5 Easy Ways to Get or Increase Positive Online Reviews
In Marketing Tip #11, we talked about the importance and power of online reviews. Today’s tip is focusing on ways to get or increase your positive online reviews. We will look at 5 easy ways to get positive reviews:
- Provide a positive customer experience
- Ask for reviews on your receipts or invoices
- Reward customers for their reviews
- Send a thank-you email to customers, asking for a review in that email
- Ask for reviews from your social media fans and followers
Provide a Positive Customer Experience
Ok, so this first point should be a no-brainer. If you want to get or increase positive online reviews, you must provide a positive experience for your customers. However, merely providing a good experience is not enough. This alone will not flood your Google Business page with massive amounts of positive reviews. Just as we discussed in The Myth of Word-of-Mouth Advertising, we have to take action and not just hope for a referral or a review. That is why the next four points are all about easy ways to ask your customers for a positive review.
Ask for Reviews on Your Receipts or Invoices
Receipts and invoices are great ways to get or increase your positive online reviews. Simply add a note at the bottom asking them to go online and post a review about their positive experience. Also include an email or phone number for them to contact you if they ran into any issues. Letting customers know that you appreciate positive reviews while also making it easy for them to reach you with concerns is a powerful combination. The goal is to encourage positive reviews and redirect concerns away from review sites and directly to you.
Reward Customers for Their Reviews
No, it’s not a bribe. It’s your way of saying thank you and showing that you respect your customer’s time. Plus, let’s face it: we all respond better to incentives. Offering a discount to customers who provide a positive review is a well-established trend. That’s because it works. Plus, it encourages repeat business. Double bonus! Another option would be to turn it into a contest. Offer a giveaway from a randomly selected reviewer during a specific period of time. This option is great because it encourages immediate action in order to get in on the contest before the deadline.
Generate Positive Reviews with a Thank You Note
Sending a follow-up email to customers is always a great idea. But they are also a perfect place to ask for a 5-star review. The same rule applies here as on receipts. Ask for a positive review and provide an easy way for them to contact you with any concerns. Remember that with a Thank You note, it is all about the customer. Make them feel special and appreciated first and foremost. Then, sprinkle in a little bit of marketing by asking them to submit a positive review. You could also combine this with a reward or contest associated with the review.
Ask for Reviews from Your Social Media Fans and Followers
Another great way to generate more positive online reviews is to reach out to your followers on social media. Oftentimes, this is where your biggest fans are located. After all, they have taken the time to connect with you and follow your business. Write a quick post with a link to your Google Business page and encourage them to take a moment to help by posting a 5-star review. This is also the perfect spot to highlight any discounts or contests associated with your online review campaign. The key here is to make the post short but catchy. Also, don’t be afraid of posting it more than once (just make sure there are other posts in between). It often takes a few posts to get people’s attention on social media.
Bonus Tip: Pick Your Review Site
It is often a good idea to pick just one review site to drive people to during a campaign. Google Business is by far the most used and generally the most effective, as it tends to show up first when people search for you. But, depending on your overall clientele and marketing strategies, Yelp and Facebook reviews can also be very powerful. While it is a good idea to have profiles on Google, Yelp, and Facebook, picking one to highlight can really increase the effectiveness.
