Social Proof On Instagram: What It Is And How To Use It To Attract New Clients

As a small business entrepreneur, you want your barbershop, hair salon, or other service-based business to STAND OUT.

Agreed there are ways in which you can achieve this goal, but nothing hits home like Instagram.

Wondering why? We have more than one reason!

Instagram is the fastest-growing social media platform with the most engaged user base versus any other social media platform. 
With more than 1 billion monthly active users, and over 500 million daily users, Instagram offers a valuable channel to communicate with your clients… a potential goldmine for entrepreneurs like you! 

What’s more, quite a big percentage of Instagram users state they use Instagram to discover new products and services, and 1/3 have actually made a purchase using the Instagram shopping features (or booked using the innovative “book now” button). 

With so many potential clients on this platform, it’s not surprising to invest in this channel, build a brand and take your beauty, hair or wellness business to the next level.

But here’s the thing….

While many entrepreneurs invest in Instagram Marketing ( likes and followers ) and focus on posting regular, high-quality, engaging content, it isn’t enough.

There we said it!

Today’s clients have evolved and they want to deal with trustworthy businesses gone are the days when a client would do business with you by how amazing your Instagram grid looks!

What you need is not just content that is visually appealing, but also one that your client can trust.

In other words…what you need is social proof on Instagram.

In this post, we’ll take you through the ins and outs of social proof on Instagram. What it is and how you can use this content type to attract more clients to your business. 

What is social proof?

First coined in Robert Cialdini’s book on persuasion and marketing back in 1984, social proof is the idea that people will follow others’ lead to determine the appropriate course of action or behavior in a given situation.

This can be as simplistic as selecting the product with the most 5-star reviews, picking the restaurant or bar with the most people inside, or choosing a hairdresser based on friend's and family’s recommendations.

An example of social proof in action is the 1951 Solomon Asch conformity experiment.

In this experiment, Asch discovered that 75% of participants would give an incorrect answer that agreed with the rest of the group when given a task with an obvious correct answer.

The participants justified their choices for one of two reasons:

• They wanted to fit in.
• They believed the group was more knowledgeable. 

This phenomenon is more than a psychology experiment. It offers valuable real-life applications that can be used to enhance brand awareness and perception.

Utilizing social proof strategies in your Instagram marketing can cultivate an engaged and loyal brand following, with an increased likelihood of people clicking through the book now button to book your services.

By showing you have added value to others’ lives, people are more likely to trust that you’re able to add value to theirs as well.

Several different types of social proof can be utilized in your marketing to influence consumer behavior.

Any of these types of social proof can be tapped into to enhance your barbershop or salon’s social media marketing (or any type of marketing), to quickly grow your platform and encourage more engagement with better results. 

How to use social proof on Instagram and scale it

Although cultivating social proof as part of your Instagram marketing strategy might sound complicated, it’s actually very simple! In fact, you’re likely demonstrating at least a few types of social proof without even meaning to.

The trick to using social proof on Instagram for the best results is to utilize your existing client base to cultivate a brand that people can recognize and trust.

Hairdressing salons are already particularly good at this. Whenever you walk into a salon, you’re likely to see photographs of models with hairstyles and colors that the salon excels in.

Think along these lines when developing your Instagram marketing for social proof: the more you can show others have a favorable opinion of you, your services, and your products, the better.

Below, we’re going to look at a few creative ways to encourage and benefit from social proof on Instagram. While you look at them, think about which of the 6 types of social proof they relate to so you can understand how it all works in a broader sense.

1. Social proof optimization

When you’re working on your Instagram marketing strategy, the easiest way to encourage more social proof is to ensure your brand is optimized for it.

Put simply, this involves making it as easy as possible for visitors and followers to spot social proof on your page. Remember, people don’t know they’re looking for social proof, so you need to make it obvious.

There are a few ways to optimize your Instagram for social proof:

• You could set up a separate Instagram account specifically for customer reviews and promote it in your bio. This prevents the main feed from getting clogged with testimonials while keeping a clear space for them. 
• Instagram Story Highlight albums are a brilliant place to share customer reviews and user images.
• A specific business hashtag offers an easily accessible way to collect customer feedback and user-generated content that you can then use yourself. This also improves customer loyalty.

