Amplifying social proof
Trust is the biggest hurdle.
And trust largely comes from social proof.
Is everyone doing this?
Is it safe?
Will I be embarrassed/ridiculed/left out/left behind/feel stupid?
Social proof shares a word with social networks, but they're only loosely related.
Social proof is the story we end up believing.
Your job as a marketer, then, is to take the threads of social proof and weave them together into something powerful.
No, you can't fake this (and shouldn't try). But you can amplify it. You can focus the proof on a tiny cohort, so that it has more impact. You can invest in media that acts as a megaphone, multiplying the impact of the proof you already have.
One way to be trusted is to trust the people you seek to serve.
Mostly, you can work to build something that's worth trusting.