There is an invisible influence behind every successful product, and when you harness this, your product can be found in the hands of millions regardless of the price. People love to buy! 

“We all love to buy, and the influence of what to buy is everywhere we go ” (Source: Canva)

I’m going to digress here a moment but stay with me as this will make sense and give you a powerful glimpse into this invisible influence we all buy into.

New York City, 1955 – Marilyn Monroe wanted to prove a point, and with a magazine editor and photographer, Marilyn walked into Grand Central Station — a busy, middle of the day, packed platform — and not one single, yes, not a single person noticed her. She stood there waiting for the subway with the photographer documenting this as Marilyn boarded the train and rode along the way quietly with no one recognizing her.

Marilyn wanted to document and show that just by deciding she could be the well-known and glamorous Marilyn Monroe or the plain Norm Jean not by appearance but by intention. Marilyn stayed on the subway for a few stops then exited. Once she was on the platform, she smiled and simply said in a very quiet voice, “I am Marilyn,” and just like that, she was mobbed. So what does this have to do with you and your product? Everything!

Selling now has to do with so many factors, and a big factor is the invisible influencer — the intention and the story you can’t see, but your audience can. In the last 20-plus years, I have worked with thousands of brands, creating images and video content. I am also a woman, and we make 70 to 80% of the buying decisions in the household, according to Inc. magazine. Just watch the next set of ads you see on TV and ask who is the target? By nature, I am a research junkie on the psychology of why we buy, and when a product goes from zero to millions, I need to understand what the invisible influence was. 

“Customers sharins is one of the fastest way to get new customers for your brand. ” (Source: Canva)

A great product has great content, such as copy, images and video, and they are needed nowadays to sell — social media shows us this content daily (average time on social media is 2.5 hours), and when we shop, we are looking for the same thing. We are looking for the intention factor that Marilyn displayed to grab attention on a crowded platform in NYC. How can that take place with your product on e-commerce or other powerful online platforms? Show me someone that looks like me, shops like me — someone I can trust = social proof. 

Social proof redirects our attention. It’s a simple tool, but what does all of this have to do with your product and selling? Can you pick up a magazine without being sold to? Watch TV or listen to a podcast? We are sold to 24/7, and the way to rise up from all the noise is mastering the intention of social proof of your product, all invisible but incredibly important! 

No one wants to be sold to, yet everyone wants to buy. You’ve heard that a thousand times before, and it’s true. When I think of my purchasing habits, I don’t need anything, yet just like the world, I grab my phone to buy everything from household needs to groceries to a car. Steve Jobs made it simple for us to buy!

Letting your product create some wonder in seconds doesn’t take much — remember Marilyn on the platform. Within seconds it can appear. Show your social proof to your customer, and your product will sell without trying.

Create some wonder in 15 seconds. Social media, websites, e-commerce all tell the story of your brand, and we spend time and money on those we trust who can strike an emotion and tell a story. 

Let’s take a deep dive quickly on social proof. According to Forbes, social media is the biggest influence of buying decisions, and if you’re selling a product and not using a social media platform, you’re missing out on 71%. That’s a lot of coins to be leaving to your competitor. There are lots of books, podcasts and blogs to read about this, but here is the simple truth: you need to own your brand’s space on these powerful platforms, or your competitor will, or worse, your knockoff will! Once that happens to you, it will cost you much to grab their attention, as you are no longer the trusted brand. 

“No matter the platform, a great product always has a great website.” (Source: Canva)

Regardless of what platform you are selling on, you need a website, social media channels (where is your target audience playing and spending 2.5 hours a day on?) and have a presence that is ACTIVE… yes, active. After 2020, we have to show you are open and active, or they think you have rolled up the carpet and closed. 

Now, if you have stayed with me this long, this is the GOLD as I tell my clients. Show your audience why others love your product. The power of product testimonials on social media is the social proof that becomes MONEY! Take a minute and look at this infographic to see the power these platforms have, and here is a simple infographic on how the consumer mind works.

Predictable influence: highest quality, best value, taste, recommended by friends. Our decisions to buy are far more likely the results of unconscious motivation powered by social, emotional and other forces that influence behavior.

“Great content reflects a great product, having quality videos, images and posts is a great way to sell” (Source: Canva)

The truth is your current customer sharing is the fastest influence you can have on the next customer without paying thousands of dollars for an outside influencer. A brand of cosmetics line that built an empire all around home-grown testimonials and produced testimonials sells millions monthly, all based on its customers playing big on its social media channels. Here is the thing: the social proof of its customers selling its products is where we can all find ourselves. We seek Value. We seek Connection. We are emotional beings looking for emotional connection, and not just on a dating app. Strike an emotion, and we buy. Solve a problem, we buy. Understand our buying journey, and you sell!

“Showing an experience is one of the best ways to sell your product..” (Source: Canva)