to write a case study?
We then tackled the concepts of customer advisory councils and beta testing. While these are not directly social proof, a company that publishes its list of customer advisory board members or that asks beta testers to comment to press or analysts is creating its own social proof.
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Can you provide examples of social proof that you have seen organizations use?
BR: I am currently working with the professional services arm of a big technology company, helping them position their direct support services over third-party support services. One key way this company and their sellers make the case for developer-provided support is through testimonials.
With 3C, I have closed deals by sharing quotes about what we have done in the past with prospective clients. I was able to provide targeted testimonials based on the programs the prospect was interested in, which has led to acceleration towards a contract.
As Bryan and I talked about various ways 3C uses social proof, I brought up the video testimonial clip we sampled to help promote their roundtable group, as well as recent podcasts Bryan has appeared on to see what he thought about their place in the world of social proof.
BR: I wouldn’t have considered podcasts as social proof until this conversation, but they are. I’m trying to establish myself as a subject matter expert by doing podcasts, publishing my blog, and posting regularly on LinkedIn–these all show that 3C is running a legitimate business! These also show event planners what I would bring to their event as a keynoter or when running a workshop, as they will have seen me in action. It’s not customer-driven social proof, but it’s me and 3C-driven proof that we are here, we’re legit, we have something to say that is worth listening to.
There are two aspects to this type of social proof: volume and depth. Showing there is substance to each piece you are putting out there and that there is a lot of it — you don’t have to read or listen to it all, but you give a selection to choose from.
What happens when there is negative social proof (bad reviews/press) and how can a business recover?
BR: Listen closely and take it seriously. If you do have social media, make sure you are monitoring it closely for mentions and hashtags and make sure you understand the sentiment that comes across.
If you see something on social media that is negative, make sure you have someone on staff or you have a service that can engage quickly. Ask the commenter, in public, to allow you to DM them to get more information and find a resolution. If possible, have the person go back online and comment that you helped.
If negative feedback comes through a different method, such as a forum or survey, address the issue with the individual to understand and fix the problem. Letting the customer know “I noticed you, I heard you, and I want to do something about it” is super powerful. One 3C client that used NPS surveys would have a member of their leadership team personally contact anyone who gave a score of 6 or less, to find out more information — is this a systemic problem or a singular issue that needs to be addressed and can be fixed now?
If it’s the case where many different individuals have it out for your organization (a social media witch hunt of sorts), that’s when it’s necessary to have a PR or communication firm step in to help explain and apologize. The key is a rapid response and letting people know they have been heard.
And while there may not be a solution, if a company tells the truth and is fast about it, bringing empathy and compassion to the conversation, it’s social proof that you heard the issue and take it seriously.
Any last tips for businesses wanting to integrate social proof into their marketing strategy?
BR: Social proof should include internally created and driven content, which demonstrates that a company knows what they are doing. Get your executives out there and speaking; get them on podcasts and appearances.
“Find the people, inside and out, who can be your social media voice.” – Bryan Rutberg, 3C Communications
Listen to your customers. Be proud, not afraid, to ask for testimonials, and start conversations on social media to get people to talk about you if they aren’t already posting about you. Show that you are not only a thought leader, but that you can drive the conversation with your target base.
Get your customers to say nice things about you. On social media, from emails, from call recordings, or at events. Get it in writing, record audio, shoot video. Get people talking and don’t be shy.
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I hope you found this conversation as illuminating as I did. How is your organization using social proof and what are you leaving out? Take time to revisit and calibrate your social proof strategy and see where you can incorporate some of Bryan’s ideas. Learn how 3C Communications helps build customer love and helps your team become better communicators by visiting their website, and follow Bryan on LinkedIn for more insights on building better customer and employee relationships.
Need help getting your social proof strategy kick-started? We can help! Reach out today to learn what Content Matterz can do for you.