Lead Generation Support

Building Social Proof

The Importance of Social Proof
- Social proof is crucial because we feel unsafe doing things alone when no one else is doing it.
 - *"We know this in restaurants. We know this in movies. We know this in amusement parks. If no one's there, we feel scared."*
- Conversely, when many others are doing it, we feel safer joining in.
 - *"Conversely, when everyone is there, we feel really safe, because we cannot be the only idiots who are going to try this out."*

The Myth of Winning on Craft Alone
- There is a persistent myth that success will come purely from honing one's craft.
 - *"Here's the myth: you will win based purely on your work."*
- This myth is perpetuated in schools that focus solely on technical skills while ignoring other important skills like marketing, sales, and communication.
 - *"So they invite speakers to come to schools who are really all about the craft. They couldn't explain their way out of paper bag."*

The Importance of Building an Audience
- Instead of focusing only on craft, effort must be made to build an audience and social proof.
 - *"So in your way of trying to attract new clients. You have to do everything you can to establish social proof."*
- A key question to ask is: "What am I doing to build social proof?"

Picking the Right Platform
- The first step is picking one social platform to dominate that aligns with:
 1. How you like to create content
 2. Where your potential clients gather for information, entertainment, and inspiration

Action Steps:
- Reflect on the platforms you enjoy creating content for
- Research where your ideal clients spend time online
- Use AI tools to analyze your situation and get platform recommendations
- Commit to posting consistently on your chosen platform

Understand Your Ideal Client
- To choose the right platform, you need to clearly define your ideal client:
 - Demographics (age, gender, income, education, etc.)
 - Psychographics (values, interests, behaviors, etc.)
- Thoroughly understanding your ideal client allows you to determine where they spend time online.
 - *"I would describe it [to the AI]...They're probably in their late twenties to mid fifties. They're split between men and women. They have some kind of education."*

Use AI for Platform Analysis

Prompt Start "I need help identifying the most suitable social media platforms for reaching potential clients or prospects. I aim to understand where they typically engage with news, entertainment, and inspiration on social media.

About Me:
(Insert details about you)

Ideal Client Profile:
(Insert details)

What are the top 3 social platforms and break it down by demographic, psychographics and reasons why you would recommend creating content on this platform.

Additional Information:
(Please provide insights on your preferred mode of content creation (e.g., text, audio, visual), personal interests, or creative strengths to refine the platform recommendations.) " Prompt End*

Consistent Content Creation
- Once you've chosen the platform, commit to posting consistently to build an audience over time.
 - Quality content distributed consistently is key.

Action Steps:
- Create an ideal client persona with detailed demographics and psychographics
- Use AI tools to get platform recommendations based on your persona
- Plan a consistent content calendar and posting schedule
- Celebrate small wins as your audience grows over time

Building Authenticity and Chance Encounters

The Power of Authenticity
- Being authentic in the content you share increases the chances of serendipitous connections with ideal clients.
 - *"She told that story and of all the things that she told. This is how this person found her."*

Embracing Your Unique Story
- Don't filter out the unique aspects of your life and experiences when creating content.
 - Those could be the very things that attract your ideal clients.

The Long Game of Audience Building
- Building a real audience takes patience and commitment to showing up consistently over a long period.
 - You never know when sharing your authentic self may attract your next ideal client.

Action Steps:
- Get comfortable sharing personal stories and experiences in your content
- Lean into what makes you unique, even if it seems irrelevant
- Adopt a long-term mindset for growing an audience slowly over time
- View each new follower as a potential future client opportunity

Reflection Prompts

Here are some reflective questions to consider regarding building social proof:

- What platforms do I truly enjoy creating content for? Which feel like a natural fit?
- Where do my ideal clients likely spend time online to learn, be inspired and be entertained?
- How can I better define the specific demographics and psychographics of my ideal client?
- What unique personal stories and experiences could I share to attract ideal clients?
- How can I develop more patience and a long-term mindset for slowly building an audience?
- What's one small step I can take today toward consistently creating content?

Closing thoughts

Building strong social proof is crucial for attracting ideal clients, as people inherently feel safer following the crowd. However, the myth that technical craftsmanship alone leads to success persists.

The reality is a multi-pronged approach is required:

1) Deeply understand your ideal client to identify the right platform for reaching them.
2) Consistently create authentic, personal content to build an audience over time.
3) Embrace the long-game of audience building through patient, persistent effort.
4) Remain open-minded, as sharing your unique story can lead to serendipitous client connections.

While there are no shortcuts, strategically building social proof by choosing the right platform, sharing your authentic self, and developing an audience over time, increases the chances of your ideal clients discovering you.