growing your brand through social proof

THE ABSOLUTE POWER OF

From CREDIBLE in INCREDIBLE in 9 Steps

PROOFby David Brier

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What if we could use

9 proven methods used by Amazon, Yelp,

Apple and Etsy to inspirecustomer confidence and drive sales?

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All to helpraise your brand from

credible to incredible.

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FACT: We each get hit with an estimated

5,000 messages every day.

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D e f i n i t i o n :

Social proof is evidence (the proof) that others have chosen

your product/service — such as reviews, likes, numbers of followers, social shares, testimonials

or how many stars the product’s received.

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This “proof” encourages you & me to feel

the risk is minimal and the odds are

we’ll be fully satisfiedwith the product or service.

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Even though these reviews are from

complete strangers.

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So how do we move beyond

mere testimonials to inspire

confidence?

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9 Methods to move your brand from CREDIBLE to

INCREDIBLEThe same ones used by the world’s most successful brands

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Method #1:The VIP Endorsement

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After an article I’d written on Shark Tank for Fast Company, Shark Tank star Daymond John

and I connected via Twitter.

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That resulted in a valued relationship…

and a stellar endorsement: “David Brier is brilliant

with branding” which proudlysits on my home page.

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Strategy: Connect up and establish

relationships. And be very good and valuable to those contacts.

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Method #2: Find where

you can shine

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I knew a Forbes contributor and had the bright idea to reach out to

NY Times bestseller and sales guru Grant Cardone to include

him in a video chat opportunity.

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Grant accepted andimmediately reciprocated

(you’ll find real high-powered VIPs mostly do) and offered to

interview me on his showPower Players.

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Strategy: Work out ways to help those who are popular, figuring out ways to

help increase their popularity.

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Method #3:Shine on,

you crazy diamond (leverage your moments)

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Once the Power Players episode aired on Grant’s channel,

I followed how it ranked on iTunes.

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Within days, it hit the #1 spot on his podcast on iTunes, something

I promoted shamelessly.

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Strategy: When you’ve gotten exposure,

that’s when the work starts and be very attentive.

Leverage what you discover.

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Method #4:Control your numbers

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The most fundamental metric is something that is one Google

search away: your digital footprint.

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Get your numbers up in terms of followers.

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When I am approached by someone who I do not know,

whether a vendor or a potential client, I Google them.

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And if I see low numbers and low engagement, it’s a red flag.

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Strategy: Determine what social channels you need to have a presence on.

Take the necessary steps to getyour relevant numbers up.

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Method #5:Leverage your numbers

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So, let’s get practical. Currently, I have almost50K followers on Twitter,

over 20K followers on Instagram,thousands of subscribers to my blog

and 2 viral videos on YouTubewith over 400K views

between the two of them.

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This is when the game starts.

Not whenthe game ends.

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How do I tellthat story?

That over 83,000 restless and demanding brands, CEOs and entrepreneurs subscribe to my

branding insights and strategies.Worldwide.

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Strategy: Once you get numbers,

use them to help amplify your story.

If you don’t tell the marketthe story to talk about, the market

will define your story for you.

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Method #6:Know when to share

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Everything isn’t equally important.

When I wrote an article for Fast Company,I shared it.

When I was written about in Yahoo Finance,I shared it.

When I got into ADWEEK, INC, Business Insider and Huffington Post, I shared it.

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Strategy: When influential blogs, publications and podcasts feature you, you feature them.

Most importantly,thank them directly and be gracious.

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Method #7:It’s your job: add value.

Freely.

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Years ago,I wrote an

eBook called,

The Lucky Brand.

(click here to get your free copy)

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You do have knowledge. You have to share it freely.

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The payback is outstanding. Here are 3 examples

of payback by writing and providing this free eBook

resulting in millions of impressions.

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DesignTaxi (visited by millions of visitors monthly) wrote:

“Brier goes through [with his free Lucky Brand ebook] the evolution of brands in the

changing face of communication and seeks to answer three key questions: How to stand

out; How to be noticed at all; and How to be thought of when it's time for your customer

to buy.”

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NY Times best-selling authorMicah Solomon wrote:

“Absolutely eye-opening wisdom on branding and marketing. Brier does it again.”

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INC magazine included it in its must-read collection of free ebooks:

“This book provides outlines for 10 branding strategies to help your business stand out

from the rest and attract more customers.”

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Strategy: Offer value.

By providing value,you set yourself as an authority andyou never know who will embrace

what you’re offering.

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Method #8:Own your story

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I am in the top 5% of presenters on Slideshare with over 12,370 followers.

Only because I decidedI had something to offer.

No other reason.

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Now, I have

42 Slideshares seen by over 885,000 people

worldwide.

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I also wrote and directedtwo videos that went viral—one on

Innovationand one on

Branding(with over 300K views).

(Here’s the Innovation video link and here’s the Branding video link.)

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And these only happened becauseI saw gaps in information

GAPS THAT I COULD FILL which I then chose to fill.

By taking this initiative, I opened the door to achieve social proof enabling

others to discover me, my skill and value on an ever-expanding range of channels.

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Strategy: Find a hole.

Fill it with outstanding content. Choose wisely.

Share intelligently. Be shamelessly proud when others embrace

your knowledge.

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Method #9:Realize every door you

encounter isn’t a barrier but an entrance

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You’re in the business of bringing your talent to the world.

For some, that may be a service.

For others, it may be a product.

As long as it provides true value, it has a place in the world.

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Social proof is part of you’re ongoing story.

Like anything, you have to correctly estimate

how much you need to do to make a dent.

Greatness has never been an exercise in telepathy.

The one with the best story (told by the most people) wins.

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Strategy: Use your story to

open more doors.

And close the doors to indecision andlost sales and conversions.

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Written and Designed: David Brier

www.RisingAboveTheNoise.com