Integrating Social Proof On Sites

Last week in an internal team workshop, I asked the group a question: “If you're not creating content on LinkedIn, why not?” They came up with ten reasons - everything from “I don’t know what to say,” to “I feel awkward putting myself out there,” to “I don’t want to seem like I’m bragging,” or “I’m not sure anyone would even find it interesting.” Here’s what stood out: Every reason started with “I.” It was all about them - their doubts and discomfort. So, I offered a small but effective shift that can take the pressure off and make showing up feel a whole lot easier: ✨ Make your community the star of your content ✨ What does that actually look like? It means shifting the spotlight from you to the people, stories, and moments that exist around you. And doing it in a way that still reflects your values, your expertise, and your perspective. Here are a few ways to do it: ✅ Highlight your team Share the work they’re doing behind the scenes. A project they’ve delivered, a promotion they’ve earned, or even a moment of growth you’ve witnessed. ✅ Celebrate your clients Tell the story of a client who’s achieving great things. It doesn’t have to be a case study just a quick insight into the work they’re doing, their success, or a shift they’ve made. You don’t need to name them unless appropriate. The focus is on their journey, not yours. ✅ Share industry insights Got back from a conference or event? Talk about what you learned, the speakers that stood out, the side coffee or wine chat, or the trends you're noticing. ✅ Acknowledge your network Say thank you. Recognise someone who gave you advice, introduced you to a new way of thinking, made a connection for you, brightened your day or helped you get unstuck. ✅ Feature your collaborators and community Whether it’s a podcast guest, a project partner, or someone in your community, spotlight them. Share what they do, what you learned from them, or how they’re making an impact. If you’re holding back from posting because it feels too self-promotional or too awkward - try this instead: 👉 Pick one person in your community and shine a light on them this week. 📷 Need some inspiration? One person who does this incredibly well and with absolute consistency is Jonathan Mamaril. Jonathan’s approach to content on LinkedIn is a standout example of what it means to shine the light on others. Whether he’s actively bringing people into a conversation, featuring a podcast guest, spotlighting community member, acknowledging a collaborator, or celebrating someone in his broader network, his posts are thoughtful, intentional, and generous. It’s inclusive. It’s community-focused. And it's a great reminder that sometimes the best way to show who you are is to lift up the people around you. #linkedin #community #locallink

When I started building my brand ecosystem publicly, everything shifted. The traditional advice says, "build it and they will come." But after studying founder brands, I've learned that most founders are stuck choosing between getting attention and maintaining integrity. Last year, I watched a brilliant entrepreneur struggle with this exact paradox. When I shared my Brand Trust Equation with her, something beautiful happened. Here's what I learned about building in public through systematic brand development: 1. Identity System Transparency Share your core messaging, positioning, and values openly. Building your identity in public creates accountability for authentic choices. Your audience connects with the journey, not just the destination. 2. Content System Broadcasting Document your strategic output across all platforms transparently. Sharing your content framework helps others while establishing your authority. Your systematic approach demonstrates professionalism and intentionality. 3. Experience System Documentation Show how people interact with your brand at every touchpoint. Building your customer journey in public creates better experiences for everyone. Your process transparency helps prospects know exactly what to expect. 4. Conversion System Sharing Reveal how attention becomes revenue in your business model. Building your funnel in public demonstrates the value of systematic thinking. Your transparent approach shows prospects the clear path forward. 5. Lighthouse Content Strategy Create cornerstone pieces that attract your ideal audience while repelling everyone else. Building your manifesto, methodology, case studies, and vision in public establishes authority. Your transparent philosophy becomes a filter for quality connections. This approach builds long-term brand equity instead of short-term attention. 6. Platform Synergy Framework Show how different platforms serve different purposes in your ecosystem. Building your multi-platform strategy in public creates strategic alignment. Other founders learn how to maximize impact across channels. This isn't just about building brands, it's about creating beautiful, systemized, and authentic businesses that serve both founders and their communities. When you build your brand ecosystem in public, you're not just attracting attention. You're building trust through the Brand Trust Equation: (Consistency × Authenticity × Value) ÷ Self-Promotion. The solution isn't choosing between integrity and attention, it's building systems that deliver both simultaneously through transparent, value-first brand development. The future belongs to those brave enough to build their brand systems in public. __ Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Matt Gray for more. Curious how this could look inside your business? DM me ‘System’ and I’ll walk you through how we help clients make it happen. This is for high-commitment founders only.

