As a health and wellness professional, the marketing and selling of your services can often be overlooked. Maybe you’re so laser-focused on your client that it becomes an after-thought, perhaps your calendar is so full that you feel you don’t have the time, or maybe you cringe at the thought of marketing and selling altogether. While this is definitely understandable, it’s important to find ways to market and sell that feel aligned and doable for you, in order to grow your business and ultimately help more people!
One simple strategy that we love is using social proof. Social proof is any sort of social-based evidence that qualifies you as an expert in your niche. It helps to give others a sense of assurance that what you are selling is valid and effective. In the health and wellness space, social proof becomes incredibly powerful, especially when results and outcomes may not always be easy to quantify. When a prospective client hears directly from a former client or sees a recommendation from a well-known expert on your website, their sense of confidence in you rises and they are way more likely to pay for your services.
There are many forms of social proof out there, so we’ve outlined below what we believe is most relevant to a health and wellness professional:
Testimonials are a powerful form of social proof because it’s direct evidence of the effectiveness of your service. You can collect testimonials in written or video format, and they can be short and succinct or have a longer, storytelling nature. Consider asking for testimonials from both paid and non-paid clients. Testimonials from your freebies can be just as impactful as those for your paid services!
Having others share about you on social media is another form of social proof. Whether someone simply re-posts your content or shares more in-depth about their experience with your offerings, social media has the power to convert prospects to leads and leads to clients. Consider inviting your clients and those who receive your freebies to share on social media - you could even offer something in return such as a discount or giveaway.
Any time you appear in the media or work with a well-known brand, it increases your clout. The simple association with a media outlet or brand will build a sense of social proof within your community. This could be a TV appearance, podcast interview, or even promotion of a brand on Instagram. It’s essential to vet the media outlet or brand before agreeing to work together to ensure it’s in alignment with your values, as you will be seen as representing what they stand for.
Receiving an expert recommendation or endorsement is something you can share as a form of social proof. There is an inherent sense of trust in those we view as experts, and when an expert endorses someone else, it’s natural to trust that person too. Perhaps this is an expert in your niche or industry or even a leader in your community.
As shared by Buffer, certifications can be seen as “a stamp of approval by an authoritative figure in your industry”. Similarly to an expert recommendation, a certification is a form of endorsement that holds a lot of social power and thus is a great form of social proof.
Any time you can share clear data to highlight the impact or effectiveness of your services is a great opportunity for social proof. This could be the number of clients you’ve helped over a certain amount of time, it could be your client outcome/success rating, or a symptom reduction percentage. Numbers give prospective clients something tangible to consider when making a decision to work with you. Remember that data tends to speak to some people more than others.
Once you have collected your social proof, the next step is to determine how to share it in a way that helps you easily market and sell your services. It’s one thing to receive an amazing testimonial or recommendation, but without a strategy for where to share it, it may fall flat.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
By sharing your social proof on social media, such as Instagram or Facebook, you are not only giving others an opportunity to see it, but you are giving them an opportunity to share it. After seeing an amazing testimonial for your services, a prospective client may not only decide to work with you but they may send the post to a friend or family member as well. That’s the beauty of social media - how easy it becomes for the word to spread. You can consider sharing your social proof in a feed post or in your stories, but could even consider including it in your bio (this would work well for shorter forms of social proof such as certifications, or a link to a testimonial).
Your email list is a great place to share your social proof, as your subscribers are already engaged leads. They’ve opted in to receive emails from you because they like what you have to offer, so will likely be quite receptive to any form of social proof you share. This could be as easy as including testimonials as part of your email marketing for the next round of your program, including a regular section in your newsletter for social proof such as expert recommendations or links to media appearances, or even adding social proof such as a short testimonial to your email signature.
If your website is the hub of your business, this is an excellent place to showcase social proof. Any prospective client who visits will see it, and will also have the opportunity to learn how to work with you, all in one place. Your website is also great because it allows you the flexibility to display and format your social proof creatively. You can include written and video content, as well as photos. Consider adding a testimonials section on your homepage, as well as on any landing/sales pages. If you want to include media appearances, expert recommendations, or brand partnerships, consider adding a separate section to your website. Any certifications you hold can be mentioned in a short bio on your homepage, as well as on a dedicated bio page if you have one. If you are a PB user, be sure to add social proof to the bio section of your practitioner profile!
Social proof can be extremely helpful to utilize during the sales process, as it can help with your prospective client’s decision-making. Be sure to have social proof on hand to share with your potential client, whether it’s a page on your website, a link to video testimonials, or even a PDF document. This can be shared during sales conversations with prospective clients to encourage them to commit on the spot, or could even be shared as a follow-up resource if they want to think about it.
As we’ve shared, there are many ways to utilize social proof to grow and scale your business. However, some of these strategies may be more relevant to you than others, so don’t feel like you are missing out if you don’t hit all of them. Take what resonates and give it a try! You may be surprised by the response you get after sharing a simple testimonial on social media or including a link to a podcast interview in your next newsletter.
Practice Better is the complete practice management platform for nutritionists, dietitians, and wellness professionals. Streamline your practice and begin your free trial today.
