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August 15.2020
2 Minutes Read

How to Ask for Online Reviews (And Get Them Fast)

I hope you’re not sick of me talking about online reviews because I’m about to do it again. Why? Because they can have a huge impact on your business and bottom line. 

91% of consumers between the ages of 19 and 34 trust reviews and consumers are more likely to trust your company if you have at least 40 reviews. If you don’t already have a solid review presence, it’s time to get serious about building one. 

The great news is that 68% of customers who are asked to leave a review are willing to do so. Here’s how to ask for them. 

Asking for Reviews in Person 

If you’ve got a brick-and-mortar store, then asking for reviews in person may be the way to go. The trick is doing it in a way that doesn’t feel forced or put undue pressure on your customer. 

Conversational flow is important. One option is to have your cashier(s) engage with customers when they check out. They can start by asking if the customer found everything they were looking for. Any customer who praises your store or products represents a positive review. 

That said, it’s not a good idea to ask for a review as soon as the customer says something positive. Ask a few follow-up questions. Then, as you end the conversation, say something like “We really appreciate feedback from our customers because it helps people learn about us. Would you be willing to write an online review?” You can plug in your platform of choice, whether it’s Facebook, Google, or Yelp. 

Asking for Reviews via Email 

Perhaps your business doesn’t have a lot of face-to-face interaction with customers. In that case, sending an email may be the right way to ask for reviews. 

My recommendation is to segment your list and send out emails accordingly. Getting too many reviews all at once may not be helpful, since there’s evidence to suggest that Google and Yelp may ding you if you have a massive influx of reviews. 

On a related note, it’s also not wise to link directly to your Yelp page in your email since their algorithm might penalize you for doing so. Instead, mention your preferred review site if you have one, and suggest that the recipient Google “Your Business Name + Yelp” to find your page. 

However, if you are asking people to leave reviews on your page, you may link directly to the product page.  

Asking for Reviews on a Thank You Page 

Does your business have an online store where customers can buy products? If so, you may want to use your Thank You page to ask customers for a review. 

It’s important to remember that first-time-customers aren’t going to be able to review your products if they’ve just ordered them. However, they can review their experience on your site, and they may be able to offer insights on your customer service if they’ve interacted with you. 

Of course, some customers who land on your Thank You page will be buying a product for the second or third time. That’s why it’s important to ask because those people will be primed to leave you a review. If you don’t have a Thank You page, you can also ask for a review on a confirmation page or in a confirmation email. 

Asking for Reviews in a Text Message 

Text messaging has become an increasingly popular form of marketing, and you can use it to ask for reviews too.  

Text messages have nearly a 100% open rate. If you’re already sending text messages to your customers, then following up a purchase with a request for a review can be a great way to generate more reviews.  

Since it’s a text message, it should be brief. You can try something like this: 

We hope you’re happy with your purchase. Please leave a review on Google and let us know how we did! 

Here again, you should be wary of linking directly to your Yelp page. You may want to add brief instructions like the ones mentioned in the section about emails to help customers find your review pages. 

Asking for Reviews on a Receipt or Card 

Not everybody is comfortable asking for a review in person. Whether you have a brick-and-mortar store or you’re shipping products to customers at home, including a card or a note on your receipt can encourage them to leave a review of your business. 

You can use a tool like Canva to create and print message cards that ask customers for reviews. You can even put the URLs of your review pages to make it easy for customers to find them.  

If you own a restaurant, another option is to give your patrons a comment card when you deliver their bill. While they’re not the same as a review on Yelp, you can aggregate the comments and feature the ratings on your website. 

Receipts are another option. You can program your receipts to include a brief message at the bottom asking customers to write reviews.  

Asking for Reviews on Social Media 

Finally, you may want to ask your social media followers to review your business. Facebook reviews are important for local businesses since many people use Facebook to search for businesses near them. You have the option of asking for reviews in a Facebook post or using a chatbot in Facebook Messenger to ask. 

Keep in mind that you’ll still need to be careful about linking out to your Yelp pages from social media. You may link directly to your Google page. 

If you decide to use a chatbot, you may want to consider setting up a survey directly within the chatbot if you want to collect reviews to post on your site. Otherwise, you can simply ask people to leave a review elsewhere. 

