What is social proof and why does it matter?  Hello, I’m Joe Laber, The Social Barista and branding expert coming to you from my A Cup of Media home studio in Troy, Ohio. Welcome to A Cup of Social where I aim to give you simple and easy-to-use tips for leveraging the power of social media to help grow your customer or donor base.  I’ve been helping radio stations, small businesses and nonprofits engage with their audiences on social since the days of MySpace back in the early 2000s.  My idea of social proof is relating it to a fun and engaging game of show and tell.  Show customer experiences and reviews, tell your story, share your expertise, and show how your products and services help solve a problem.  Did you know 88% of Gen Zs and Millennials use social media to research products they’re interested in buying?  And the higher the social proof, the more likely they are to buy.  Social proof builds trust and a much stronger connection.  I encourage you to continue to have an ongoing game of show and tell on social media that’s fun and engaging. Please continue to follow me for my next freshly brewed blog. Have a question I’d love to hear from you.  Please email me at joe@thesocialbarista.com.  Thanks so much for joining me and be sure to have a great day on social!