{"id":3470,"date":"2017-07-12T05:42:21","date_gmt":"2017-07-12T04:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.totalcoaching.com\/blog\/?p=3470"},"modified":"2017-06-30T16:22:58","modified_gmt":"2017-06-30T15:22:58","slug":"social-proof","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.totalcoaching.com\/blog\/social-proof\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Proof for Personal Trainers: 5 Essential Tactics to Grow Your Brand"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":3542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","tve_updated_post":"

If you've ever studied online marketing, looking for simple ways to really grown your online sales, you've likely come across the term \"social proof.\" <\/p>

It's one of the most important techniques you should learn to master (especially as a personal trainer) if you're serious about moving your business to the next level. <\/p>

And since you're reading this blog, I bet that's exactly where you are at!<\/p>

\"Social<\/span><\/div>

What is social proof?<\/h2>

Social proof is the idea that people like to follow the crowd.<\/span> <\/p>

Everyone else is doing it and it worked for them. It will certainly work for me too!<\/blockquote>

People want to fit in. They never want to miss out. And they often believe, consciously or subconsciously, that if enough people are doing something, it must be right, or good, or effective.<\/p>

For example, we see this take place in the world of sports all the time. A team that dominates their competition seems to attract fans like flies. Nobody cheers for a loser. Everyone wants to back the winning team.<\/p>

We all know this as \u201cbandwagoning<\/a>.\u201d It happens because people want to be part of the winning group; it\u2019s a type of social proof.<\/p>

Why is social proof important to you?<\/h2>

To understand the power of social proof for your business, let\u2019s first return to our sporting example for a moment. <\/p>

Sports teams are businesses. If more and more people become fans of their team, that team has scored big (excuse the pun) because more seats will be filled in the stadium,more merchandise will be purchased, more concessions will be consumed, etc. all leading to a huge increase in revenue.<\/p>

A winning team looks like a fun one to follow<\/span>, therefore more people cheer for it and spend money on that business. The same goes for you...\u200b<\/p>

When your business appears to be 'winning,' you will attract new fans, followers, and paying clients.<\/blockquote>

Maybe you think you're immune to social persuasion like this, but think again. Before buying something online, what will you usually do? You look for proof from other customers that the product or service you want to buy will do its job and produce results.<\/span><\/p>

This might entail checking reviews, a business\u2019 social media following, or the engagement on their blog. If the business has hundreds of positive reviews on their products, thousands of social media followers, and a blog full of comments and page shares, it has social proof. It has credibility<\/a>.<\/p>

And I'll bet you\u2019d feel pretty comfortable buying from them, wouldn't you?<\/p>

That\u2019s the power of social proof, and personal trainers have the most to gain by taking advantage of this human phenomenon. With the right social proof, you can expect traffic increases<\/a>, higher conversion rates, and most importantly, more satisfied clients whom you've been able to coach to success.<\/p>

Now, here are 5 specific ways social proof can work for you:<\/span><\/p>

5 Ways You Can Use Social Proof to Build Your Personal Training Business<\/h2>

1: Prominently Display Customer Reviews<\/h3>
\"social<\/span><\/div>

The popular site Copyblogger.com<\/a> shows off its customer reviews on its home page<\/p>

This social proof is self-evident. If you switched places with your clients for a moment, and you were the one looking for a personal trainer, the first things you\u2019ll look for are great customer reviews<\/a>.<\/p>

You want to see people saying, 'He really helped me lose the weight I\u2019ve been struggling to get rid of for years!'<\/blockquote>

A recent study<\/a> found that 84% percent of people trust customer reviews just as much as if a friend had personally recommended the product or service. That\u2019s powerful, and it\u2019s another evidence of the power social proof has on our society.<\/p>

So ask clients for a testimony of their great experience with you. There's no shame in showing off the great work you've done to HELP people.<\/span><\/p>

And once you have those reviews, find ways<\/a> to get them out in the public eye. Reviews on places like Google, Yelp<\/a>, and of course your own website will be the best spot.<\/p>

2: Show Off Those Before and After Pictures<\/h3>