Tips on Promoting Positive Customer Reviews to Boost Brand Reputation

Your company’s best marketers are not really your employees — they are actually your existing customers. There’s no better way of sharing your company’s success stories than have it come from those who have experienced them firsthand.

This is one of the many reasons why positive customer reviews are important for a brand’s reputation and overall success — they are a testament to how brands can deliver on their brand promise in reality.

Why Positive Customer Reviews Matter

Nowadays, consumers heavily rely on the Internet for almost anything, and that includes finding relevant information about a product or service that they are interested in. Statistics show that 85% of consumers trust online customer reviews as much as personal recommendations coming from friends. A separate study also showed that 93% of consumers determine if a local business is good or bad through customer reviews.

The power of positive customer reviews also extends to its impact on company sales. Reports have shown that a staggering 95% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase. Another study also reported that displaying reviews on a business website can increase conversion rates by 270%.

Customer reviews also double as social proof for your business, which is an equally powerful marketing tactic. If potential customers see how other people like your brand and your products and services, they are more than likely to trust and follow the trend and purchase from you.

How to Promote Positive Customer Reviews to Boost Brand Reputation

Reputation comprises approximately 25% of a brand’s market value. It can also make or break how much your customers trust in your brand. As every marketer knows, trust is essential in retaining existing customers and attracting new ones.

That is why it’s important to have strategies in place to boost your brand’s reputation by promoting positive customer reviews. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Make it easy and convenient

Make it easy and convenient for customers to leave a review for your brand. Customers should not feel burdened when filling in your review form. Keep your question simple and straightforward, with as few clicks needed to complete everything as possible. It’s also a good idea to put direct links to your review profiles, such as your website, newsletter, or a follow-up email.

2. Provide multiple opportunities to review

Leverage third-party review sites, such as Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook, and Better Business Bureau — just to name a few. There are also industry-specific review websites such as TripAdvisor for the travel and hospitality sector, and Zomato for the food and beverage sector. These websites also double as directory listings for your business industry, which can help boost your SEO ranking. Providing multiple opportunities for customers to review your business makes it far more convenient for them.

3. Offer incentives

You need to give customers a good reason to review your business, and it can be often easily achieved by offering incentives. It’s also a way to show customers your appreciation for supporting your business. Depending on the nature of your business, you can offer free products, a discount coupon, or an entry to a raffle draw in exchange for a review about your business.

4. Ask open-ended questions

Studies show that consumers with negative experiences are more likely to write a review than those who had a positive experience. While there is nothing you can do when negative customer reviews come your way, you can coax happy customers to share their experience by asking open-ended questions first such as “How are you liking the product?” to gauge their level of satisfaction before directly asking for a review.

5. Ask for reviews at the right moment

Timing is everything in marketing, and even more so when asking for reviews. While customers are more likely to give you feedback right away, shortly after purchasing your products/services, it’s important to specifically ask for a review after a positive moment in their purchasing journey. For example, after they mention/tag your brand on social media, when they re-order, or when they refer a friend to you.

In Conclusion

Customer reviews, whether positive or negative, give depth and insight not only towards the quality of a product or service, but also adds to the trustworthiness and professionalism of a brand. With all that’s been said, the most important factor here is to demonstrate good customer service, and this includes responding to every review with tact and integrity, even with the negative ones.

If you want to know more about brand reputation management and digital marketing, visit our website at https://www.ilfusion.com.