Top tips for influencer marketing in hospitality, from an agency that’s been doing it for 11 years…
I want to begin this blog post by saying I don’t consider myself a philosopher, to any standard. The other day I came across a TikTok video where a woman referred to a Diet Coke as a ‘refrigerated cigarette’ – that’s philosophy.
I do, however, consider myself to be a ponderer, and today I’m pondering a topic so complex I feel I’m going to need a refrigerated cigarette to get through it; if a customer has a great experience at your venue, but no content is created, did it even happen?
For the modern restaurant, bar, and cafe owner or manager, the answer is a resounding (and perhaps unsettling), ‘no’. An experience that is not documented, shared, and amplified online holds just a fraction of its potential value. This is the reality of the creator landscape, a picturesque and somewhat confusing labyrinth where social influence has superseded traditional advertising – and where your next customer’s decision on where to eat or drink is being shaped. Not by a magazine review alone, but by a 15-second video they saw from a digital creator they trust.
Influencer marketing has come a long way on its journey, from a tiny, weird-looking caterpillar being rejected by corporate marketing departments and traditional press into a, well, still weird-looking yet more accepted butterfly that should be a central pillar of any serious marketing strategy. As the field has emerged from its cocoon, its complexities have deepened. Navigating it successfully requires more than a complimentary meal; it demands strategy, respect, and a nuanced understanding of a new set of rules. Here are some do’s and don’ts for hospitality influencer marketing in 2025.
Do: Prioritise long-term partnerships over one-off posts. The most impactful collaborations are born from genuine advocacy. A single, transactional post may generate a temporary spike in visibility, perhaps some new followers, but it does little to build enduring brand trust. In 2025, your focus must be on identifying creators who genuinely align with your brand’s ethos and cultivating relationships with them with the view of positioning them as long-term ambassadors. An ongoing partnership allows for a deeper, more authentic narrative to unfold, transforming a creator from a hired megaphone into a trusted voice for your brand.
Do: Champion creative freedom. You are not commissioning a food photographer, you are collaborating with a storyteller. The primary value of an influencer lies in the unique perspective and authentic connection they have with their audience. Handing over a rigid, overly prescriptive brief is the fastest way to strip the content of the authenticity that all invested parties want. Instead, provide a clear outline of the focal point, perhaps a new menu item or a weekend event, and arm them with all the knowledge they may need but trust the creator to translate them into their native language.
Do: Look beyond the follower count. Follower counts may just be the fool’s gold of influencer marketing. A seven-figure follower count means little if the audience is unengaged or entirely misaligned with your target demographic. Instead, look at the metrics that matter. Focus your magnifying glass on engagement rates, audience demographics and the quality of the conversation happening in the comments. A local micro-influencer with 5,000 highly-engaged foodies in Bristol is infinitely more valuable than a macro-influencer with a few hundred-thousand passive observers globally.
The Don’ts: Avoiding common pitfalls…
Don’t: Mistake a creator for a production house. While many creators are multi-talented, their core skill is building and engaging a unique community, not necessarily producing campaign-level creative assets. If your goal is to acquire high-resolution images of your dishes for your own menu or website, I would suggest looking into food photographers.
Don’t: Offer ‘exposure’ as sole compensation. Would you allow a customer to pay for a meal with the promise of telling everyone in the office how good it was? No? So you agree exposure isn’t a viable form of payment. Content creation is a skilled labour that involves significant time, effort and investment in equipment and software. While a complimentary experience is a valuable part of the package, professional creators rightly expect to be compensated for their work. Offering fair payment shows respect for their craft and positions your brand as a serious, professional partner.
Don’t: Let the performance data disappear. A campaign does not end when the content goes live. To understand the true return on investment, you must track performance with rigour. Go beyond likes and comments. Use unique promotional codes for a discount, trackable links to your reservations platform and ask customers how they heard about you. Analyse the long-tail impact on brand awareness and footfall over the following weeks and months.
In 2025, influencer marketing is no longer a simple transaction; it is a collaboration between two storytellers. Success requires a strategic shift away from venues having complete creative control and towards partnership, transparency and mutual respect. Because in the end, content is not just the proof that an experience happened, it is an integral part of the experience itself, the digital memory that sparks desire and inspires the next customer to walk through your door.
saintnicks has been shortlisted for four awards at the UK Social Media Awards 2025, recognising the agency’s standout work in user-generated content, integrated campaigns, long-term strategy and team excellence.
