How to Build Trust & Convert Cold Leads Using AI

OH BOY! We have a great one today!

Every business faces two major challenges when trying to grow:

1️⃣ Building trust with people who don’t know you yet
2️⃣ Turning cold traffic into engaged subscribers

Today, we’re breaking down exactly how to do both—with AI giving you a serious edge.

🚀 1. Why Testimonials Are Your Best Sales Tool (And How to Get Them)

What’s the first thing you do before booking an Airbnb? Check the reviews.

Social proof drives almost every buying decision, whether it’s a product, service, or membership. But not all testimonials are created equal:

✅ Written Reviews – Easy to get, SEO-friendly, and highly effective for conversions
❌ BUT: Not as trusted because fake reviews exist

✅ Video Testimonials – High-converting, authentic, and emotionally compelling
❌ BUT: Hard to convince customers to record them

💡 The AI Advantage – How to Collect More (and Better) Testimonials:

• Step 1: Use ChatGPT to craft powerful testimonial prompts so customers give meaningful responses. (Example: “What was your biggest hesitation before buying? How did our product/service change that?”)

• Step 2: Automate your testimonial requests using tools like HubSpot or Zapier—so every happy customer gets a follow-up.

• Step 3: Enhance Video Testimonials – If customers won’t record one, ask for a customer photo alongside their written review to add credibility.

🎯 Real-World Example: A boutique shop owner collects customer selfies with products, overlaying their written reviews as captions. The result? A 2X increase in conversion rates when potential buyers saw real customers enjoying their products.

👉 Full Blog: How AI Helps You Get Better Testimonials

🔥 2. Turning Cold Traffic into Subscribers (What Hedge Heads Did Differently)

Most businesses try to capture leads with a lead magnet (a freebie in exchange for an email). That can work, but it’s not the only way—and it’s not what’s driving Hedge Heads' explosive growth.

💡 Hedge Heads’ Playbook for Rapid Audience Growth:
✅ Step 1: Lead with Value → Free weekly content that’s actually useful
✅ Step 2: Use AI to Repurpose Content → Podcast → AI-generated newsletter
✅ Step 3: Amplify with Paid Ads → High-quality photography + video = huge impact

📈 The results?
🚀 Grew from 15 to 353 Facebook followers in two weeks
🚀 Adjusted goal from 1,000 by June to 1,000 by April 15

💡 Key Takeaway: Instead of begging people to subscribe with a freebie, Hedge Heads gives away value upfront. People subscribe because they want to stay informed—not because they were lured in with a one-time freebie.

✅ How You Can Apply This:

• Repurpose your content – Have a podcast? A blog? Use AI to turn it into a weekly newsletter.

• Invest in quality visuals – Photography and video ads outperform generic text posts.

• Make your free content so good that people WANT to subscribe—no lead magnet required.

👉 Full Blog: How Hedge Heads Used AI for Explosive Growth

💡 Quick Wins: What Can You Implement Today?

✔️ Use AI to craft better testimonial prompts – Get better customer stories that sell.
✔️ Enhance your reviews – Try adding photos or short video clips to increase credibility.
✔️ Rethink your email list strategy – Lead magnets work, but valuable content is even better.

What’s your experience? Have you tried any of these strategies? Hit reply and let’s talk!

🚀 Until next time,
Ryan

P.S. If this helped you, forward it to someone else who needs better marketing strategies.

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

AI is here to stay, and it’s evolving every day. Want more tips, insights, and prompts?

📌 Follow me on X: @RTungseth
📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: Ryan Tungseth
📌 Explore more blogs and resources: Growth Forge Studio