This week we’re going to talk about social proof for your personal brand.
WHY DO YOU NEED SOCIAL PROOF?
Today’s topic of social proof is one of my favorites. I came across this topic first when I was starting to think about leaving corporate and was reading all the things I could get my hands on about entrepreneurship.
One of the books that came across my desk was Tim Ferriss’s Four Hour Work Week. I remember thinking he has a couple of things really figured out that I really love from the book. One was his approach to systemizing and outsourcing, like systemizing his processes and then outsourcing his work.
PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THEY CAN TRUST YOU
I love that for any content creator out there, but the other piece that really stood out (which is what we’re talking about this week) is his approach to social proof. What are you doing so that when people look for you online, they find things that tip them off that you are credible? What are those authority points that they’re going to find online?
The thing that I think is super useful and interesting is obviously to start with your social profiles. When you Google yourself, and you haven’t created any content, usually the first thing they’re going to find is a social profile.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND WEBSITES ARE SOCIAL PROOF
For most of you, it’s going to be LinkedIn. Type your name into Google and see what happens. If you haven’t had any PR in your life, your LinkedIn profile will be the first thing that they find. And after that, it might even be your Facebook page at the top and then possibly Instagram or Twitter.
Usually, it’s your social profiles. However, if you have created a website that is built around your personal brand, hopefully that’s in those top three or four as well, if not first, because you’ve built it to actually have your name embedded in it on the About Pages and whatever else.
It’s the most relevant place where people (if they’re looking for you) can find you. What you want them to see is your website and all the information that you’ve curated about yourself. That’s super helpful.
SOCIAL PROOF COMES FROM OTHER PEOPLE
Now when you’re developing social proof, other than making sure that those things are standardized and corrected and refreshed, the thing that’s really helpful is them seeing your name from other people. It’s easy to say that you’re great, but having other people say you’re great is huge.
We can start with the idea of testimonials. Are you collecting testimonials? Do you have a Yelp site, reference testimonials on your LinkedIn page, or testimonies on your website? Having testimonials of customers or people that just support you is great.
FIND SOCIAL PROOF OPPORTUNITIES
This is why selfie culture is so huge, right? How many people are taking selfies with their heroes and posting them online? Part of it is they want that social proof that I’ve been with this person. Being featured with other people is part of the approach. Where can you do that?
If you’re in a particular business, like in coaching or something like that, one of the strongest ways to do that is to be featured either as a podcast guest on someone else’s show or as a blog featured author on someone else’s blog.
These are the kinds of things that when you get those opportunities, you now can add those to your website as well and say, “As seen on CNN” or “As featured by Forbes” or whatever it might be.
Starting to apply to get those credits, to write content for them, and then get credited for that is huge. However, podcasts are the new PR. You getting a guesting feature on a bunch of shows can very quickly build your social proof.
As they Google you, they’ll also now find these interviews that other people brought you on their show and highlighted you as the expert. These are things that maybe don’t generate a lot of search traffic.
PEOPLE YOU MEET IN PERSON WILL LOOK YOU UP
However, for the people you meet in real life, that you network with and then they consider you, they’re going to search for you on Google. It happens every day. Having these little authority points that give you more credit than just a social media profile are huge.
You want them to find blog articles that you’ve written or blog articles that feature you. You want them to find podcasts that you guested on. If you’ve spoken on some stages hopefully that can be featured as well.
Whether you feature it yourself on your website or it pops up because you were named as a speaker, that would be huge.
Those are just a couple of places you can start. You would have to be the one to get out there, be proactive and say, “What can I be doing to be featured in more places so that it pops up?” If nothing else, creating content and putting your content out there as blog posts and podcasts will help you to build that up.
CONTENT CREATION FOR SOCIAL PROOF
If that’s the only approach you have right now, then the best thing you could do. Bring guests onto your show. Feature guests on your show that have their own authority, that have their own followings, and feature them as guests on your show where they’re the expert.
Even the association of you doing a show together, where you’re the interviewer and they’re the interviewee, just the association of them being on your show will start to ratchet up your social proof.
You’re can say, “Yes, I interviewed this thought leader in Miami, this author in my industry.” Whatever that might be, now you have a relationship with them or a perceived relationship because they’ve been on your show. These are just some of the tools that can help you move along and upgrade your status.
RELATED: Build your personal brand with the Content Marketing Starter Guide.
SOCIAL PROOF COMES FROM ACTION
People are looking to find out, “What are the cues that prove to me that this person is an authority in my space, that they’re a thought leader in my space, or that they’re just a trustworthy partner that I can consider working with?”
All that social proof is something that doesn’t just happen. You have to act. Persist and find out ways to do that for yourself. Beyond that, you can get into the PR route. How do you get featured with new things that you’re doing in the different PR spaces? How do you get featured as authors of popular topics?
This is where I would start. If you can move that along, I think your personal brand will be better for it.
HOW CAN YOU MAKE YOUR PROOF EVEN BETTER?
This is a great month. This is what I think of as the refresh month. What are all the things I have out there in the online space that is telling my story for me, and what can I do to make them better?
When I have these conversations with potential customers, I have the online proof to back it up that helps support my story. Social proof is that key. People love to know that there is some trust there. They need to see the proof of authority online.
That’s my lesson for today. If you guys have a chance, go to brandsonbrands.com and there you’ll also find links to the Podcast Branding Academy which is my online school for podcasting and podcast branding.
If you are looking to become a podcaster or you are already podcasting, we have something for you there at podcastbrandingacademy.com.
Otherwise, just keep on listening. Make sure you follow and subscribe to the show. We’ll keep bringing you new thoughts and opinions every week. I appreciate you listening and we will catch you next time.
MORE ADVICE AND INTERVIEWS
If you’d like to learn more about building your own personal brand, check out the Podcast Branding Academy at:
www.podcastbrandingacademy.com
And here are some more of my most popular thought leader interviews!
- What Business to Start with John Lee Dumas
- Personal Branding Masterclass with Chris Ducker
- Built to Serve with Evan Carmichael
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Talk soon!