Best Use of UGC – POSCA
Best Integrated Social Campaign – Ascot Racecourse
Best Long-Term Strategic Use of Social Media – Ascot Racecourse
Best In-Agency Team – saintnicks
The UK Social Media Awards celebrate the very best in creativity, innovation and impact across social platforms. From the vibrant, creator-fuelled world of POSCA to diversification of Royal Ascot’s audience and fan engagement, saintnicks’ work continues to blend bold thinking with measurable success.
Callum Joynes, Head of Content at saintnicks, said:
“Social media is one of the most powerful ways to build meaningful brand experiences, and these nominations are a fantastic recognition of the agency’s creativity, commitment, and real-world strategic capability. We’re incredibly proud to be shortlisted across such a broad mix of categories.”
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saintnicks is a leading independent brand agency. We partner with ambitious brands to drive commercial growth, through standout strategy, campaigns, digital experiences, and social media. An agile, highly experienced team of specialists, combining top-tier strategic and creative talent from global agencies and client-side brands. We take brands further.
Having recently got a bit behind with my own marketing, I realised that I’d been procrastinating again. So yes, let me say upfront, I am not claiming to be perfect when it comes to beating procrastination! But, in the five years I have been a freelance copywriter, I have never missed a deadline for a customer. In fact, I normally deliver copy ahead of any set time limit.
So that got me to wondering – how can I come up with the goods time and time again on behalf of my customers, even when the inspiration juices aren’t always free flowing, when I struggle to do the same for my own business? And can I do something to change this?
It’s not a new phenomenon. There’s an adage about cobbler’s shoes that says although cobblers have all the skills, and all the tools needed to have the best shoes around, they often have the worst.
The same is true of marketers. Despite the skills they have to create powerful marketing strategies and put words on a page in the most effective way for customers, they often deploy little to no marketing effort for their own businesses, and their websites host the least populated blogs.
There are a few reasons for these discrepancies including the lack of fixed deadlines, and the fact they are busy putting customers first and have less time or inclination to focus on their own shoes or marketing.
How do I overcome procrastination when it hits?
Although having a clear deadline and the promise of a satisfied customer at the end of a piece of work is always enough to motivate me to get the job done on time, the ugly head of procrastination does sometimes appear when I’m doing client work too. And this is what I do to overcome it (and what I need to do more when it comes to my own marketing efforts).
I started off by saying I’m not perfect at avoiding procrastination and I’ll say it again! I need to do better, especially when it comes to working on my own marketing copywriting. I fully intend to continue to use these tactics to continue delivering ahead of deadline for my clients, and to hopefully improve my productivity when working on less deadline driven copywriting for my own business.
How do you cope with procrastination when it hits? I’d love to know. And if there are certain pieces of copy, like regular blog posts or feature articles that you always find hard to complete, e-mail me at helen@blogwrite.co.uk because even if my own blog gets missed every now and then, I never miss a deadline (external or self-imposed) for my customers!
Over the last few weeks, the AI giants have announced some huge ambitions. Meta (Facebook) wants to run your adverts for you, OpenAI (ChatGPT) wants to close your retail sales without ever visiting the retailer’s website, and Adobe is schmoozing up with Google and OpenAI to plug its creative AI holes.
Worth a listen is the recent Diary of a CEO Podcast by Steven Bartlett entitled “AI Emergency Debate:These jobs won’t exist..”
What is agreed on the podcast is that an AI future is largely one that is difficult to imagine, simply because of the speed and velocity of these new platforms working together.
At LeonardoPower we have found that voice activation AI is evolving at lightning speed, and voice-activated AI assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa were leading the charge a few years ago. Since then, the cost and complexity of Voice AI bots has dropped considerably.
These virtual helpers are now part of our daily routines, from setting alarms to answering complex questions. As their popularity soars, businesses must adapt their websites to stay ahead of the curve.
Why Voice-Activated AI Matters
AI voice agents can assist website optimisation, it’s crucial to understand how these AI assistant’s work. They use artificial intelligence and natural language processing to understand and respond to spoken commands. This means users can ask questions, set reminders, control smart devices, and even shop online—all hands-free.
The appeal? Convenience and accessibility. Voice assistants simplify tasks and provide instant answers, making them indispensable in our fast-paced lives. As voice technology advances, it will play an even bigger role in how we interact with the digital world, boosting productivity and connectivity.