Making it easy for people to buy or book is also essential to creating a quality Instagram account that converts viewers into customers. Adding a “book now” button or allowing followers to click straight through to a product in post all help create a sense of ease and convenience that users love. 

2. Brand ambassadors

We’ve all heard of ‘influencers’ and have no doubt heard plenty of stories involving self-entitled influencers making outrageous requests for free products or hotel stays. But when it comes to social proof, influencers, and brand ambassadors can be an invaluable asset!

In numbers, 62% of people claim to be more interested in a product or service once it’s been promoted by a relevant influencer, and users tend to trust real people with high follower counts more than branded content.

Brand ambassadors and influencers are also brilliant ways to create social proof when your business is new and user reviews are thin on the ground. Do some research to find out who the influencers are in your industry ( or in the community) and get in touch with them today to find out how they could help you build a following. 

3. Client feedback

Client feedback is essential for social proof, and when you’re utilizing social proof for Instagram, it’s easy to take advantage of.

Nigerian skincare expert, SkinPoise, is an excellent example of a company using customer feedback to enhance their social proof on Instagram. By taking screenshots of positive customer feedback to be repurposed into posts, their feed is full of happy customers.

You could also add feedback to your Instagram stories, with a Highlights album that collects customer reviews in one place to be revisited later.

But although it’s easy to repurpose client feedback into engaging posts, studies show that most businesses miss out on approximately 96% of what’s being said about them!

Sure, most clients would tag the salon they got their nails done in when they post about it to Instagram later, but if they don’t, you could be missing out on a huge chunk of social proof potential.

4. Join the conversation

While gathering customer feedback is an awesome way of generating and encouraging social proof, having an actual conversation with your fans and followers will help take your image to the next level.

44% of people state they feel more connected to brands that engage in relevant conversations. Showing you care about the things they care about goes a long way to cultivating a trustworthy business identity.

Captions on your Instagram posts that ask people to share their thoughts, experiences, problems, or solutions are among the most natural and straightforward ways to start a conversation.

Alternatively, you could follow the lead of Nashville salon, HairByTier, and share some top tips to help your clients out in their daily lives as part of your feed or your stories. Helping your clients improve (without pushing a hard sell) can go a long way to improving your brand image and demonstrating that your clients come first. 

Instagram stories also offer an assortment of options for connecting with customers. Creating polls, “questions,” or even a quiz on your story takes seconds and is a brilliant way to engage with your customers while showing that you care what they have to say.

5. User-generated content

Regardless of your industry or niche, brand mentions are essential. Not only do they offer you valuable feedback, but they also give your customers a chance to do part of your advertising for you!

If a client mentions you on Instagram, taking the time to comment is an excellent way of making your clients feel valued and appreciated. You could even take it a step further, like Starbucks, Boxed Water, ShineBodyCo, and even Kylie Jenner, and ask for permission to use the best photos and testimonials on your own Instagram feed.

Not only does repurposing user content into awesome posts provide you with virtually free marketing, but it also makes the original poster feel incredibly valued and special.

Besides, it will enable you to cultivate a far more varied Instagram feed that your followers will love.

Make a fuss over hashtags or your username when people visit you in-person and highlight where people can share their experiences in your bio to ensure everyone can get involved.

6. Referrals

According to Hubspot, 71% of people are more likely to purchase a product or book a service after a referral from friends or family members. What’s more, 49% of people who’ve had a positive experience with a brand will discuss it on social media.

Make the most out of the human attitude to referrals by creating a customer referral program that rewards people for recommending you.

Your referral program should then be mentioned throughout your Instagram marketing. Make a note of it in your bio and create feed posts that remind your customers of the benefits of sharing their experiences.

Conclusion

As consumer behavior changes and more people turn to Instagram to discover service providers, small businesses and entrepreneurs like you must utilize this platform to reach and engage with clients, both old and new.

Whether you opt to work with an influencer to sell your wellness products or build your Instagram persona using user-generated content and reviews about your salon, there are loads of ways to encourage and enhance social proof on your Instagram page. With a bit of trial and error, you’re sure to find the perfect social-proof marketing strategy for your brand.

And if you’re looking for more ways to attract clients, try our Marketing Center on Booksy, which is full of resources and will take the guesswork out of Instagram marketing and will help you double your bookings from Instagram!