How to Promote Customer Feedback to Drive Sales
Well done, you – you’ve got great customer feedback coming in.
Your team is happy, your bosses are too. (There’s more on how to respond to this feedback in part one of this blog series, here.)
But isn’t there more you could be doing with this positive customer feedback?
Those nuggets of information from your customers are not, and should not be purely for internal reflection.
The real power of positive customer feedback becomes evident when you market and promote the feedback.
Customers are happy to oblige, with one study1 finding that 68% of customers are willing to provide a case study when asked.
Ultimately, it’s about making your best customers your best examples.
Here are some of the top ways to promote your customer success stories, not just for brand building, but also for driving sales. Let’s go!
Share Positive Feedback on Social Media
With a plethora of social media channels around, spreading the word is only a click or two away.
Social media profiles have become the bridge between businesses and customers. Your social media profiles should be more than a place to post cool company retreat pictures.
According to a Dell research2, 75% of customers’ purchasing choices are influenced by posts on social media.
With a bit of copying-and-pasting, you can take the text from your positive review and make it into a happy Facebook post.
Or if you fancy flexing your creative muscles, you could take a quote from the review, add an inspiring image and share it onInstagram. A quick @ mention on Twitter wouldn’t hurt, either.
Online reviews and social proof are the new word-of-mouth feedback. Make sure that you don’t lose out.
Social community building isn’t restricted to just B2C. Sure, B2B customers typically buy bigger ticket items and have more administrative purchasing decisions, but they still check reviews, case studies, and social feeds.
According to an article3 by the Harvard Business Review, reading user-generated reviews about a product can encourage 94 percent of these buyers to make a purchase.
Create and Share Compelling Case Studies
What makes a perfect case study?
A story.
Sounds simple, but writing a compelling story is harder than it seems (just ask any professional writer).
But once you find the angle, or the thread to tie things together, writing an effective case study becomes easier.
People connect with case studies because it is a customer telling a story about your brand, rather than an obviously self-centered sales pitch.
Another bonus of case studies is the fact that they hone in on one or a few particular benefits your business offers. By their nature, case studies should not be too generic – they should focus on the story of one customer, and how your business solves their specific problems.
A focus on case studies doesn’t only attract new customers, it helps retain existing ones. It further validates the reasons your customer joined you in the first place.
No wonder that 73% of B2B marketers4 are regularly creating case studies. In fact, these marketers list case studies as their second most-effective marketing method, just behind white papers.
As the team at Marketing Charts note5:
“The one tactic that stands out as really moving the needle in accelerating leads through the funnel is the case study…Case studies’ role in moving buyers through the funnel has also been noticed by salespeople. In research released last year, B2B salespeople were asked what marketing can do to help them win more deals. One of the leading responses? More case studies and testimonials.”
Display Customer Feedback on Your Website
Nothing gives more assurance that you’re worth spending money on than strategic placement of great customer feedback on your site.
The reason? Well, the average6 global e-commerce conversion rate is 2.86%. Of course, variations in product and brand affect this rate, but it still means there are a lot of customers out there who are not moving through your sales funnel.
Today, 93%7 of consumers are directly influenced by online reviews. Almost everyone is looking for reassurance when investigating your product or service.
With such a lookout for feedback – and such a need to move prospects through the sales funnel – proudly showing your latest feedback, or overall reputation, is key to a persuasive website.
Want people to know your customer service is up to scratch? Place your CSAT widget8 on your homepage.
Got particular products to promote? Display positive reviews about the product on the main product page, or on the checkout section for that extra bit of encouragement.
Shout About Your Reputation – Even Offline
Snippets of great customer feedback, five-star reviews, or great CSAT ratings, should not be restricted to online use.
There’s a world out there that’s offline, and these nuggets of great customer feedback are valuable there too.
The fact is 80%9 of people trust reviews as much as personal recommendations, so it pays to show off your reputation whenever you can to remain on the mind of your customers.
If you are running a print advertising campaign, include a customer quote in the ad to add that customer-centric perspective. If you are sending packages, be sure to stick a quote or a snippet showcasing your great reputation on the packaging itself.
The opportunities for you to show how good you are, through the voice of your customers is practically endless.
Ask for Reviews on Marketplaces
There’s a lot of software out there, and most of those are listed on a marketplace. Whether you’re on a huge software marketplace covering all walks of life (think G2 Crowd10 or Capterra11), or you’re on the app marketplace of Freshworks, getting social proof for your marketplace listing really matters.
If you are providing a good service, some reviews will come organically. But do not assume this for all reviews – instead be proactive and approach your customers for feedback.
It’s easy: simply share a link to your marketplace page and ask for comments there. Here at SmileBack, we frequently share links to our marketplace listings in social media posts, in our email signatures, or in pieces like this (click the links and see!).
And don’t forget: when you get a review, reward and thank the person behind the review. A little kindness goes a long way.
Get out there and Share the Love!
These are just some ideas you can deploy right now to turn great customer feedback into your number one marketing asset.
And the best benefit of all this? Your new customer-centric approach will gradually become the centerpiece of your values and identity, prompting a more trustworthy, transparent culture with your customers who will be more than willing to share their feedback.
Lead by example and start collecting and promoting your positive customer feedback today.
Source:
1 – https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/
2 – https://www.vividfish.co.uk/blog/75-of-customers-say-they-use-social-media-as-part-of-the-buying-process
3 – https://hbr.org/2016/05/stop-treating-b2b-customers-like-digital-novices
4 – https://www.awai.com/2018/10/why-73-percent-of-b2b-marketers-are-using-case-stu/
5 – https://www.marketingcharts.com/customer-centric/lead-generation-and-management-82291
6 – https://www.invespcro.com/blog/the-average-website-conversion-rate-by-industry/
7 – https://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/03/27/online-reviews-impact-purchasing-decisions-over-93-consumers-report-suggests
8 – https://blog.smileback.com/stand-out-from-the-msp-crowd-with-the-csat-website-widget
9 – https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews
10 – https://www.g2.com/products/smileback/take_survey
11- https://reviews.capterra.com/new/178951?utm_term=&utm_campaign=vendor_request&utm_content=91685281&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-2591241576
