Valuable Tips for Running a Successful Review Campaign
After a successful holiday sales season, business owners are eager to read a flood of rave reviews from satisfied customers. However, even happy buyers sometimes need reminded that their product review is important, while others will only acquiesce once coaxed or promised a reward.
A successful review campaign is a clever way to keep business rolling in the right direction. After all, a whopping 91% of shoppers read online reviews, and 84% of people trust the reviews as much as a personal recommendation.
To ensure your review campaign entices customers to tell others about their experience, follow these helpful tips.
- Kindly ask for their feedback with a post-purchase email. Feedback is an essential part of doing business online, so customers will not be annoyed by a friendly email requesting a review about their satisfaction, or disappointment, with their purchase.
- Make the email simple and to the point. Being too wordy will subconsciously cause the person to feel as though they don’t have time to submit a review. After all, it already took long enough to read the review request.
- Personalize the email by addressing the customer by name and include the item(s) purchased. This technique makes it easy for frequent online buyers to know immediately which product/service need reviewed.
- Allow the customer to rate the product directly in the email or include a link that goes directly to the review page.
- 3… 2… 1… Blast off! Email blasts are great for reaching out to everyone in your customer list even if they have not made a recent purchase. Using this technique is especially useful for reminding customers that their reviews are valuable and appreciated. Even if they have not made a recent purchase, the customer will be reminded of your business, which will entice them to visit your website.
- Get the team involved. Have your employees send out personal emails to customers that recognize them for helping to grow the business and conclude by requesting their feedback. Not only will the person feel like a V.I.P., but they will be inspired to help future customers by providing details of their experience.
- Get ‘em while they’re hot! Request feedback within the order confirmation or final invoice. While it doesn’t matter if this is accomplished with an email or a thank you page, this technique is best utilized when the company itself is being reviewed.
- Include a testimonial page on your website. While this may not work for every business model, it’s especially beneficial for local and service-oriented companies.
- Include a friendly note card in the product packaging or final paperwork. Be sure the request is short and sweet by using phrases such as “How did we do?” or “We’d love to hear from you!” Make it easy for customers by including the QR code and web address that will take them directly to the review site or testimonial page.
- Offer a sweet reward. Everyone loves getting free gifts and discounts! Customers who don’t usually take the time to leave reviews will often oblige when they are offered a discount on their next purchase or a gift card.
Another important step in this process is the post-campaign analysis (PCA), which will help you learn what worked and what didn’t, and how to tweak the review campaign to make it even better the next time around.
Keep in mind, just because your review campaign was a success doesn’t mean you can sit back and kick your feet up. Should you receive negative reviews, they must be addressed. This is best accomplished as a public reply to the review. Doing this will demonstrate to all who see it that you do indeed read the reviews and are proactive about resolving any issues that arise.
If you want to boost business and your reputation with an effective review campaign, Higgins Marketing Group can help. Contact us for a pressure-free chat about the clever techniques that gain quality customer reviews. Not sure yet? Check out our work and let us know when you’re ready.
