How to Leverage Customer Reviews to Build Reputation
When your customers are leaving positive reviews and engaging with your company, they are providing you with an excellent foundation to build your brand’s reputation through digital word-of-mouth endorsements that increase customer confidence. With 76% of consumers reporting that they trust peer reviews more than paid brand content, it’s critical that you develop a robust strategy to leverage those positive reviews. The best approach is to develop a strategy that relies on multiple channels for promoting the positive reviews you have received on each channel. You can even promote the same review across channels to maximize exposure and draw interest from a wider range of customers. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started.
Promote Individual Reviews Across Multiple Channels
When a great review is posted, it's time to celebrate and share the good news with as many current and potential customers as you can. One of the simplest methods for this is to harness the power of your social media channels. Let's say a particularly great review is posted to your company's page on Google Reviews. This is an excellent opportunity to repost or link to the review from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or any other targeted social media platform that you're using. If you don't have access to easy methods for linking across social media channels, one simple method is to take a screenshot of the review and then post that image to the other channels manually. With this approach, you can draw customers across channels and reach a wider audience.
Use Recent Reviews
Customers want to see reviews of the latest and greatest experiences that customers have with your company. Even if there are a few specific reviews that you’re particularly proud of, you’ll want to emphasize promoting the most recent positive comments available. Showing customers that your brand is committed to continuous improvement and always aims for the highest level of service possible tells them that they can be confident you’ll provide a great experience for them as well.
Build a Dedicated Page
Just because a review is a few months old doesn’t mean it no longer has value. If a particular review provides a specific, in-depth, and well-written explanation of a customer’s experience, you my want to showcase it through a dedicated customer reviews page on your own site. This strategy allows you to identify reviews that may highlight products or features that you are looking to promote, and curate them in one location that you can manage directly. If possible, include the customers first name and a photograph (with permission) name and the date of the review. When customers see that others are so thrilled with your company that they’re happy to tie their own reputation to it, they’ll understand your brand has truly earned its reputation for being trustworthy.
Handle Negative Reviews Gracefully
It can be frustrating to learn that a customer has left a negative review of your brand. However, there’s a positive side to such situations - prospective customers are often more interested in how you handle negative reviews than the review itself. Following up with a prompt response that is courteous and professional, yet empathetic and informal, tells customers that you work hard to provide a thoughtful, human response to any situation, good or bad. Be sure to address specific points where appropriate, and offer access to a secure channel, such as phone or email, where the customer can follow up for a more in-depth discussion of their experience. Taking these steps tells potential customers that you’re going to go the extra mile to help them if an issue arises, and they’ll value your brand’s commitment to supporting customers through every level of experience.