Most online companies believe that to be successful, they need to come up with an effective social proof marketing strategy. Some businesses come to terms that an expensive online marketing strategy is more likely to be a sure hit among customers. While that might be true for a few, it is not always the case for many businesses. The harsh reality is you can spend as much money as you want in a marketing strategy, only to figure out that it is not effective later on.
To prevent massive profit loss and wasted efforts, why not switch to the cost-efficient alternatives? Most significantly, if you are still a growing business that wishes to succeed in the future, you cannot afford this kind of financial setback early on the process. That is why it is essential to create a social proof marketing strategy within the range of your budget yet proven effective. This way, you can still take some risks to win over customers.
If you are one of those businesses that want to test the waters first before going all in, then read on and find out how creating a practical social proof marketing strategy can save you from numbers of financial dangers.
What is a Social Proof Marketing Strategy?
The presence of social proof in marketing is so widespread nowadays. For some companies, it has been their go-to marketing strategy. These days, most leading brands use social proof as their advantage to be ahead of the tough competition online. It does not matter if it is a renowned brand or a newly established one; any marketer knows that a social proof strategy is a real deal.
Luckily, social proof is a versatile concept that you can incorporate into your business with ease. You can display it on your website or share it thru your social media account; both ways are hassle-free. Moreover, it is also known to build any brand’s image and credibility among future clients.
Since it reflects and extends the company’s capabilities across customers to encourage trust. And the best thing about a social proof marketing strategy is that you can often use it with a minimal budget or even none at all. As long as you know how to make and utilize such a strategy correctly, you can sure go further than your rivals in the industry.
With the number of consumers who rely on reviews and testimonials lately, it is evident that a social proof marketing strategy is no longer a choice. It is already a necessity among brands to continue to thrive and stay in the market.
Above All Else – Establish your Goals
To make any marketing strategy work, you need to determine first your goals. These marketing goals will serve as the foundation of your strategy’s success. Therefore, it is vital to have a set of goals that you can achieve. After all, you do not want to opt for unattainable goals and can cause you additional problems.
Moreover, a list of SMART objectives is the key to having a social proof marketing strategy that will help you excel in the field; for a reason that well-made goals are indicators that a system will probably be a success. Furthermore, having a clear vision of your dreams will help you estimate the amount of resources you are willing to put into a strategy.
Below is a quick review of how you will define if a marketing objective is SMART.
Specific
Marketing goals should never be vague; it should be crystal clear for everyone involved in implementing the upcoming strategy. You can include particular figures like the number of visitors or the exact conversion rate you desire. You need a defined objective that is easy to comprehend, this will contribute to a much smoother execution of the strategy.
Measurable
You should measure your goal to know the right amount of effort and resources you need to dedicate to a particular strategy. For instance, you do not say that you want to generate “some leads” this month. Instead, you should state that you wish to get “1000 leads” in a month.
Moreover, you must always formulate a goal that you can quantify. Plans like these are measurable with various Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics. In doing so, you will see if you hit or miss the target objective. This will allow you to make the necessary changes in the next strategy.
Achievable
It is better to set attainable but straightforward goals rather than suddenly going all-out and make impossible marketing objectives. There is nothing wrong with striving to be at the top, as long as you are planning within your reach; this means that your goals must match your company’s ability and analytics. You cannot just have a dream to increase your profit by 50% if you know that you are already struggling to improve it by 5%.
Accepting what you are capable of will not make you any less successful because it will prevent your company from having any mishaps with your strategy. Then slowly but surely, you will be able to put your brand in success still.
Relevant
You must not forget the relevance of your marketing goals to your company’s mission. Your goals should always be heading in the direction you want your brand to be in, but keep in mind that you must still consider the trends around you while going to that endpoint. In short, the goal must be relevant not only to your brand’s ultimate purpose but also to the fads that the consumers love.
Time-bound
Including a timeline of when to start and end a project will be beneficial to attain long-term progress. This is the main reason why it is crucial to have a time-bound objective. Since it ensures that action and growth shall occur in a given time, you and your employees will have a good sense of pressure to be productive. Not to mention that this kind of goal also produce a more effective strategy because you can easily make comparisons between the given timeframes.
The 4Ps of Social Proof Marketing Strategy
After being familiar with the most vital part to make a cost-efficient social proof marketing strategy, it is time to know what comes next. You must have heard about this approach so many times, but there is a reason why. Since these basic 4Ps in marketing strategy are indeed noteworthy to formulate a cost-efficient one to apply in any business, keep in mind that each step might vary depending on your company’s nature. However, this guide is generally helpful with using social proof in their marketing strategy.
1. Product
Companies can try many gimmicks to entertain customers, but if the product/service itself is not satisfying their wants and needs, anything else is useless. Before worrying about other things, a brand must focus on what it offers. If you know that your product has what it takes to make a customer happy, then show it off. There are social proof apps that provide affordable yet handy plug-ins that can help your products stand. Modals, image bars, and pop-ups are examples of social proof tools that can display your products in a better way.
2. Price
Most of the time, the price is where most consumers are conscious of. Hence, many companies are trying to lower their costs, resulting in irresistible deals, which will attract customers. But you do not have to do this if you want to generate income. After all, you are looking to create a cost-efficient strategy because you want to save some money; decreasing the price without a guaranteed gain is the opposite of what you want.
A smarter move is to gather free social proof like favorable testimonials and feedback from the clients you successfully impressed. Posting and sharing their positive reviews will make as much impact as changing your price range since smart consumers are aware that affirmative thoughts matter more than the price.
3. Place
Choosing the right place or platform can make or break your success. You might have the most excellent product and price of all time, but if you are not reaching any people because you are in the wrong setting, what is the point? That is why; you have to evaluate what distribution channels work for you. Nowadays, social media is the center of where most trades take place in. The good news is that you will not have a hard time displaying social proof in such a home since the consumers mostly do it for you. All you need to do is to acknowledge and reply with every mention or exposure.
4. Promotion
While you can use social proof in the earlier mentioned 3Ps, promotion is where its full potential lies. You do not have to break the bank and do great promotions. It will be much cost-efficient if you will contact and hire micro-influencers online. These people are also consumers with a vast influence, among others, due to their massive followers. They only often demand a small amount of fee and then proceed on promoting your goods. This kind of promotion is one of the most sought types today, and it is working wonders for many brands.
Strategize with SocialPop!
With the wide selection of affordable plans and features that SocialPop offers, you are very much guaranteed a worthwhile social proof marketing strategy. Every penny will be put into greater use to help your company hit each marketing goal anchored to success. Aside from its competitive prices, it also gives you the choice of over 20+ entertaining notifications accessible on any website you wish to impress customers. Visit the SocialPop website for more info!
