The Power of Recommendations and Reviews in Business and Marketing

The power of recommendations and reviews in business and marketing cannot be underestimated. In fact, statistics show that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising, and 88% of consumers trust online review sites as much as personal recommendations.

As business owners, we need to embrace the world of recommendations and reviews and use them to our best advantage. 

Here are seven strategies you can employ to make asking for reviews part of your business life:

• Facebook and Google reviews: Encourage customers to leave feedback online through Facebook and Google reviews.
• Optimise your site: Ensure you have a review feature available and it is simple to find and use.
• Feedback through online surveys and prompts: Seek out feedback using online surveys and prompts.
• Incentives: Offer incentives like free services or product packages to actively encourage customers to leave their valuable reviews.
• The Personal Touch: Actively request written reviews from customers who have enjoyed a positive experience with your business.
• Review Me: Offer a free service or product with the specific aim of having something reviewed.
• Ask for Recommendations on LinkedIn: Ask people you have previously worked with to endorse your skills or leave you a recommendation.

Once you have all these wonderful recommendations and reviews, it’s important to know how to use them.

Here are some tips:

• Showcase them on your website: Ensure a review or testimonial section is readily available on your site.
• Use them in your marketing materials: Use a review or two in your hard copy or email marketing materials, reflecting what your customers say.
• Use them in press releases: A well-placed quote from a customer that speaks to what you do and how well you perform can add interest.
• Use them on social media: Even just a screenshot of a nice comment loaded to your social media helps build trust in your services or products.

Recommendations and reviews are powerful tools in business and marketing, as they can significantly impact a consumer’s purchasing decisions. It’s also important to keep the conversation going, handle negative reviews transparently, and make asking for reviews a habit. And if you make it a practice of reviewing and recommending other businesses yourself, others will be more likely to recommend and review you in return.