When the phone rang with a local number, I was curious so I picked it up.
It was the Better Business Bureau.
My heart immediately sank and my stomach went into my throat: I must have done something wrong and now there’s a complaint against me. (Why hello there, impostor syndrome…)
So I held my breath as this woman began talking at me.
You’re a company with no complaints, she began, so we’re reaching out to you today to see if you’d like to become a partner with the BBB.
Then I started laughing. If I were a plumber, I assured her, this would make sense. But I’m a content marketing strategist, what are you going to do, stamp a BBB insignia on me?
She didn’t like my response and got off quickly.
That got me thinking – how do we as online business owners prove that we’re actually good at what we do?
Do we need a BBB seal of approval? Heck no!
The proof is social proof in the form of testimonials and case studies.
When you use these in your marketing, you provide examples of your amazingness from real clients who’ve benefited from your expertise.
Have you ever hired a social media manager based on their rating with the BBB? I didn’t think so.
FIND OUT IF YOUR CONTENT IS LANDING YOU CLIENTS. TAKE THE WINNING CONTENT QUIZ NOW.
And, unlike the seal of approval that you put on your website and probably a) no one cares and b) no one sees it, you can use those testimonials everywhere.
Testimonials look amazing on social media. If you’re on Instagram, you can post more polished ones (created in Canva) on your feed, and you can also post screenshots of testimonials in your stories.
Be sure to create a highlight just for “client love” so newcomers to your feed can see how amazing others think you are.
On Facebook, putting testimonials everywhere is totally acceptable too. You can post them to your personal page, your business page, and in your group. Remember, the more people that see this social proof, the better!
Don’t forget to post your credibility on LinkedIn and Twitter too.
You certainly don’t need to shy away from sending emails chock-full of testimonials or case studies. I’ve often included screenshots in emails to show others why they want to join my event – other people loved it!
The credibility can really give you a boost. Here’s why: a crowd draws a crowd. Ever seen a bunch of people standing around somewhere and you can’t resist going over there to see what’s happening?
Testimonials help us create that FOMO (fear of missing out) with our marketing. Your potential clients don’t want to be excluded from getting the amazing service that you provide. They want to be part of the fun!
And, don’t worry about posting them to too frequently – do it once per week at least on your different social platforms and any time you want to show more credibility in an email.