5. Social Proof as a "Friction Remover”
The second role of social proof in the brow business doesn't focus as much on lead generation as it does on conversion. Specifically, social proof has effectively eliminated obstacles in three key areas: digital marketing campaigns, offline bottom-of-the-funnel conversions, and collaborative project negotiations. Let's examine each of these in more detail.
Using Social Proof in Digital Marketing Campaigns
Incorporating established social proof into digital marketing campaigns often involves referencing the number of customers who have already taken advantage of an offer, purchased a gift card, or bought a service. This strategy doesn't directly lead to conversion but is a compelling "hook" that encourages potential leads to investigate further. This is where the digital triad of personal branding comes into its own.
According to client feedback, more than 88% checked out the artist's brand, and over half felt confident enough to proceed when they encountered a strong and popular brand associated with the artist. Equally revealing is that 29% chose not to proceed due to a lack of social proof. While 29% might seem small, it can substantially impact an artist's monthly revenue, potentially leading to a loss of a four-figure sum.
Friction in Digital Marketing
It's worth noting that some artists consider purchasing fake followers to build social proof quickly. However, this can be a risky tactic that only addresses part of the problem. While inflating follower numbers may seem like a quick fix, it can backfire if there's a disconnect between the posting activity and actual engagement levels. In the long run, an account with fake followers and near-zero engagement can become counterproductive, making organic growth more challenging and costly down the line.
Concrete Actionable Steps
Incorporate references to your social media following in your digital marketing campaigns to strengthen your social proof and entice more leads to explore your brand. Reducing Friction at the Offline Bottom of the Sales Funnel
Social proof over 19% friends advice
While it might sound complex, the concept is straightforward: a robust digital triad of personal branding can significantly reduce friction for prospective clients who are considering your services based on a friend's recommendation. According to data, over 19% of clients who ultimately chose a specific artist admitted that they had, at some point, ignored a friend's advice to visit a certain artist if that artist's social media presence was "weak or missing." While 19% may not seem large, its impact is considerable, especially since these individuals are at the bottom of the sales funnel—meaning they are very close to making a booking. They've researched, sought advice, and are nearly ready to commit, yet 19% still hesitate due to insufficient social proof. Depending on the artist's location and pricing, this hesitation could result in a loss of a three to four-digit sum in monthly turnover.
Concrete Actionable Steps
To mitigate this issue, incorporate social proof elements into your gift cards and other offline promotional materials.
Social Proof in Co-Promotional Negotiations
The power of social proof extends to co-promotional negotiations, especially with influential figures in the beauty industry - what we've termed as “unicorns”. These are providers of non-competing beauty services who interact daily with your target audience. Data suggests that an overwhelming 96% of such entities review your social media presence and digital triad of personal branding when contemplating any collaborative venture. This illustrates the tangible impact of social proof in these negotiations.
From a business standpoint, establishing your personal brand and gaining initial social proof- essentially "catching smaller fish” - can serve as a stepping stone to attracting more significant opportunities or the "bigger fish." While a robust digital triad of personal branding may not necessarily act as a magnet for inbound co-promotional leads, empirical evidence shows that it won't deter them either once negotiations commence. Capturing the interest of a "unicorn" can be far more valuable than engaging with numerous portfolio models and generation promotion out of that. Landing a cooperative deal with such an entity could be invaluable for a burgeoning artist, justifying the effort invested in crafting a compelling digital triad of personal branding.
Concrete Actionable Steps
Devote time to refining your digital triad of personal branding. Allocate an hour daily for "unicorn hunting," seeking opportunities to collaborate with these high-value entities.
