5 Ways to Get Amazing Customer Reviews (Without Badgering or Begging)

As a company providing services or products to people, your reputation becomes a part of your selling strategy- and for good reason. Think about it: you provided a service, your client was thrilled and now, it’s on to find another soon-to-be happy client, right? Why not use that previous experience to bolster your reputation for future business? By knowing not only how to ask for the review- but how to utilize it- you will be on your way to growing your business in no time.

Ask

Want to know the easiest way to get reviews from satisfied customers? Simply ask. While it may seem daunting to contact a former- or current- client and ask them for their recommendation, there are many ways to soften the delivery. Send it in an email, a newsletter, or invite them to do it via social media. At the end of the day, if you know a customer was thankful and excited about the services you provided, then don’t hesitate to ask for a few minutes of their time.

Automate the Process

By automatically including a link at the bottom of an email or having an automated process for communications following the end of a contract or close of a sale, you are taking the guesswork out of the process. There are many programs available to provide these kinds of services, but a simple link in your signature will also suffice.

Take It Social

Even if you only have a few reviews in your arsenal, take advantage of these by sharing them throughout your social channels. Not only will this look good to prospective clients, but it will encourage others to review your business, as well. Sometimes a passing notification in someone’s news feed can prompt them to leave the raving review they’ve been meaning to share with the world.

Make It Digital

Of course everyone enjoys reading a great review- but seeing one? Yeah, that takes the cake. For the major clients or customers who simply love working with your company, ask them for a few moments of their time to record a video that can truly capture the emotion and excitement behind their praise. Utilize this powerful testament on your website and social channels, making sure that your potential customers watching can truly grasp the importance and necessity of your services.

Give Back

Finally, nothing says “I’ll pat your back, if you pat mine” like a little spotlight switch for great reviews. While we only recommend doing this with customers who are genuinely happy with your service- and people that you truly believe in too- this can be a fantastic way to highlight both of your companies at once. For example, offer satisfied clients the opportunity for you to share their companies on your social media in exchange for a review. As long as you aren’t dictating what they say- remember, it is always their honest review- this still acts as a way to draw positive attention throughout the businesses in the community or industry. Don’t forget: when the tide rises, all boats float!

From search engine algorithms to decision-making factors, people- and computers- use the reviews and recommendations across social platforms and websites to draw attention to your business. It doesn’t take a major investment to see an unprecedented return in business; and for something that only takes customers a matter of minutes, a collection full of great reviews could mean everything to you, helping your business to take the next steps to success. Do your company a favor and ask for the review- you might be surprised by how enthusiastic your customers are to pay you back for a job well done.

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It’s amazing how fast one negative review, or fabricated comment from a disgruntled troll, can put your reputation in a tailspin. Before you know it, you’re spending most of your day arguing with a person behind a screen, on hold with customer service robots trying to have the comment removed and banging your head against a wall because of the amount of times this review has been seen- or worse… liked! This isn’t where you shine as a business owner, and it definitely doesn’t sound like you’re doing yourself any favors by being emotionally invested. Leave the reputation management to professionals, like us at 2Ten Marketing, who specialize in building, maintaining and fixing your online reputation for the world to see.

Previously Published on August 17, 2017