How to Get & Use Social Validation to Help Your Small Business Thrive

When was the last time you booked an appointment without checking the reviews first?

Everyone does. Most people won't even buy a product, download an app, or go to a restaurant without checking the reviews. They've become our go-to source for deciding where to spend our hard-earned money, especially in the beauty industry.

This is the power of social validation.

Today, we're deep-diving exactly how this psychology works and how your business can make the most of it, leveraging this psychology to your advantage.

Let's get into it.

Why is social validation important?

Social proof is the ultimate word-of-mouth marketing – the digital equivalent of your happy clients shouting from the rooftops about how amazing you are, your skills, your service, and the whole experience you create.

This is important in today's digital world because the chances are someone is more likely to find reasons not to use your business or services if they don't like the reviews or there's no information there for them to base their opinion on.

Put it this way, when a large group of people says that's something good, that generally means it's good. Same if something isn't so good.

As a small or medium-sized business, you can use this psychology to your advantage. Any five-star golden reviews you get are pure gold for your reputation, attracting new clients, boosting your online ranking, and keeping your regulars coming back for more.

Oh, and this really matters.

The Social Proof Principle = The Six Principles of Influence

A whopping 90% of people say that online reviews totally sway their feelings towards a business.

Think of it this way: positive reviews plant little seeds of confidence in potential clients' minds. They're the gentle nudge that convinces someone who's on the fence to finally book that appointment.

And for your loyal regulars? Those glowing testimonials remind them why they chose you in the first place, keeping them coming back for more.

So, this raises the question, how to get the reviews for your business that you can post everywhere and boost your reputation, thus attracting more customers and more success, and then keep that cycle flowing.

Well, you've got to take a look at your entire client journey.

How to create a five-star client experience

Let's say you're running a hair salon - your customer experience probably looks something like this:

1. The client needs treatment.
2. They go on your website/app to book an appointment or call you over the phone.
3. You set a date and time.
4. They come in at that date and time and have an appointment.
5. They pay and leave, and hopefully book their next one.

Your job is to take a look at every single step of this process to ensure it's a five-star service. If it's not, then what sets you apart from your competitors? Why would they take time out of their day to review you? Why would they come back?

The problem these days is that everything is hyper-competitive. Take a look at your own town or city and see how many other businesses, both chains and independent, are similar to yours.

You're competing with all of these, and if your businesses have roughly the same offering but offer a better, more convenient booking system or the experience they provide in the salon is simply better, where are the customers going to go?

Get your employees on your side. Take a look over how you do things day to day. What can you improve? Where can you streamline things? What can you do to make things better?

It's asking questions like this consistently that will drive up the quality of your business and, thus, how successful you can be.

How to encourage positive social proof

So, you're working on bettering your business. This is great news, and it's pretty much an ongoing process that will never end, which is great. That's the way of business.

The problem, however, is that only 5-10% of clients independently leave reviews.

A pretty scary figure for most businesses since most customers are more likely to leave a negative review than a positive one.

But don't worry, a little nudge can work wonders – which is where a decent booking system can come in handy!

Here are a few ways that you can encourage your happy customers to spread the good vibes:

1. The gentle reminder: A friendly automated follow-up email is like a virtual high-five, thanking your clients for their visit and subtly reminding them to share the love. A simple "thank you" and a gentle request for feedback can go a long way.

2. The sweetener: People love discounts! Think about offering a small discount or loyalty points as a thank-you for leaving a review. It's a win-win – they get a little pick-me-up, and you get glowing testimonials.

3. Easy-peasy reviews: Make it easy for clients to share their experiences. Your thank you email can include direct links to your favorite review sites so they can leave feedback with just a few clicks.

Keep the conversation going.

Once reviews start coming in, whatever you do, don't just sit back and admire them – engage! Responding to both positive and negative feedback shows you genuinely care about your clients' opinions.

1. For the raves: A simple "thank you" goes a long way! Let them know you appreciate their kind words and are thrilled they loved their experience – future clients will see this and take note of your engagement and gratitude.

2. When feedback isn't all sunshine and rainbows: Nobody's perfect, and clients know this! It's how you respond that matters most. Thank the reviewer for their feedback, acknowledge their concerns, and offer a solution or a sincere apology if needed. Then act on it!! Implement changes in your business where you see fit.

By actively engaging with your reviews, you're not just building an online reputation – you're building relationships. And that's what keeps clients coming back for more!

MyCuts: Your reputation's best friend

While there are many takeaways here, I want to leave you with this - the foundation of a great customer experience is offering a seamless booking system.

This is where every customer journey starts, so you want to get things off on the right foot.

However, this is more than just managing appointments. It's about crafting an unforgettable client experience from start to finish.

A smooth booking experience is the first step to those glowing reviews that'll have new clients lining up at your door, and that's precisely what MyCuts has to offer.

With almost 400 reviews and an average 4.5/5 stars rating (hey, you can't please everyone), this is one of the best ways to streamline the booking service for your small business.

Check us out and start gleaning those five-star reviews today.