Interestingly, Americans and Gen Z are more likely to use voice activated commands than many British people, suggesting the cultural differences in how we engage with new technology.
The Immediacy of Voice Activated Agents
An AI Voice bot can receive incoming calls as well as making outgoing calls. It can answer the phone when you cannot and will transcribe all of the call, meaning that you can sift through genuine prospects and clients, compared to people trying to sell to you.
As soon as a person has filled in an online form, an AI Voice Bot can make a call as soon as a form has been filled in, calling that person back. They can ask simple questions and answer questions based on your business. By doing this you are catching a person in the “moment.” This is hugely important as this prospect is now firmly in the “sales funnel.”
Consider our busy lives when the average attention span is now 8 seconds and every person is interrupted by a meeting, email or ping every 2 minutes. See the MicroSoft Annual Work Trend Index: The Frontier Firm is born Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index Report reveals the rise of the Frontier Firm, marking a new era of workforce dynamics – CEE Multi-Country News Center
AI Voice Applied to Healthcare
How difficult is it to get a GP appointment? What if the poor receptionists actually had ten AI Voice Bots that could answer calls, do first level triage and take patient’s details?
AI Voice is able to shoulder an almost impossible burden with outbound calling as well as handling incoming and customer care type calls.
Why Your Website Needs a Voice Makeover
With the rise of voice-activated AI, businesses should revamp their websites to remain competitive.
Ready to make your website voice-friendly? Research into keywords for voice search and craft content that easy to read aloud and provides answers to common questions. Implement technical considerations to provide context for search engines and voice assistants and finally focus on responsive design, simple navigation, and fast loading times to create a seamless user experience.
Looking Ahead
The future is bright for voice-activated AI. As technology evolves, businesses that embrace this shift will reap the rewards. The potential for enhanced user experiences and accessibility is immense. Stay adaptable, keep up with tech and user behaviour, and watch your website thrive in the voice-activated world.
At LeonardoPower we have provided a free Voice AI Bot called “Nikki” at https://aivoicepr.leonardopower.com if you sign up for free banking. Which is great for answering calls, meaning that you never miss one again. It’s ideal for anyone who is tied up “doing-the-do” and needs an extra pair of hands. It gives you a transcript of all the calls. Visit our new website to see more on LeonardoPower www.leonardopower.com Where science meets art.
Imagine this. Instead of writing a traditional article like this one, we shorten our article to a series of headlines and project them onto a famous skyscraper. Outside an advertising awards show. We tease the event. And we invite you and influencers along to it. You take pictures and film parts of the show. You then post it on social media. We film the entire stunt. Afterwards, we edit the vid into different cut-downs for different channels. That my friends is a brand activation in practice.
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So what actually is the definition of a brand activation? ChatGPT defines it as a ‘marketing strategy designed to actively engage consumers with a brand, creating a memorable experience that drives awareness, interaction, and emotional connection’. It’s a decent definition for this recent advertising phenomenon. But for us, it’s an idea worth advertising. Something for your brand to shout about. And right now, activations are becoming more common. They’re taking full advantage of digital capabilities to propagate ideas online which in turn, amplifies brands organically for free. 30 years ago, a Tango ad on a Saturday night was talked about on a Monday morning in the school playground, or at the water-cooler. Today, it’s instant on Whatsapp, TikTok, Twitter and so on. And great activation ideas that live online, always have the possibility of getting shared time and time again.
Here are some of my favourite brand activations from recent times including an app concept for Toyota that was the no.1 downloaded app in the country it was made for.
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You read right. Sounds bonkers. But it was genius. True to their values, REI closed their doors on Black Friday. Instead of getting caught up in the chaos of the shopping day, they wanted their staff to #OptOutside, have a stress-free day off and enjoy the great outdoors. The feel-good news story was picked up by all the mainstream media outlets in the states, and the brand saw sales, brand warmth and employee retention increase off the back of this one activation.
Xbox wanted the world to know how tough their new Tomb Raider game was so they created an interactive billboard that played out like a live game show. Then they subjected the six people on the London billboard to the extreme weather conditions from the actual game. Fans streamed the show via Twitch, where they could even control the weather via their smartphone. Until only the grittiest contestant was left. The results were off the charts, from 450k+ views on Twitch, 2 million views on Facebook and 18 Cannes Lions.
