How Agencies Can Do a Better Job Earning and Leveraging Social Proof
I have a way you can scale back advertising costs at your agency. Not only that, but I can help you lean on your clients to do your marketing for you…
Hint: It’s all about social proof.
The fact is that the clients you seek prefer to hear about your brand from a third party rather than from your agency. It makes sense; people don’t like when others talk about themselves too much, and a third-party endorsement in any scenario is extremely valuable.
Here at The Campfire Circle, an agency for agencies, apart from lead gen, I run a lot of social proof strategies for agencies so I am speaking from experience when I say social proof is an absolute game changer.
Let your happy clients talk your agency up publicly, and let me show you how to get them to do just. But I won’t stop there, I’ll go over best practices for leveraging social proof so that it becomes the strongest way you land new clients.
First Things First: What is Social Proof?
The long answer: Consumers want to hear from other consumers just like them before making a purchase decision. By putting clients front and center and using them as proof that they had a positive experience with your agency, you’re validating that you are worth their money and time. Social proof embraces the fact that, as consumers, we tend to rely on the opinions and experiences of others before making a decision for themselves.
The short answer: social proof is simply the occurrence of one of your clients endorsing your agency in a positive manner online and can be utilized to persuade other brands to hire your agency.
Why Social Proof Works
As humans, we are naturally drawn to the experiences of other humans.
As you know, deciding to come on board to an agency is a big decision for brands, and they don’t take it lightly. So they are researching what other brands are saying about your agency and whether or not your agency is credible.
So, in the long run, earning and promoting social proof about your agency’s reputation means that potential clients will find positive third-party recommendations during their research phase.
At the end of the day, we are agency owners and want to keep increasing profitability by landing new clients. And social proof is going to be one of the strongest ways to bring in new brands. After all, 86% of brands read online reviews before purchasing agency services showing that social proof is crucial for client acquisition.
The Different Forms of Social Proof
Social proof comes in various forms, which is great because no potential client is alike and they will go about different ways of researching your agency. Let’s explore the different types of social proof so you can land more clients at your agency.
Social media shout-outs from brands who want to share the good work you’ve done for them
A lot of brands seek out agency directories so getting listed in these directories and asking your clients for reviews in them will quickly enhance your agency so here is the ultimate list of agency directories
Testimonials from happy clients
Case studies of campaigns you’re proud of
Share the number of people who subscribe to your blog for some added credibility
Influencer endorsements to large audiences
Reviews that you populate on your website
Word-of-mouth referrals for your agencies services
Awards
How to Earn Social Proof For Your Agency
Once you’ve identified your happy clients at your agency, it’s time to turn their happiness into social proof.
I find that simply asking works great. You can send them a friendly email and ask them for any of the forms of social proof that I listed earlier in this post.
Sometimes you need an incentive. I’ll tell you a little goes a long way, especially when you consider how valuable social proof is for your agency. A $50 dollar gift card for an online review and social shout out should do the trick.
Leveraging Social Proof For More Visibility
Now that you understand what social proof is, why you need it, and how to get it, let’s tackle how you can put your earned social proof in front of the right brands at the right time.
Embed earned agency reviews on your website
Create a testimonials section that is easy to find on your site
Publish case studies
Include social media shoutouts on your homepage
Share your earned social proof on all of your social media channels
Include reviews and endorsements in your email marketing strategy
Link to positive mentions about your agency in the content you publish
Partner with influencers and have them share social proof about your agency on their channels
Utilize social proof in paid ads
Final Thoughts: Earn More Social Proof Today
Social proof is arguably one of the most effective ways that agencies are landing new clients. Understanding how to leverage it is vital so be sure to implement the promotion strategies that I outlined.
It’s a cost-effective and organic way to get the word out about your agency and convert brands into clients. So, be sure to embrace this easy-to-implement strategy.
If you’re spread a little thin and don’t have time to implement a strong social proof strategy, it’s one of the many services that I offer and you can contact me here. To be transparent, I charge $60/hour as I keep my fees reasonable so that smaller agencies can also afford me and a social proof campaign isn’t a ton of hours.
However you go about it, once you have earned a solid amount of social proof, you’re going to love the impact on your agency’s profitability!
Do you have any tips for agencies to earn and leverage social proof? I’d love to read your insights in the comments below!