People don’t buy from brands—they buy from people they trust. Trust is the foundation of every successful social media sale. Some think flashy ads and viral posts are the key to social media sales. But the truth? Consistent trust-building beats short-term gimmicks every time. Show up consistently with valuable content. Engage genuinely with your audience—respond to comments, ask questions, and be human. Share testimonials and real customer stories to showcase authenticity. Be transparent—if you make a mistake, own it and make it right. Many believe that selling on social media is about having a large following. In reality, a smaller, engaged audience that trusts you can outperform massive, unengaged followers. I’ve spent years helping brands build trust on social media, transforming their online presence from overlooked to overbooked. I’ve seen firsthand that trust is the currency of the online world. When I started my journey into social media marketing, I thought success was all about going viral. I chased trends, tried every hack, and yet, sales were flat. Gradually, I shifted my focus to trust. I started listening to my audience, providing real value, and showing up authentically. The transformation was slow, but steady. Sales began to climb, not because of a single viral moment, but because my audience trusted me. In the noisy world of social media, trust is your superpower. Build it, nurture it, and watch your business thrive. #branding #socialmediastrategist

Over the last 6 months at Triangle, we’ve reviewed the performance of dozens of our Executive and Founder LinkedIn posts across all sectors. We pulled together reach, engagement, and story-type metrics, and three consistent patterns emerged. (1) Cultural hooks drive visibility. Posts that lead with a recognisable figure or big event attract high impressions. By tying in to these topics, you get broad distribution and big numbers. Then insert your idea, offer, company within this. Example: A tech leader building in the AI space opened with “Mark Zuckerberg wanted to buy Google.” The post reached 3.2M impressions. (2) Use proof points to build credibility. Executive posts that point to a real outcome (a campaign delivered, a deal closed, a client story) bump engagement rates significantly. Fewer eyeballs, but more meaningful interaction. That’s the kind of peer-recognition that moves you from “someone who talks” to “someone you want to buy from.” Example: A founder of a UK-based speaker bureau shared that they booked an Olympic gold medalist for a client. The post generated 26k impressions with 15 qualified MQLs. (3) Personal narrative and spotlighting others deepen the connection to your readers. When executives share a lived experience, like hardship, change, lessons learnt or they deliberately make someone else the hero, engagement spikes. You build trust at scale and deepen the connection with your audience. Example: A founder reflecting on 8 years of building their company reached 3.7k impressions with 1.57% engagement. Another spotlighting a client’s book launch hit 2.5k impressions and achieved 5.86% engagement. Actions you can take • Use a mix of formats rather than a single style. • Use a cultural hook when you need to amplify reach. • Use proof posts when you want to underpin your capability. • Use personal stories when you want to humanise your brand and deepen trust. • Track not just impressions but meaningful engagement: comments from peers, ICP engagement, follow-ups, profile views, DMs initiated. The difference between executives who get seen or not – is down to having a system in place. At Triangle, we build that system. Turning your ideas, proof points, and stories into a consistent flow of credibility, reach, and opportunity.