How? By flipping disability around and creating ThisAbles. Ikea found 1 in 10 people in the world live with a disability. So they hacked their most iconic IKEA products by developing 13 open-source 3D printed add-ons, each solving a different accessibility issue. Besides the 5M$ worth of earned media from PR, 4,625 people downloaded the 3D models. One of the great brand activations, that intrinsically links to their vision and genuinely make people’s everyday, wonderful.
Education groups came together to launch Denmark’s Mental Health Day and create awareness about the increase of youth burnout. How? They crafted human sized candles and erected them all over the country to start a nationwide conversation. Each of the statues were made from wax that symbolised inaction leading to an entire generation burning out. They also targeted policy makers with small versions of the burnt-out youth, and produced a series of solutions to help address the growing issue.
The global sports brand discovered that 32% of women around the world feel uncomfortable swimming in public. In the Middle East, it jumps to a staggering 88%. So adidas created the world’s first swimmable billboard in Dubai, encouraging every woman in the city to dive in and become ambassadors for its new inclusive swimwear collection, regardless of their shape, ethnicity or ability. It sparked a global conversation across 60 countries about making swimming more inclusive as a sport for women.
Put your phone down while you drive and pick up rewards. That was the simple award-winning idea for Toyota in Ireland.
The app topped the Irish app charts, received national TV, radio and press coverage worth nearly £350k. But above all Irish people drove over 13 million miles with their phones faced down. And Toyota showed how “built for a better world” made a real tangible difference in people’s lives.
People think they know what ‘suicidal’ looks like: crying, anger, despair. In the absence of these signs, nobody intervenes. With 125 people taking their own lives each week, long-term partners Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and ITV, the UK’s largest commercial TV station, urgently needed to highlight the fact that ‘suicidal’ doesn’t always manifest the way people expect. So on the happiest day of the year, they created The Last Photo, a hard-hitting campaign that started a vital national conversation and empowered the UK to help prevent suicide.
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The next time you brief your creative agency, think about what it is you’re really looking for. If it’s brand awareness, perception, resonance and share of voice, give your agency the license to think bigger. Creativity shouldn’t be squeezed into conventional media formats – let your brand break free and break the mould. That’s what garners coverage, reach and long-term legacy.
It’s where experiential meets content meets stunts meets brand amplification. And in today’s world, that means more bang for your budget. Just remember, the best activation ideas can be summed up in an attention-grabbing headline. If you nail that and get excited about making it happen, who knows? Your brand activation could be talked about for years to come. Building long-term brand awareness and advocacy, that’s some return on investment.
Drop us a line at https://saintnicks.uk.com/contact-us/ and let’s chat about how we can use brand activations to take your brand further.
[ This article was cross-posted to Bristol Creative Industries from my blog. ]
If you’re planning a new website it’s a good idea to be clear on what goes into the overall cost. The design and development are usually the main investment, but there are a few other bits and bobs you should be aware of. They’re not there to trip you up, but they are – if I’m honest – pretty boring and easy to forget when you’re caught up in colours, layouts and other shiny things.
In this post I’ll go over some of the extras you might not have thought about yet: things like your domain name, web hosting, and additional software so that you can work them into your budget from the beginning and avoid any surprises later on. I’ll also de-mystify some of the terminology and help you understand what it is that each thing is actually for.
Your domain is your online address – the bit that looks like yourbusiness.com. It’s often the first thing people see, and the one they’ll hopefully remember.
For simplicity, registering your domain through your web host (more on those in a sec) can make setup and management easier. But if you’re happy to split things up, I often recommend Cloudflare – they offer fair pricing (they sell at-cost), and I usually recommend implementing their free security and performance tools anyway.
A standard .com or .co.uk domain name will usually cost you between £10 and £20 per year. The “.com” or “.co.uk” bit at the end is the “top level domain” (TLD) and there are hundreds of them to choose from nowadays. Fancy a .pizza or .beer? Those can range from £20 to £1,000s depending on the TLD you want.
Also consider whether you might need to register multiple domains and have them redirect to a main one. For example, your business may trade under one name but be registered under another and you might want to secure both of those domains.
Once you’ve got your domain, you’ll need somewhere for your website to live. That’s what hosting is: it’s where all the code, images and content actually sit so visitors can load your site.
Hosting is usually renewed annually, and while there are loads of providers out there, they’re not all created equal.
