I've got a confession to make. For years, I've been guilty of a cardinal sin in the world of online business: not collecting enough social proof.

A couple of years ago, I had over 30,000 students on Udemy, but only a handful of reviews. Oops. It's like I was sitting on a goldmine of social proof, but forgot to bring a shovel!

Thankfully, our launch coach has given us a kick up the backside, and we've been on the offensive recently. We're not just collecting testimonials - we're publishing them too. Because, as it turns out, having testimonials and using them are two very different things!

This experience has been a real eye-opener, and it's exactly what we're going to dive into today. Welcome to Part 3 of our Launch Social Media Strategy series, where we're focusing on the power of social proof and testimonials.

Prefer to listen? Here’s an interview podcast about today’s topic

Let's get started

Social Proof and Testimonials

The Power of Social Proof

Here's the thing: I can tell you until the cows come home how brilliant my offer is.

But of course I would - I made it! It's like asking a parent if their child is clever. You're not exactly going to get an unbiased opinion, are you?

This is a limitation all marketers have. What we say doesn’t matter that much!

This is where social proof comes in. Social proof is what OTHER people say and think about us and our offers. It's infinitely more compelling than any amount of self-promotion. It's the difference between saying "Trust me, I'm great!" and "Don't take my word for it, listen to what these happy customers have to say."

Levels of Social Proof

Social proof comes in many flavours, each with its own level of depth and impact. Let's break (some!) them down:

1. Unintentional Proof: This is when people spontaneously email or message to say, "Hey, I love your stuff!" It's genuine and unsolicited. Here’s a recent example I got:

2. Quick Reviews/Feedback: Short, snappy comments or ratings. Think star ratings on Amazon, Gumroad, Shopify or whatever your eCommerce platform.

3. Testimonials: More detailed feedback, usually a paragraph or two, highlighting specific benefits or results.

4. Video Testimonials: Like written testimonials, but with the added authenticity of seeing and hearing the customer.

Thank you Gemma!

5. Interviews: In-depth discussions with satisfied customers, diving into their experience with your product or service.

Thank you Joshua (AI Workshop Kit record holder)

6. Case Studies: Detailed examinations of how your offer helped a specific customer achieve their goals.

Thank you Dani, about to run the AI Growth Summit!

As we move down this list, the social proof becomes increasingly in-depth and powerful. However, it also requires more work both from the customer and from you to compile.

(If you want to dive deeper into this topic, I've written a whole playbook on it here)

The Challenge of Collecting Testimonials

Here's the good news: happy customers generally want to help. They're often more than willing to sing your praises!

The bad news? It's work for them. People forget, people add it to their to-do list, and... it doesn't get done. It's not that they don't want to - life just gets in the way.

So, how do we overcome this? We incentivise.

For basic reviews, we use a tool called Senja, which has a brilliant feature - a roulette wheel. When someone leaves a review, they get to spin a wheel and win free Playbooks. Everyone wins something, and it's massively increased the number of reviews we get.

(By the way, you too can win a prize if you leave a testimonial, give it a try here).

For bigger asks like interviews or case studies, offer something more substantial. For example, a 1:1 consultation or a high-value freebie. These types of social proof are extremely valuable for you, so it's worth offering a compelling incentive.

Here's a pro tip: If your customers have their own businesses, offer them a backlink. When you post their testimonial or case study, make sure to tag them or include their website details. It's a win-win - they get promotion, and you get social proof.

Our Recent Push for Social Proof

Thanks to this recent push, we've managed to collect a whole bunch of testimonials in just a week or so. You can see the range of types here (scroll towards the bottom of the page).

Also check out https://senja.io/p/aibusinessbreakthrough/h-vtDZ which is our Senja “wall”. This gives you a wide understanding of all the different types. Notice also I’m slipping this in as a bit of a humble brag? It’s a callback, I swear! 😛 

Now, let's get practical. Here's a prompt you can use with AI to brainstorm ways to collect testimonials and create social proof content:

You are an AI assistant helping to create a social proof strategy for a product launch. Please interview me about my offer and current social proof situation using the following structure:

1. Ask about my product or service - what is it, who is it for, what problem does it solve?

2. Inquire about my current social proof - do I have any testimonials, reviews, or case studies? If so, how many and what type?

3. Ask about my social media presence and other marketing channels.

Based on this information:

1. Suggest 5 strategies for collecting more testimonials, tailored to my specific offer and audience.

2. Generate 15 ideas for social media posts showcasing social proof. Include a mix of:

   - Posts featuring short quotes from testimonials

   - Ideas for visualising data from reviews (e.g., star ratings, success metrics)

   - Concepts for before-and-after posts

   - Ideas for showcasing case studies

   - Suggestions for user-generated content campaigns

For each idea, provide a brief description and suggest the best format (text post, image, video, carousel, etc.)

Once you have your basic types of social proof decided upon you need to get serious about collecting it. Set targets. Hit them. It’s a constant process.

Here are some “easy” places to add your collection link though. This is the closest you’ll get to automating collection. Remember, the key is to catch customers when they're feeling warm and fuzzy about your product or service. Here are some prime locations:

1. In Your Newsletter: After providing value in your newsletter, add a quick call-to-action for feedback. Something like, "Enjoyed this newsletter? We'd love to hear your thoughts!"

2. Thank You Emails: Right after a purchase, customers are often at their peak excitement. Include a testimonial request in your order confirmation or thank you emails.

3. Social Media Bios: Add a link to your testimonial collection page in your social media bios. Platforms like Instagram allow a single link, so consider using a tool like Linktree to include multiple links, one of which can be for testimonials.

4. Members Area: If you have a course or membership site, add a prominent button or link asking for feedback. This catches users right after they've engaged with your content.

5. Post-Interaction Emails: Send a follow-up email a week or two after a customer support interaction or coaching call, asking how they found the experience.

6. Product Usage Milestones: If your product allows for tracking usage, send a testimonial request when users hit certain milestones. For example, after they've completed a course or used your software for 30 days.

7. Social Media Posts: Occasionally create posts specifically asking for feedback. Remember to remind people of the incentives. Hell, lead with them!

8. Receipts and Invoices: If you send physical products, include a small note with the packing slip asking for feedback. For digital products, add a link in the invoice email.

The key is to strike while the iron is hot. Any time a customer is likely feeling positive about their interaction with your brand is an opportunity to request a testimonial. Just remember to keep it light, make it easy, and always be appreciative of their time and effort. It’s a volume game.

In our next part, we'll explore the part that comes least naturally to me: hype!

Related Playbooks: AI Writing Workflow, Audience Fundamentals, Expert Guide Marketing, Building AI Assistants using Claude Projects, AI Assistants using ChatGPT, Q&A Content Marketing, Live Video 101, Content Marketing Machine…

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Keep Prompting,

Kyle