In an era of frequent social media outrage, the people who are most often motivated to leave a review for a business are those who are dissatisfied. Satisfied customers, on the other hand, may not always think to share their appreciation publicly.
User-generated content in the form of reviews can be one of the most powerful and effective marketing tools in your arsenal. Your happy customers might just be inclined to share their positive experiences—if you ask them the right way. Below, 10 Forbes Agency Council members offer some tips for businesses that are looking for ways to persuade customers to post reviews.
Members of Forbes Agency Council share tips for businesses hoping to persuade customers to post positive reviews.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Stay Compliant With The Review Platform’s Terms Of Service
While there are many techniques that have proven to be successful, be sure whatever you try is within the bounds of the platform’s Terms of Service, or TOS. Amazon, in particular, has some fairly strict guidelines—for instance, you can’t specifically ask for positive reviews. Amazon often changes their TOS, so pay attention to updates! – Marcus Grimm, Web Talent Marketing
2. Have A Repeatable Process For Asking
Most businesses ask for reviews on an ad hoc basis. The “ask” is commonly unclear, too wordy or incomplete. Formulate a standardized ask within 100 words that outlines what you’re asking, where they need to go to complete the review, the estimated time commitment and the impact of their review. Most importantly, get your team to ask every time, not just when they feel like it. – Andrew Au, Intercept Group
3. Ask After A Positive Interaction
This works for businesses and nonprofits. A positive event for a business would be when customer service comes to the rescue, knows they did something stellar and made a connection with the customer. Train your staff to ask for reviews at those times. A nonprofit can ask for reviews from volunteers when they come help. They are feeling good about helping a cause they love—it’s a perfect time to ask. – Greg Lee, DRUM Agency
4. Provide An Incentive
Providing your customers with some form of incentive for reviewing your product or services can be mutually beneficial. Whether it’s a gift card to use on their next purchase or a discount to save money in the future, you should thank your customers who leave reviews. Not only are they contributing to your credibility, but they will also become returning customers! – Darian Kovacs, Jelly Digital Marketing & PR
5. Publicly Highlight Your Customers When They Leave Reviews
For user-generated content, there must be a value exchange between the business and consumer or else they won’t be compelled to share. The rewards don’t always have to be monetary or expensive; simple gestures go a long way. The submission can be featured on the company website, or the participant can have a chance to become a brand ambassador. Consumers won’t underestimate the value of increased media exposure. – Julia Gardner, MAAST DIGITAL
6. Create A Sense Of Urgency
Capturing positive reviews should happen as soon as possible after a positive experience. Brands will want to put in measures to ensure that it is, in fact, a happy customer, but there is no more genuine place for an honest review than right after a consumer has purchased. It’s at this time that customers can accurately reflect on the experience and how the product or service helped them achieve it. – Eric Vardon, Arcane
7. Send A Text Message
The content of the text can be a simple line expressing gratitude and asking for quick feedback. The bottom of the text would include a link to a one-question survey followed by a request to share their message publicly. If they choose yes, they’ll be asked to log in to their favorite platform, where they will find their message displayed for their final approval. – Ahmad Kareh, Twistlab Marketing
8. Ask When The Time Is Right
The best way to get your customers to post the review is by simply asking them for it. But don’t just ask out of the blue. Your customers will be more likely to share public feedback about you shortly after they have a positive experience with your brand. This could be a technical issue that you’ve just resolved or a feedback form after an informative blog post. It all about the right time. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS
9. Ask For Stories Instead Of Reviews
For a long time, we struggled to get testimonials. Then, one small mindset shift changed everything. Someone told me that rather than asking for a review/testimonial, you should ask for them to “tell their story to inspire others.” Simply by applying this and wording it correctly when reaching out to our customers, we got dozens of replies and testimonials. – Rudy Mawer, Rudy Mawer International, LLC
10. Be Human
Try to be as human as possible. Consumers are tired of dealing with robots. If your customers feel like they are dealing with a company made up of real people, then they’ll want to root for you. As much as you can, be genuine and personable. You’d be surprised what customers will do for you when they feel like you’re on the same side. – Jessica Gonzalez, InCharged