My go-to recommendation? Krystal – they’re UK-based, powered by renewable energy, and their customer support has been consistently brilliant. I’ve trusted them with my own site and several client projects, and they’ve never let me down.
For a typical brochure-style WordPress site or small online shop, you can expect to pay between £60 and £300 per year, depending on the plan and performance you need.
Some hosting providers seem to make their sign-up processes intentionally convoluted, in an apparent attempt to trick people into signing up to add-on services they don’t need. Also avoid providers that offer the first year at a steep discount then ramp the costs up at renewal time.
The dark patterns used by some web hosting providers could be a whole blog post on their own, so I think I’ll leave hosting there. 
Talk to me if you want any help navigating hosting or domain registration.
One of the joys of WordPress is that so much of it is free. There are thousands of plugins that let your website do all sorts of clever things without spending a penny. But occasionally, you’ll need the premium version of a plugin – maybe to unlock more features, improve performance, or get access to support and updates.
If you need functionality such as event tickets, room bookings or fancy filtering, a premium plugin is often more cost-effective than having a bespoke solution built from scratch. Some common premium plugins on the sites I work on are Search and Filter Pro, ACF Pro and The Events Calendar. Not every site needs premium plugins, but they’re handy when you want something powerful, quickly.
They vary a lot but most premium WordPress plugins cost between £30 and £200. That usually includes updates and support for 12 months. If you don’t renew, the plugin will often still work, you just won’t get the latest features or security updates.
If you’d like a professional-looking email address like hello@yourdomain.com, you’ll need email hosting. Many web hosting plans include basic email hosting but the service is normally very basic and not particularly user-friendly. If it just isn’t cutting the mustard you might want to opt for a service like Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) or Microsoft 365. These also come with things like shared storage (One Drive, Google Drive) and collaborative document editing (Google Docs, Excel).
Dedicated email hosting typically comes in at around £50 to £120 per user per year, depending on the provider and the amount of storage you need.
Depending on your needs, there might be one or two other things to budget for:
Web design costs aren’t just about how your site looks – they’re also about the tools and services that keep it running smoothly, securely and professionally. None of these extra expenses are huge on their own, but they’re worth building into your budget so there are no surprises later.
If you’re planning a new site or giving an old one a makeover, I’m always happy to talk through your goals and help you make the most of your budget.
Drop me a message if you’d like to chat.
The world of AI seems to have blasted into outer space on the Starship Enterprise warp 5 hypermode recently. I say this because a week in AI is infinitely faster than a week in politics – more AI tools, better AI, outwit your competitor AI with free features and yes even to communicate with Dolphins with DolphinGemma AI.
One of the biggest AI trends that is being experienced right now is the move from SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) for search engines such as Google and websites, to now using AI in the search for answers to questions.
Open AI is eyeing Google to buy. This is the biggest AI platform on earth considering the biggest search engine. A potential monopoly may be on the cards, but for now Google is now offering AI answers at the top of its search listings.
However these giants may tussle remains to be seen, but whoever owns the browser owns the gateway – and largely this will decide who rewrites the engagement for the next era of cognition.
Over time this is going to have huge implications for those businesses who have built their websites on SEO search and the Google algorithm ….. which is pretty much everyone.
ChatGPT has recently provided an image tool free of charge to those with an account. Merely speak to ChatGPT and ask what image you would like to see. It will transcribe your voice, and you can press the search button to see what image arrives.
The new image feature in ChatGPT, has led to a huge demand on the OpenAI platform sitting underneath it for power and becoming a “victim of its own success.” Leading to ChatGPT producing timeouts or error messages. However, the new feature provides a challenger to Midjourney who up to now has been the de facto image generator of choice.
So, for the absolute AI beginner, I have put an exercise on my website, for those people or families who want to see how AI works in ChatGPT with kind permission of WeareSpark.ai
In the exercise you will need to create a free account in ChatGPT or another AI platform with a verified email address. Once created, you can then visit www.thecreativesuniverse.com and go to the Resources section and open the “Research Prompt Library” word doc. This is where the exercise is located. Once you have located the word doc, then you can open your ChatGPT account and copy the first text prompt which begins “I am a brand strategist”… and finishes with…”for my brand.” Copy and paste all of text up to solid line break and put it into the ChatGPT prompt box. The AI will then go to work on providing you with answer to your exercise question.
