Motivate for Social Proof – An Advocate’s Very Effective Marketing Tool

star rating - social proof

People, including your potential clients, are social. They talk to friends and colleagues, they share information and they listen to information.

Fear and uncertainty are important drivers!

Most importantly to advocates, patients (potential clients) seek information about things that scare them – pros and cons, positives and negatives, of medical doctors, or hospitals, or experts – including advocates – or websites or anything else that helps them deal with difficult medical circumstances.

That sharing may take place in-person or by phone or other media, or written words like written recommendations, electronically or on paper or other media, or represented by icons (stars) that indicate excellence (5 stars!) or a failing on the part of the professional (1 star or – less?). 

Such reviews are found in dozens of places! There are familiar places like Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other popular social media. And they are found on other, not so expected places like business websites, brochures, even water cooler, neighbor, and church conversations – word of mouth recommendations. 

You know all this is true.  I’m quite sure YOU use ratings and reviews yourself! No doubt those ratings and stars you’ve found have influenced choices you’ve made.

The same is true for your potential clients.

What is Social Proof?

All that shared information is called “social proof.”  That is that those clients or customers have gone social with their commentary, for better or for worse. When it is shared by a former client or past customer of YOURS, it is social proof about your service to them.

The Importance of TRUST

The real KEY to social proof is that it instills TRUST or DISTRUST, based on that shared commentary. Whether someone is making an Amazon purchase, or choosing a surgeon, or anything in between, lots of stars and positive commentary go a long way toward instilling their confidence in any specific choice. (And, alternatively, a lack of stars and negative comments will make them move on to the next option.)

A while ago, I shared with you methods for attracting more ratings and reviews for your work. We focused on the use of such ratings and reviews by potential clients to find someone who can help them, and who has already completed good work for others. That’s about new people finding you, based on your social proof. 

Today we’re going to focus on how to generate more social proof for your practice. That is, understanding what motivates your former clients to share their experiences with you online (in particular.) 

The more social proof there is that you’ve done a good job and you were indispensable to clients, the more successful your practice will be!

What motivates clients to share their experiences with you?

Why do people want to share their experiences? Research gives us some answers:

  • They want to share their experiences, good and bad, to help others make more informed decisions.  If they had a great experience, they want everyone else to know! If it wasn’t so great, they want others to know that, too.
  • If their experience was great, then they are appreciative. Sharing publicly allows them to voice their appreciation.
  • If their experience wasn’t so great, then they hope their commentary will be used by that professional or business to improve its service.
  • And sometimes, because their opinion is the opposite of what others have commented, and they want to set the record straight.

So how can you use this motivation overview to encourage them to share their positive experience with you publicly?

Understanding their motivations, you can ask former clients very specifically to post their thoughts to social media, or to send you their comments to use on your website. For all the benefits outlined previously, you’ll find your business will grow as a result.

Learn more the “how tos” of asking for ratings and reviews here. Then begin implementing your end-of-service “ask” for reviews right away using this information about what motivates them.

And let us know in the comments below how this works for you!

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100% of this post was written by me, a human being. When there is AI (Artificial Intelligence) generated content, it will always be disclosed.

Trisha Torrey
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