Have you searched online for product or service reviews before making a purchase? Chances are you have. A recent study found that 92% of consumers read online reviews, which makes what those reviews and ratings say about you all the more important.
Make your business stand out and boost your bottom line with these 5 proven ways to get more online reviews:
1. Ask
Ask current clients or consumers that are pleased with your products or services to write you a review on the platform(s) of your choosing. You can ask this in person or you can target them via email or direct messaging online. In most cases, people won’t mind taking a few minutes out of their day to write you a positive review. But you never know until you ask!
2. Make it easy
Remember that people are taking precious time out of their day to help you and your business out, so make it as easy and painless for them as possible. Show them where to post by giving them specific links to the site (Google +, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yelp, etc). You can even go a step further and find instructions online or create a custom step-by-step guide or video tutorial that walks them through how to post a review.
3. Track your brand online for mentions
Social listening is a great way to keep track of positive mentions. Every so often, look up your business or product name online. Don’t forget to use the search function on social media platforms either. People may have mentioned your business in a positive way, but if they didn’t use the proper tagging mechanism on a social media platform, you would not have received a notification. Make sure you share these online reviews or take a screenshot to use elsewhere.
4. Say thank you
When you receive an online review, don’t forget to say thank you! No matter where you are or what you do, people always appreciate a thank you. This thank you could be in the form of a social media mention, a direct message, a personalized email or even a letter in the mail with an accompanying thank you gift card.
5. Make it part of your ongoing business practices
Just because you’ve collected a few reviews, doesn’t mean you should stop there. The more positive reviews, the better. Besides, you don’t want your most recent review to be from several years ago, because that makes your business look stale. Keep your review section fresh by implementing review acquisition strategies into your ongoing business practices.
What have you found to be a successful way to get great reviews? Share your thoughts in the comments!
For more on how Lifeblood Marketing can help your business using social media, contact info@lb.realtylabsmarketing.com.
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