A marketing message without PROOF is nothing more than a string of claims.
Granted, you need to make claims in your marketing (i.e. benefit statements and promises of results), but… you need to backup every claim with proof, with evidence.
The proof is what transforms typical claims into believable facts.
Ideally, every claim you make about what your product does should be supported by AT LEAST one proof point, if not two or three.
And, the bigger the claim, the bigger your proof needs to be.
In fact, no one claim should be bigger than your biggest proof point.
To get your wheels spinning, here’s a list of different types of proof points you can use to support your marketing claims:
1. Dramatic Demonstration
2. Reasons Why
3. Academic Studies
4. Statistics & Data
5. Charts & Graphs
6. Explain The Mechanism
7. Expert Statements
8. Logical Argument
9. Examples
10. News Items
11. Specificity
12. Testimonials
13. Social Proof
Proof in your marketing is so crucial… so critical… one of the greatest copywriters of all time, Gary Bencivenga, gave this advice…
“I have always advised my clients to build their products, newsletters, books, and ezines squarely on their strongest proof elements, namely their most persuasive and impressive credentials — including their strongest case histories, endorsements, testimonials, “reasons why” they offer better results and solutions, success stories, proven outcomes, expert status, areas of specialization, reputation within their industries, and especially a spirit of candor and integrity that never fails to delight clients and confound competitors.
When you make your credibility an essential, highly visible part of your marketing, persuasion can flow like silk because your most commonly encountered enemy — skepticism — is largely swept aside.”
— Bencivenga Bullets, Bullet 29