USING YOUR CUSTOMER REVIEWS
DIGITAL MARKETING TIP OF THE WEEK: Using those customer reviews strategically and wisely.
Reviews are one of your greatest assets as a business owner. But have you ever wondered how you can use them as content that actually drives brand awareness, loyalty and ultimately sales / bookings?
First off, compile a list of your customer reviews and have them handy and ready to go (and keep it updated as more come in). I like using Excel because I can hide the reviews I’ve already used.
Select those reviews that talk to your brand values, quality, pricing, product selection etc - that link in with the key things your potential customers would be looking for when searching for your product / service.
Let’s say you’re a hairdresser
You might have a review that says “loved my treatment today, thank you!”
It’s a nice review but it doesn’t say anything about WHY it was a nice treatment. Was it the tea they got when they sat down in the chair? The selection of magazines available? The head massage at the basin?
It’s a review that is NICE to share but it’s not (what I call) an EFFECTIVE one to share.
Rather select reviews that explain what it is that makes your business worth investing in or buying from.
Potential clients might be searching for hairdressing services in your area, wanting top quality natural hair products, a stylist with an eye for the latest trends, many years of experience in the industry etc. Your industry insights will indicate what your customers consider a priority.
An EFFECTIVE review would be something like “loved my hair treatment today. She used natural products that added hydration back to my very dry hair and listened to how I wanted it cut”.
Compile these EFFECTIVE reviews and start creating content with them.
IDEAS FOR CONTENT:
Put one on your business card! It’s a great way to convert cold leads to warm ones in networking situations
Make it the centerpiece of your pay-per-click Ads (FB, Instagram, google)
Add it as a footnote on your email signature
Use them as a social media post. It’s an ideal lead in to an “About” post
Make these posts into stories and create a highlight called “Reviews”
Add them to your website under “Testimonials”
Overlay them on your visual collateral, for example on your FB banner on your business page
Add them to your newsletter as a parting shot and select one to highlight that links in with your newsletter’s theme for that week / month and call to action
If you have printed marketing material like brochures and flyers, include a review or 2 as part of the layout and design
If you sell at a market, include one in your stall / table design and perhaps even on your banner
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HOW CAN I GET MORE REVIEWS: 🤔
The easy way is to ask your customers or clients to leave a review on FB and Google
If that’s not doing it, run a promo whereby you ask your clients / customers to leave a review and select a winner at random to receive a prize (ask them to include their order # as part of the review so you can verify they actually made a purchase)
Offer a discount to customers who leave a review (again with their order #)
If you run an online store, ask them to leave a review x # of days after they’ve received their product (add it your automated email sequence)
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE MANY “EFFECTIVE” REVIEWS? 😯
If you get a review that is “nice” but not “effective”, respond to them and encourage a follow up explanation along the lines of “we’re keen to know what you loved most about your treatment today!”
WHAT IF I HAVE BAD REVIEWS?
Make lemonade with those lemons!
If a review says “slow service”, you could use it to highlight how you’ve improved your offer or delivery by saying “This review got me thinking about my processes and it motivated me to do this better! I’ve hired more stylists and we’re now working so much more effectively!”
The best thing to do though in the first instance is respond professionally and timeously and offer a remedy if you think it necessary.
I like to use short, sharp reviews to amplify rather than 3 page essays - they’re easier for readers to “digest”.
But under no circumstances should you forge a review or make them up! ❌
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