If there are 2 or 3 of you that can work together using separate PC’s/browsers then you can see how similar or different the AI answers are given. If you all load the same question at the same time.
Once you have received your answers, then you can copy and paste the next set of text up to the line break, and again put this “prompt” into the query box. Again, the AI will go to work producing you with an answer.
Work through the whole of the document with the various prompts and once you have worked your way to the end, you will have pushed the AI to answer all sorts of questions regarding the made up fashion brand.
Doing the exercise in its entirety will give you a very good feel for what can be achieved by using AI and prompting in the right way.
The final text asks you to go into Dall-E, but with the new image feature in ChatGPT then this should produce an illustration for you to look at.
Additionally, users who wish to pay for the ChatGPT version can attach multiple documents for the AI to study. A paid for business account, also means that your precious documents remain private, instead of being shared in the “free for all” training data.
A new survey by the World Economic Forum says that “half of employers plan to re orient their business in response to AI, two-thirds plan to hire talent with specific AI skills, while 40% anticipate reducing their workforce where AI can automate tasks.” Read the full report here The Future of Jobs Report 2025 | World Economic Forum
AI dolls have been hitting the media recently around a new trend for making a doll of yourself see a recent BBC article ChatGPT AI action dolls: Concerns around the Barbie-like viral social trend – BBC News
We at LeonardoPower have provided a free Voice AI at https://aivoicepr.leonardopower.com if you sign up for free banking. You can receive an AI Voicebot for free – which is great for answering calls, meaning that you never miss one again. It’s ideal for anyone who is tied up “doing-the-do” and needs an extra pair of hands. It gives you a transcript of the call to look at when you have time.
Finally, for those that wanting to put AI to proper work such as reducing the marketing burden with AI tools to reduce the workload visit the resources section on www.thecreativesuniverse.com and find the AI Toolkit to learn more. To arrange a demo get in touch with me at success@leonardopower.com
For the past decade, brand purpose has been the golden ticket in marketing. The playbook was simple: stand for something bigger than your product, weave social impact into your messaging, and watch consumers reward you with loyalty, engagement and increased revenue.
But here’s the plot twist: that strategy can backfire – if you don’t back up your claims.
Let’s start with the numbers:
This isn’t just a consumer trend – it’s hitting B2B hard. Buyers are becoming increasingly cynical about grand statements on sustainability, diversity and corporate responsibility. What they want now is proof, not platitudes.
The B2B landscape is changing fast, and purpose-washing is no longer a competitive advantage.
Old playbook: “We’re committed to a greener future.”
New playbook: “Our cloud infrastructure cuts energy costs by 32%, reducing carbon footprint and expenses.”
Old playbook: “We believe in empowering diverse voices.”
New playbook: “Our AI tool eliminates bias in hiring, improving candidate diversity by 45%.”
Old playbook: “We prioritise ethical supply chains.”
New playbook: “We provide full supply chain transparency so you can track every material back to its source in real time.”
B2B buyers don’t want big-picture promises – they want tangible benefits backed by data, case studies and real-world outcomes.
So, what should B2B brands focus on instead? Hard-hitting, proof-based messaging that delivers ROI, efficiency and outcomes.
B2B buyers don’t need another mission statement, they need evidence. Instead of vague “we care” messaging, offer:
Example: Instead of saying, “We help businesses reduce waste,” say:
“Companies using our software cut operational waste by 47% in the first year.”
Stop talking about how your brand is saving the world. Shift the focus to how your customer benefits.
Example: Instead of saying, “We’re committed to digital inclusion,” say:
“Our accessibility tools help businesses reach 20% more customers with disabilities.”
B2B buyers want to see what’s in it for them – so show them.
Too much B2B copywriting is bloated with corporate fluff. In a post-purpose world, direct, unfiltered and even slightly irreverent messaging is cutting through the noise.
Example: Instead of:
“We believe in leveraging innovative, forward-thinking sustainability initiatives for a more responsible future.” say:
“Your servers shouldn’t cost the planet. Our cloud platform runs 80% cleaner and 50% cheaper.”
In a landscape filled with big, vague promises, one of the most unexpected trust-builders is honesty about limitations.
Example:
“We’re not 100% carbon neutral – yet. But by 2026, we’ll cut emissions by 60% with these three initiatives.”
This level of self-awareness and credibility is what today’s B2B buyers actually trust.