In SEA markets, social proof works in your favour. But for the sake of humanity... Make it LOCALLY relevant. 🎯 Buyers here don't just want to know if your product works. They want to know who else is using it IN THEIR REGION. Because they don't care about your client success story from New York or London. They care about your familiarity working within THEIR cultures, THEIR markets, THEIR challenges. Status and face matter. A lot. That's why: - Local case studies > global ones - Regional industry peers > random testimonials   - SEA community validation > overseas sales pitch Think about it: A Malaysian logistics company wants to see how you've helped other Malaysian logistics companies. A Singaporean fintech wants proof you've succeeded with direct competitors in their space. They want to see their exact industry, their exact market challenges solved. The best social proof isn't what you say about yourself. It's what others naturally say about you - especially when they're from the same region. Stop pushing global credentials. Start building proof that resonates locally and spreads on its own. Have you gained from the power of social proof in the SEA markets? Comment below and let the audience know that local relevance is key. ✌

Your social media KPIs are lying to you. 🫠💸 I’ve been tracking something across my client campaigns: the brands with the biggest budgets aren’t always winning. What separates the winners from the big spenders? TRUST. We’ve been measuring the wrong things. Likes, shares, and reach are vanity metrics. The real KPI that predicts success? Trust score. Here’s how I measure it for my global brand clients: → Authenticity Rate: Comments that feel genuine vs. generic → Consistency Index: Brand voice alignment across all touchpoints → Community Loyalty: Repeat engagement and user-generated content → Crisis Resilience: How your audience defends you when challenged 🕵️The internet has created millions of detective-consumers. They spot greenwashing from miles away. They call out pinkwashing instantly. They can smell a trend-chasing brand that stands for nothing. The brands winning today? They stopped chasing viral moments and started building relationships. 🫂They don’t copy-paste every trend. They create their own waves with authentic storytelling that connects their values to their audience’s lives. Here’s what most marketers miss: You can’t fake authenticity on social media if it doesn’t exist in your company culture. Trust isn’t a social media strategy - it’s an organizational commitment. When trust becomes your North Star, something magical happens: Your budget works harder, your content resonates deeper, and your community becomes your best marketing team ✨ The question isn’t whether you can afford to build trust. It’s whether you can afford not to. Building authentic brands that create real connections is what I do as a creative strategist. If you’re struggling to translate your brand’s true voice into social media success, let’s talk about how strategy beats spending every time! 💥

Are your clients seeing your social proof as a red flag? Imagine you're about to close a deal. You share glowing testimonials, impressive case studies, and name-drop high-profile clients.  You expect your prospect to be blown away.  But instead, they hesitate, and the deal stalls. What went wrong? Social proof can backfire when it feels irrelevant, overused, or disingenuous.  Instead of building trust, it creates skepticism. 🚩 The Misstep If your testimonials don’t align with your prospect's pain points or industry, they may feel disconnected. Worse, if it seems like you're hiding behind big names rather than addressing their specific concerns, they’ll tune out. ✨ The Fix Make social proof work for you by tailoring it to your audience. 1️⃣ Show the Right Proof Highlight testimonials or case studies from businesses like theirs. Use examples that address the challenges they’ve shared. 2️⃣ Make it Human Avoid overly polished stories. Prospects connect with real struggles and relatable wins, not generic praise. 3️⃣ Let Them Imagine Themselves Position your customer success stories as a blueprint for their potential results. Here’s how to change the script: Instead of: “We’ve worked with global brands like XYZ.” Try: “Here’s how we helped a business like yours save 25% on operational costs within three months.” Social proof isn’t about showing off.  It’s about showing up for your prospect’s needs and priorities. What’s one way you’ve tailored social proof that made a difference in closing a deal? Share your experience below! #salespsychology #buildingtrust #customerfocus #salesstrategy #salesleaders #closedeals #sellingtips #trustbuilding #customersuccess

