What is the most powerful form of marketing? If you ask 10 people this, at least nine of them will probably answer ‘Word of mouth!’. We agree…but we also know that word of mouth marketing doesn’t just happen on its own as so many people like to think. You have to DRIVE word of mouth marketing if you want it to turn into significant results. One of the ways to do this in the digital realm is to have great reviews and ratings on your social media. Have you ever searched a business on Facebook and seen that they have 25 positive reviews? Doesn’t this make you feel more confident about using their services? Now imagine you looked up their competitor and saw they had one lukewarm review or none at all? Who would you choose?
Ratings and reviews on social media are your business’s way of saying you can be trusted, and there’s no business owner out there who wouldn’t want that. The problem is GETTING those ratings and reviews. No, it’s not enough to have a great product or service, exemplary customer service or even to go above and beyond for your clients. Most people, even when they receive excellent service, simply don’t think about leaving a rating or writing a review. That’s why you need to help. Ask customers for their feedback by handing them a card or sending them an email that requests a rating or review and walks them through how to do it. If you want to sweeten the pot (and increase the chances they’ll respond), offer a small token of appreciation such as a gift card or discount on their next visit. Just don’t ask them to leave a POSITIVE review as most people don’t like to be told how to think (and may view this as assumptive or arrogant). Simply ask for an honest review.
And what happens if you get a negative review? This is a stumper for many business owners. Delete it? Ignore it and hope no one sees it? WRONG! Think of negative reviews as a great way to improve your customer service. Respond to the review to acknowledge it publicly, then do whatever you can to make up for the customer’s sub-par experience. The worst thing you can do with a negative comment or review is ignore it.
Want to harness the power of positive reviews and ratings on your social media platforms? You know who to call…
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