B2B brand copywriting must evolve beyond empty purpose-driven marketing. The new rules are simple:
The brands that ditch the old playbook first will be the ones that win in 2025 and beyond.
So the real question is – how fast can you adapt?
Think your brand copywriting could do with a refresh? Get in touch at marketing@proctorsgroup.com
Pretty often, I’d guess.
As consumers we rely on others for validation and reassurance before making a purchase – this is called social proof.
It’s proof that a customer or client had a positive experience of using your business. And, as people are considerably more careful with their money, it’s crucial to provide this evidence to support why they should choose you over others.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the types of social proof, why it should be an essential part of your marketing strategy and what aspects to avoid.
Social proof is a social and psychological phenomenon whereby people copy the actions of others. When people are uncertain about a product or service, they look at others’ behaviours for guidance. In marketing, it shows that people see value in a service or product. This creates a feeling of validation and trust.
During your search for a product or service, you’ll most likely be thinking about its credibility and relevance. You’ll also consider if it is attractive, visually appealing, easy to understand, nearby and specific. These factors are called CRAVENS, which are principles of persuasion marketing.
Subconsciously people make decisions based on these principles and social proof is one of them.
So, what types can your business adopt?
Social proof can take many forms. Here are some of the main types to consider as tools to boost your business’ conversions:
As businesses continue to shift into the digital sphere, depending on word of mouth and personal recommendations alone has become an unfavoured marketing strategy.
Put simply, that’s why social proof is so important for your business. It gives potential customers and clients the trust and confidence they need to see before they choose to invest into your business over your competitors.
So, let’s delve into how the different types of social proof are effective at gaining your customers’ trust and generating greater leads.
Adding reviews and testimonials to your website’s landing page immediately provides the viewer with an understanding of someone else’s experience – which is hopefully a positive one! They serve as persuasive techniques that capture the viewer’s attention, increasing the likelihood of them exploring further and ultimately making a purchase.
In their study on customer reviews, Trust Mary found:
“When website visitors were shown customer reviews on the website, e-commerce conversion rate increased by 67% compared to customers who did not see reviews.”
Similarly, client case studies can effectively answer readers’ questions or concerns, offering insights that build assurance and credibility. These case studies and testimonials not only provide answers but also demonstrate how the product or service has successfully solved similar challenges for others.
Obtaining awards and certificates which are visible on your website are another great way to indicate your success and affirm to the viewer that you’re a reputable business, making them more likely to choose you.
Data and statistics are a great way to quantify campaigns to prove their effectiveness. For example, throughout some of our case studies we highlight the increase in website users and page views our clients have seen since we rebranded or redesigned their website. This not only demonstrates the success of our clients’ campaigns, but also highlights the credibility of our trusted team of specialists at P+S.
Getting to grips with social proof might look like a walk in the park, but before you showcase those glowing reviews and testimonials, we’d suggest a few easy steps to take.
Now, let’s not forget about an important part of all marketing strategies – the tracking and analysis.
Tracking your social proof is an important aspect of your marketing strategy. Staying aware of your customer reviews, testimonials and social proof engagement can help you stay informed on what your customers like to see.
Tracking conversion rates with Google Analytics or A/B testing is a smart way to measure changes. You can do this before and after adding testimonials or success statistics to your landing page. This helps you see if your social proof is improving your viewers’ experience.
While social proof showcases real-life success stories for your brand, you should avoid certain elements.
Social proof needs to be honest and transparent.
If you’re creating fake statements and reviews, you immediately lose the trust of your viewers. And therefore, your likelihood of conversion rates.
Likewise, if you’re using sources that don’t reflect your customer and clients, it can seem disingenuous, and you risk losing your business’ authenticity.
On the other hand, neglecting negative feedback can also appear disingenuous, creating a disconnection from your customers. Addressing negative reviews demonstrates that you value your customer’s experiences through building trust and showing you want to do better.
So here’s the big question: Have we earned your trust and supplied all the evidence you need to enhance your website’s social proof?
P+S has all the technical know-how to make your website social proof optimised.
Get in touch to find out more.
Email us at marketing@proctorsgroup.com
But what does it mean for your business?
A new report published by the UK’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology outlines 50 recommendations for the government to drive adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across industries and boost economic growth. But what does the AI Opportunities Action Plan mean for marketers and the wider B2B industry?