One final note about reviews. While it might sound odd, customers are more likely to trust businesses that have some negative reviews. It’s not realistic for any company to get 5-star reviews across the board. That said, you should respond to negative reviews and do your best to make the customers who leave them happy. 

 

Other articles in this issue;

10 Practical Local Marketing Ideas You Can Deploy Right Now
Facebook Ad Objectives… Explained
Marketing Hacks (That Make Your Life Easier)

Marketing Automation Reputation Marketing

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06.05.2022

How to Deal with Negative Comments on Social Media Like a Pro

Social media has undoubtedly become a powerful communication and marketing tool. Not only does it allow businesses to connect with their customers on a more personal level, but it also gives customers a voice to share their thoughts and experiences about a company or product.  While this two-way communication channel is beneficial for businesses, it can also be challenging. Negative comments are bound to happen, and when they do, you should handle them in a way that won’t damage your brand or reputation. Let’s discuss how to deal with negative comments on social media like a pro. Make Sure You Respond Although dealing with negative comments can be difficult, it’s important to remember that ignoring them is not an option. When customers take the time to reach out to you with a complaint or concern, they expect (and deserve) a response. Not only will a reply show the customer that you care about their experience, but it also shows others that you’re willing to listen to feedback and address any issues. Of course, it’s not always possible to respond to every negative comment. But if a comment is public and could potentially damage your reputation, take the time to craft a thoughtful response. Handle Issues Promptly In addition to responding to negative comments, quickly take care of the issue that caused the comment in the first place. This may involve refunding their purchase, exchanging an item, or simply apologizing for any inconvenience they may have experienced. Whatever the matter may be, it’s important to take care of it promptly and efficiently. Customers appreciate it when companies own up to their mistakes and try to correct them. If you take too long, customers may think you don’t care about their issue or that you’re sweeping it under the rug. Delaying will only damage your reputation further, so it’s crucial to nip the problem in the bud as soon as possible. Be Professional Although it may be tempting to lash out, remember that what you say can be used against you. Therefore, always err on the side of caution and keep your responses professional. This doesn’t mean that you can’t defend yourself or your business – but you should do so in a respectful way that doesn’t make the situation worse. Try saying things like: “We’re sorry to hear that you had a negative experience. We appreciate your feedback and would like to make this right with you.” “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We take these issues seriously and would like to look into this further. Please DM us your contact information and order number so we can investigate.” Taking the Conversation Offline In some cases, it may be best to take the conversation offline. This is usually the case when a customer is angry or upset or if the situation could escalate if only addressed publicly.  When you take the conversation offline, you’ll have a chance to diffuse the situation without worrying about making it worse. You can reply to the comment publicly and let the customer know that you’d like to discuss their concerns further in a private message or over the phone.  This shows that you’re willing to listen and help resolve the issue in a way that is considerate of their privacy. Address the Issue Directly When responding to a negative comment, address the issue directly. A straightforward response shows the customer (and anyone else reading) that you take their concerns seriously and are willing to resolve the problem. For example, if a customer is unhappy with your product, you might say something like: “Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that you’re disappointed with our product. Can you please provide more information about what you didn’t like? We’d like to pass your feedback along to our team and see if there’s anything we can do to improve the product.” This response shows that you care about the customer’s experience and want to help resolve the issue. It also gives you an opportunity to learn more about what the customer didn’t like so that you can make improvements in the future. Don’t Be Afraid to Apologize  In some cases, the best way to deal with a negative comment is to simply apologize. An apology shows the customer that you understand their frustration and want to make things right. Of course, you shouldn’t apologize for something that wasn’t your fault. But if there was a mistake on your part, or if the customer had a valid complaint, an apology would go a long way in diffusing the situation. Some people just want to feel like they’re heard and that their concerns are taken seriously. In these cases, a simple apology may be enough to resolve the issue. Use Positive Language It’s essential to use positive language when responding to negative comments. However, this doesn’t mean that you should ignore the problem or act like everything is fine. Instead, focus on finding a resolution rather than dwelling on the negative. For example, instead of saying, “We’re sorry that you had a bad experience,” you could say, “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We want to do everything we can to ensure your next experience is better.” This response shows that you’re committed to resolving the issue while also setting a positive tone for the rest of the conversation. Don’t Scrub Your Social Media Page of Negative Comments While it’s tempting to delete negative comments or hide them from your feed, this is usually a bad idea. Not only does it make you look deceitful, but it also makes it seem like you don’t care about your customers’ concerns. It’s okay to delete comments that are abusive or that don’t add anything to the conversation. But in most cases, it’s best to leave the comment up and respond directly. These comments show that you’re willing to listen to feedback, even if it’s negative. Use Negative Comments to Improve Your Business Finally, it’s important to remember that negative comments can actually be a good thing. They provide you with an opportunity to improve your products or services and show your customers that you care about their experience. As a business owner, you should always look for ways to improve. So, if you’re getting a lot of negative feedback about a certain aspect of your business, use it as a chance to make positive changes.  So next time you get a negative comment on social media, don’t panic. Instead, just follow these tips, and you’ll be able to handle it like a pro.
06.05.2022

