Customer Reviews: Marketing Gems

I bought a pair of yoga pants on Amazon a few months back. When they arrived, inside the packaging was a small card that told me if I left a review on Amazon, I could get a free pair of yoga pants.

It was true! I did it, and I received my second pair of yoga pants.

This company did not say I had to leave a good review, just a review. But I had already bought one pair of pants. And if I actually wanted another pair, the assumption was that it was because I liked them, right?

This is how powerful customer reviews are; businesses are willing to give stuff away for them. This is because most people at least skim reviews before making a purchase. Consumers trust other consumers more than they trust companies, for sure.

The statistics are staggering. Various studies from 2017 show upwards of 90% of online shoppers look at reviews before shopping. One study had that number at 97% for people looking at reviews for local services.

Why Do Customers Leave Reviews

The reasons people leave reviews are the reasons you can think of. According to BrightLocal, 71% of people who are asked to leave feedback do so.

Here are some of the reasons.

1. They want to help others. Either they want to help the company succeed or the want to help the consumer have a positive experience. Either way, it comes down to people are just nice and good and want to help.

2. They have had such an amazing experience, they want to say thank you.

3. They want to help the company improve its product.

4. They want to be a part of something; to be heard. This is slightly more selfish but no less important.

5. They are angry. We have all read the rant review!

All of these reasons offer companies marketing opportunities.

How to Use Customer Reviews on Social Media

First, the above statistics show that people will review your products especially if prompted, so asking for reviews should be part of your marketing strategy.

Make sharing customer reviews part of your digital marketing strategy. Take the feedback you have received, dress it up with an image or a branded background design and share share share!

However, constantly sharing positive reviews can be boring and redundant. Giving a shout out and a thank you to a customer that said something nice is another way to share that feedback, and if you can tag them in that post, even better.

Even bad reviews can be turned into a good marketing opportunity if handled properly. Bad reviews should not be ignored. Someone on your team must read them and decide how to address this unhappy customer. There will be plenty of times when an unsatisfied customer will become a repeat customer. When a customer has a complaint that is easily fixable, likely because a simple human error caused the initial complaint, share that and the outcome. Be sure to follow up with that unsatisfied customer and see if they are willing to write another or update their review! At the very least, maybe they have written something in an email to the company thanking you for the quick and efficient response.

This is a story worthy of sharing. Everyone knows mistakes are made. How those mistakes are handled is what is important. Publicly admitting mistakes builds trust.

Reviews are More Than Reviews

They are also points of engagement. Finding ways to engage with consumers should be a priority for businesses. The more social media becomes a part of daily, hourly, life, the more people are looking for ways to engage, be seen and heard, and be relevant. Help them!