Every business owner knows how valuable positive customer reviews are. Customer reviews have become one of the number one ways that drive new customers to businesses. All it takes to find reviews is a quick google search, and a lack of positive reviews can just as easily take potential customers away. But getting past customers to post customer reviews or give positive feedback of any kind often feels like pulling teeth so what can you do to drive your customers to give your business positive feedback. Research has shown that one of the best ways to get positive feedback and reviews for your business is through social media. Here are some ways you can drive your customers to give you good reviews on social media platforms so you can drive new customers right to your business’s door.
- Encourage user-generated content
User-generated content on social media means that your customers will be posting their experience at your business on social media. Most people like to put their best foot forward on social media so it is not uncommon for customers to post a positive experience at a business on social media. Encourage your customers to take pictures of your business, of themselves at your business, or of the services your business provides. You can even ask to take the pictures yourself. Customers will usually oblige, and may even ask that you share the photo with them if they are in it. The more content you can get a hold of, the better the chance of them sharing their experience online, and the more content you will have for your own social media posts.
- Post Interactive Stories
Stories have become more and more popular in recent years. Almost all popular social media platforms now have the option to add stories, but the best thing about stories for businesses is that they can be easily interactive. Stories have options that allow your customers to directly ask you questions, take polls, rate what they like and what they don’t like, and so on. The possibilities are endless, and it often takes less than a few minutes for a customer to give their feedback. Just like customers prefer speed when coming to your business, they also prefer speed when it comes to giving feedback. Stories are the perfect way to do this, and you can post them whenever and however you want.
- Post about your customer reviews and your customers’ experiences
If you see a great review online why would you want to keep that to yourself? Your customers want to be heard, and posting their experience can be a perfect way to make sure that happens. A great way to share your customer reviews is by creating a graphic template where you can easily copy and paste your favorite reviews to be shared on your social media or website. You can also repost photos that your customers took at your business or photos that your customers took of your business’s product or services to show your appreciation. Tagging your customers can show appreciation as well. Social media users often want to gain a larger following and more exposure. By sharing their content, you are showing them that you value their social media posts which can be a great ego boost for many people. Be sure to request permission before posting a photo that isn’t yours and before tagging a profile to make sure the customer is ok with it.
- Try to leverage video testimonials
A great and unique way to promote your business while also getting positive reviews is by asking for video testimonials. Video testimonials are when customers make a video letting people know how much they love a business service or product. This is something that you may want to ask a friend who has been a customer in the past to do because it takes a little bit more time, and not everyone enjoys being shared on video on social media. But regular customers who have told you how much they love your business in the past are also an option. Regular customers and friends have probably established a close enough connection with you and your business to where they would feel comfortable doing this. You could even ask to record the video yourself. Make sure you let them know that if they don’t like the video you won’t post it. Videos like this often see a large increase in business and social media engagement.
- Create weekly customer features
Weekly customer features can show your brand’s appreciation for your customers and can create more customer engagement. Using customer content, tweeting about customers you appreciate, promoting reviews, and sharing positive customer experiences are all ways you can feature your customers on your social media platforms to promote more customer engagement and feedback. If your customers are expecting their experience to be shared because you share customer experiences on a regular basis, they may be more inclined to share their experience in hopes of getting a shoutout. This will increase your business’s feedback and once you share a customer experience, there is a chance that they will reshare your post because it includes them in it which will increase engagement. The more you reach out to your customers and show your appreciation, the bigger the chance of them showing appreciation back.
- Create a rewards program to incentivize reviews
Sometimes simply asking for reviews isn’t enough. Customers often need an incentive to give reviews, and while social media exposure and recognition is enough for some customers, others may not feel the same way. Creating a rewards program to encourage your customers may just be the extra push that your customers need. Offer a complimentary product or service from your business or some other type of reward system that motivates your customers to leave reviews online. The most successful reviews are ones that are authentic and relatable so this is one of the best ways to create growth online and in your business.
At The AD Leaf ® Marketing Firm, we know how difficult it can be to get the engagement you are looking for when it comes to your business, especially online, but that is why we do what we do. We are the experts in our field, and we have the research and knowledge you need to make sure your business continues to progress in an everchanging online world. If you’re running a business, the last thing you want to be worrying about is how many followers you have on social media, but your social media following still plays a huge part in the business world today. Let us help guide you through so you can worry about what’s really important to you. Call us today at (321) 255-0900 for more information or email us at info@theadleaf.com