How to Drive Traffic & Sales with Short Videos 

Are you looking to increase how much traffic your business is getting online?" You’ve come to the right place. People are constantly on the move, and in today’s world people no longer want to sit through long videos that take up their time. Instead, they prefer short form “bite size” content that is easy to consume on-the-go and doesn’t require too much focus. If you’re a business looking to boost sales and get more people clicking on your site, it’s time to ditch the long videos that just aren’t working and give short-form content a go! Whether it’s 6 seconds or 3 minutes, changing the way you create video content will give your business the results it’s been looking for. Firstly, What is Short Video Content? Most commonly defined as anything under 60 seconds (with some platforms now taking that up to 3 minutes). Short videos are the new marketing go-to. Having surged in popularity after the success of the short-form content platform TikTok, as well as Instagram’s Reel feature, short videos have become commonplace in society. Each video is fast-paced and packed full of excitement, emotion and easy engagement which is why this type of content is still on the rise and showing no signs of slowing down. The more we get done in a day the more accomplished and satisfied we feel. So, being able to consume multiple videos in the time it takes to consume one is a great way to keep people moving whilst also getting the information you want as a business across. And the best bit is, short form content isn’t targeted to one type of business area. Anything can be enhanced with a short video. 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Instead, there are a whole load of strategies ready for you to play around with and find out which one works best for you and your audience!  For more tips, tricks, and bits of advice on everything marketing and more, head over to our website and check out our other digital marketing resources designed for local business.
06.05.2022