Led by Matt Clifford CBE, Chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), the plan promotes three key goals for the government:
The government’s response included promises to accelerate AI research and infrastructure development, promote AI Growth Zones to speed up planning, and public sector pilot schemes to help workers ‘spend less time doing admin and more time delivering the services working people rely on.’
And in the private sector, £14 billion and 13,250 jobs have been committed by leading tech firms following the AI Action Plan.
Finally, there are plans to develop and maintain ‘homegrown’ AI technologies, ensuring the UK economy benefits directly from the rapid adoption of these solutions.
“The UK Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan will play an important role in helping the UK to unlock the full potential of AI and in doing so, boost productivity, enhance economic growth and improve public services. At AWS, we’ve seen first-hand the benefits that digital technologies like AI can bring.”
– Alison Kay, VP U.K. and Ireland at Amazon Web Services
According to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, these plans could boost productivity by as much as 1.5% per year. If fully realised, these gains could be worth up to an average £47bn to the UK each year over the course of a decade.
But what does this mean for UK businesses? And what opportunities should marketing teams look out for?
The AI Opportunities Action Plan effectively gives businesses the go-ahead to grab opportunities with both hands, embedding AI tools and investing in upskilling. If AI is to become the catalyst for the UK’s economic growth, there’s no better time to start adopting the latest technologies. The outlook is optimistic, but we always advise a cautious approach. It’s important to assess your readiness carefully before jumping on the bandwagon.
So what are the opportunities and risks of building AI into your strategy?
There’s no doubt AI can support businesses to streamline processes and make smarter decisions. From automating repetitive tasks to optimising supply chains, AI reduces manual effort and streamlines workflows. For instance, customer service chatbots can handle thousands of queries simultaneously, while machine-learning algorithms improve inventory management by predicting demand with remarkable accuracy. These efficiencies save time and costs, while allow businesses to focus on other strategic priorities.
But implementing AI tools requires skill and understanding, and employees are often sceptical – or even fearful – so it’s important to ensure communication and training is prioritised.
Across many industries, AI is already driving considerable growth. AI-powered analytics provide businesses with insights that were previously unattainable, helping them understand customer behaviour, market trends, and operational bottlenecks. Companies can use AI to develop innovative products and identify new revenue streams.
However, growth through AI isn’t automatic. It demands significant ongoing investment in talent and infrastructure, and a continuous improvement approach to keep up with technological advancements. This means managing expectations and setting a realistic timeline.
AI technologies rely heavily on data processing, which demands significant computational power and energy. The environmental cost of training AI models, including its carbon footprint, electricity use and water consumption, cannot be overlooked. Training large-scale models like GPT or image recognition systems often consumes vast amounts of electricity, equivalent to running entire power plants.
Organisations must consider the impact of their AI initiatives, particularly when it comes to sustainability reporting. It’s also worth investigating tools with a lower carbon footprint and embracing ‘green AI’ solutions as they emerge.
As we embrace AI, we must be increasingly rigorous with our governance and ensure an ethical approach that fosters trust and reduces the risk of reputational damage. Companies should establish ethical guidelines and governance frameworks to oversee AI development and deployment. It’s crucial to ensure they’re using these technologies responsibly, and concerns around bias in algorithms, data privacy, and accountability must be addressed.
All adopters will need to battle scepticism, so building and maintaining trust with stakeholders and customers will be key. Watertight branding and communications will therefore be more important than ever.
When we talk about AI solutions for marketers, we don’t just mean Generative AI models like ChatGPT and image tools. Marketing teams are building numerous AI tools into their tech stacks and new ones are popping up all the time. Here are some use cases we’re currently exploring:
AI tools can make audience profiling and targeting simple and straightforward. Building these tools into your account-based marketing process is a great way to gain efficiencies and cut down labour so you can spend more time crafting your messaging and optimising your content.
AI tools are a great way to save time on market research. In the time it takes you to do a quick Google search, tools like Waldo can download reams of industry-specific intel – plus it can analyse it all for you and deliver a report straight to your inbox. It can also highlight key trends in your industry to help you narrow your focus and stay competitive.
AI-powered personalisation tools help you tailor digital content to your specific audience, as well as A/B testing to ensure your messaging, images, and UX design is optimised to convert.
Ready to streamline your marketing strategy? We can help you make informed decisions and choose the right tools to maximise ROI.
Get in touch today: marketing@proctorsgroup.com
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