What Are Radical Ways to Connect Startups, Founders, and Investors While Showcasing Local Talent? Networking could be more than the typical hotel conference room or formal meet-and-greet over coffee. Take a bolder approach to creating unforgettable connections while supporting local entrepreneurs in 2025– ☕️ Diners and Cafés? Hold networking breakfasts at a diner or coffee shop that opened recently. Let the founder share their story of perseverance and vision while attendees connect over coffee. 🌟 Startup Spotlight Nights Feature a handful of local startups in a pitch or demo session. Pair this with food and drink from local vendors for a true celebration of community talent. 🎨 Artisan Showcases Partner with local artists, musicians, crafters, or designers to highlight creativity and business synergy, proving innovation isn’t limited to tech. 🚶♀️ Startup Safari Create a “trail” where attendees visit multiple local businesses, hear founder stories, and connect with other participants along the way. ☕ Breakfast with Founders Create intimate morning meetups for founders and investors to share advice over coffee. 🍪 Workshops at Local Spots Host events where attendees can learn the story of a local business and participate in a fun activity (like baking or crafting). ➡️ Let’s reimagine networking. Which of these ideas resonates with you to build relationships? #CollaborateForChange #FounderResources

Trust isn’t what it used to be - and that’s not a bad thing. Back then, trust in traditional media was vetted, edited, and fact-checked. It carried weight. There wasn’t any rush to get your story online instantly, and the masthead mattered. Today, we see a shift. We do our own research. We want to check at least five different sources and platforms, including several creator channels. We trust people who are ‘feel’ real. Whether news or entertainment, we also want to read other individuals' comments and then form an opinion. And that’s a big shift for those of us who came from traditional publishing, where credibility was built behind closed doors. Now, it’s out in the open. Post by post. Comment by comment. Video by video. That doesn’t mean quality doesn’t matter anymore - it just means the way we earn attention and trust (and keep it) has changed. The creators and brands who get this are the ones building real influence. Because in today’s world, people don’t follow institutions. They follow voices they trust. Here’s what brands should consider to build trust with their audience through influencer marketing; ·      Identify what ‘trust’ looks like for your brand (example, safety, sustainability, effectiveness, inclusivity) ·      Does your brand need credibility, relatability, or visibility, and pick influencers accordingly ·      Develop campaign arcs (not one-off posts) ·      Build multi-phase influencer strategies: tease → reveal → review → repurchase → referral ·  Allow the influencer’s audience to follow the evolution of their relationship with the brand

At a time where it feels like everyone and their dog is on social media (literally), consumer trust is as precious as it is elusive. But how can brands cultivate it? The answer: social proof. Take, for instance, Patagonia. This brand doesn't just use customer reviews; they weave customer stories into their environmental ethos, showing real people making real differences with their products. Here’s how to fine-tune your social proof strategy: 👍 Curated Customer Stories: Beyond basic testimonials, feature in-depth customer stories that align with your brand values. This creates a narrative, not just a recommendation. 👍 Influencer Partnerships with Substance: Align with influencers who embody your brand's ethos. It’s not just about reach; it’s about relevance and resonance. 👍 Showcase Real-time User Engagement: Use dynamic content like live social media feeds on your website, displaying real-time customer interactions and endorsements. 👍 Highlight Niche Expertise: Display certifications or awards that underscore your specialisation and authority in your field. And here’s what to avoid: 👎 Generic Praise: Avoid showcasing vague or generic testimonials. Specific, detailed endorsements are more impactful. 👎 Overreliance on Numbers: While a high quantity of reviews can be impressive, it’s the quality and relatability of those reviews that truly build trust. 👎 Irrelevant Influencer Collabs: An influencer who doesn’t align with your brand values or audience can do more harm than good. Authenticity is key. AKA don't just go with the influencer with the biggest following. Often people with smaller audiences have more active audiences anyway so leverage that. By leveraging social proof like Patagonia, who integrate customer adventures into their sustainability narrative, you can do more than just sell a product – you can build a community. So, think: how can your brand use social proof to not just gain trust, but to tell a story that echoes with your audience? #DigitalMarketing #BrandTrust #SocialProof #Patagonia #sydneydigitalmarketing