10 Most Common Mistakes Small Businesses Make on Social Media (and How to Fix It) 

As a small business, social media is your secret weapon for marketing. It's essential to use social media to reach new customers and connect with existing ones. Whether you're just getting started or already running a highly successful campaign, there's always room for improvement. In this article, we'll explore the top social media mistakes small businesses make and how to fix them, including our own tips on improving your social media marketing strategy. Not Posting Regularly Enough One of the most common social media mistakes small businesses make is not posting regularly enough. This can be for a variety of reasons, from lack of time to simply forgetting. If you're not posting regularly, your audience will quickly lose interest and move on to other brands that are more active on social media. The fix: Set aside some time each week to plan and schedule your social media posts. If you can, designate someone on your team to be responsible for social media and make sure they have the time and resources they need to succeed.  Some popular social media planners include Hootsuite, Later, and Buffer all with free to paid plans. Posting Too Much On the opposite end, some businesses post a little too much. This can be overwhelming for your followers and turn them off from your brand. It's important to strike a balance between posting too little and too much. The fix: Take a step back and analyze how often you're posting on each social media platform. If you're posting multiple times a day on any platform, try scaling back to once a day or a couple of times a week. Experiment with different posting frequencies and see what works best for your audience. Remember that each industry is different, so what frequency is too much in one niche is perfectly fine in another. Not Posting Relevant Content Another common mistake is posting content that isn't relevant to your audience or industry. This can happen if you're trying to be too general in your social media marketing or if you're not sure who your target audience is. As a result, your posts will fall flat and fail to engage your audience. The fix: Take some time to research your target audience and what kinds of content they're interested in. Once you know who you're talking to, you can start creating content that resonates with them. If you're struggling to come up with ideas, try looking at what other businesses in your industry are doing on social media. Use social listening tools to track relevant keywords and see what kind of content is being shared the most. Then, adapt and improve upon it for your own audience. Not Engaging with Your Followers Another mistake small businesses make on social media is failing to engage with their followers. This means more than just responding to comments and @ mentions (although that's important, too). It also means liking, sharing, and commenting on other people's content. The fix: Spend some time each day engaging with your followers and other people in your industry. Like and comment on their posts, share their content, and start conversations. Not only will this help you build relationships, but it will also make your brand more visible to new potential customers. There are many tools that can help you organize and consolidate all your social media profile into one dashboard. These listening tools can single handedly change the game if you’re trying to increase your engagement across all social media platforms.  Sprout Social, Salesforce’s Service Cloud, and Reputation are the best at this. On a budget? Try Hootsuite. Not Measuring Your Results Measuring your results is essential. This is important for any marketing campaign, but it's especially important on social media. With so much noise, it can be easy to get lost and not know if your efforts are actually paying off. The fix: Use social media analytics tools to track your progress and measure your results. These tools will help you see how many people are engaging with your content, what kind of impact you're making, and where you can improve. Without measuring your results, it's impossible to know if your social media marketing is actually working. Many platforms will have these tools built in, but addition services like Sprout Social, Buffer Analyze, Hootsuite, and Social Report, can give you deeper insights about your customer base and what resonates with them.  Not Having a Strategy One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make on social media is not having a strategy. They might post randomly or without any purpose, which can lead to wasted time and effort. The fix: Having a social media plan in place will guarantee that your efforts are more successful and are working to assist your company's broader objectives. When you're coming up with a strategy, it's critical to keep in mind these goals so that you can create material that supports them. Additionally, figure out what your social media goals are, what you want to get out of it, and make sure to track them with analytic software (mentioned above) to ensure that your work is paying off. When developing a plan, remember who your target audience is and create content that speaks to them that aligns with your goals.  It is essential to take some time to develop a strategy since it's easy to get lost in the sea of social media and fail to accomplish anything without it. Not using social media to its full potential Social media is a powerful marketing tool, but many small businesses don't use it to its full potential. They might not take advantage of all the features available, or they might not use them to reach their target audience. The fix: Make sure you're using all the features available on each social media platform. For example, on Facebook, you can use groups, events, and Messenger to reach more people. On Twitter, you can use hashtags and lists to organize your followers. And on Instagram, you can use Stories, Live Video, and IGTV to engage with your audience. Take some time to learn about all the features of each social media platform and how you can use them to reach your target audience. Then, start using them to your advantage. Not Promoting Your Content Not promoting your content can be a big mistake, especially if you're a small business with limited resources. If you're not promoting your content, it's unlikely that anyone will see it. The fix: Promote your content on social media and other channels. Use paid advertising, share it with influencers, and post it in relevant groups and forums. Don't make the mistake of not promoting your content. Make sure you're doing everything you can to get it in front of as many people as possible. Not taking advantage of social media trends Trends are everywhere and they're easy to pick up if you use social media in both a private and work setting. Taking advantage of a trend can make your post go viral, especially if it's curated to your audience. Ignoring trends will make you miss countless free promotion opportunities. The fix: Use social media trends to your advantage. If you see a trend that's relevant to your business, jump on it and use it to promote your content. Not only will this help you reach more people, but it will also make your brand more visible and relevant.  If you're not sure where to start, check out some influencers in your industry and see what they're doing to get eyes on their posts. Use can also use free websites like Google Trends, TweetDeck, and BrandMentions to track trends. Ignoring negative feedback It's inevitable that you'll receive some negative feedback at some point. And while it's not pleasant, it's important to take it in stride and use it as an opportunity to improve your business. The fix: Don't ignore negative feedback. Respond to it in a constructive way and use it to make your business better. Negative feedback can be painful, but it's important to listen to it and use it to improve your business. Bonus tip: Remaining in your comfort zone can kill your social media marketing efforts If you're not comfortable with change, you'll never be able to take advantage of new opportunities or reach your full potential. The fix: Be open to change and willing to try new things. Social media is constantly changing, so you need to be too. Conclusion  These are just a few of the most common mistakes small businesses make on social media. By avoiding these mistakes, you'll be well on your way to social media success.
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