Customer reviews can be a company’s best method of marketing, and more and more people are relying on word of mouth. We have all become accustomed to leaving reviews about food and drink based companies as well as hotel and Serviced Apartment Birmingham companies such as https://birminghamservicedapartments.co.uk/ as these lifestyle and luxury brands natural prompt people to leave their comments. Reviews can of course be used for a variety of different business types.
There are a number of ways a company or brand can promote positive customer reviews in hopes of securing more business or exposure.
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Respond to all reviews in a positive manner
Engage in a friendly manner with your customers, perhaps asking a few open-ended questions in a bid to ascertain whether or not they liked the product or service. You can gauge their level of contentment, and if they genuinely are happy, you can invite them to leave a review. Ensure the customer does approve of the product before inviting them to submit a review; you don’t want to read about a bad experience.
Make sure you respond to every review in a friendly manner, even reviews that pour criticism on the business. If a one-star review should appear, take time to address all the points without sounding too defensive. Showing that you respond to feedback will show you are passionate about your business and keen to rectify any negativity. Sometimes mistakes happen and people will inadvertently click on the one-star tool.
Always share positive reviews online so that new customers can see the value that you offer. It also encourages other customers to do the same. If they are inspiring, make sure to post them on your social media channels as they are powerful tools. Alternatively, use the comments to devise your own Twitter or Instagram post.
According to Mumbrella Asia, the traditional marketing funnel is redundant, and marketers have to accept the fact that customer referrals are trusted more. That is according to HubSpot Asia-Pacific managing director Shahid Nizami.
As an alternative, you could give your customers a positive review first, which in turn may encourage them to return the favour. Another suggestion is to recommend the customer via LinkedIn, the professional network.
If you are lucky enough to enjoy good relationships with customers, it’s fine to ask them in person – and they may oblige!