The Future of Marketing is Customer Reviews
January 26, 2018With the new year in full swing, it’s time to up the ante of your marketing strategy. We’ve told you about all the old-school tactics that are still applicable and bring great success in various ways to your business, but what about the new? As a society that runs on and alongside of technological advancements, it’s important to stay on top of these trends as they come and go. Monitoring what works and what doesn’t won’t change as technology continues to advance. However, the means of why and the methods of how you conduct such research will evolve with the passing of time; creating this living, breathing “thing” that requires a close eye at all times of the day, each day.
Although technology is constantly changing, your dedication to consumers and customers should remain in tact. The question now shifts from the who — consumers — to the how. Meaning, how do we acquire new customers from the consumer pool in new, innovative ways? How do we market to this group of people that seem un-phased by traditional tactics such as cold-calling and door-to-door sales?
At one point in time, such tactics weren’t regularly sought out by numerous companies, therefore consumers weren’t as quick to shut the sale down right off the bat. But as time progresses, consumers catch on to these sneaky methods put into place to convert consumers into customers. Now that the general population is aware of telemarketers and door-to-door salesmen’s approach to the sale, they’ve become numb to the entire process; not giving a second thought to proclaiming the word, “no”, that every company strives to not hear during the sales process.
If your business has found yourself in a marketing rut, we’ve got the answer to all of your problems. Well, at least your current marketing ones. It’s simple, really: you center your marketing efforts around the consumer’s experience, right? If the world of business is now taking a shift towards consumer experience (cX), then the best thing you could do for your business would be to highlight those experiences through the beauty of online reviews (see below).
You've heard us say it once, and you'll hear us say it a thousand more times; one of the best ways to acquire more business is through word-of-mouth, such as online reviews. We're forever grateful for the time our customers take to leave feedback! #OnlineReviews #ORM #SEO #B2B pic.twitter.com/ajgpOHPj4w
— ReviewPush (@ReviewPush) January 23, 2018
Online reviews hold more power than we give them credit for. They’re a direct reflection a customer’s real-time experience with your business; giving you feedback where it’s needed and praise where it’s deserved. Managing your online reviews is not only an accessible way to feel out the community you serve, it’s also dire for the wellbeing of your business.
Consumers generally leave reviews when they’ve had an exceptional experience or a troublesome one. Although every review may not be a direct reflection of the everyday life of your business, each has a critical element within it that is to be taken seriously. If someone has a horrendous one-off experience with your business, you’re better off getting notified via an online review where you can address and resolve the issue; opposed to this issue being unaddressed, thus losing that client and a handful of others through poor word-of-mouth.
Today, the power of word-of-mouth has been transferred to online reviews which outweigh any remarkable marketing tactic money can buy. It’s best to start investing in online reputation management before troubling reviews arise. With 85% of consumers trusting online reviews, this is an aspect of marketing that shouldn’t go ignored. While you’re planning and scheming ways to get into the minds and inboxes of consumers, others are leveraging their online reviews; allowing them to do the marketing for their business.
When you’re not afraid to show off your customer reviews, people put more trust in your business, and are more likely to do business with you. The great thing about leveraging online reviews for your own marketing strategy is that most of the work is already done for you; being handed your way on a silver platter. You don’t have to go seek that word-of-mouth; it’s already there. You don’t have to pester current customers, because their opinions and experiences are already openly expressed on the worldwide web. If you have reviews on Google or your business’ website, you can create custom memes (as seen below) sharing their word-of-mouth referrals on social media; furthering your reach in seconds.
Backed by the power of the internet, online reviews can reach every corner of the world, no matter the distance. With that kind of leverage, you’ll want to ensure that you have the best quality of reviews being showcased to the world. No, you can’t delete a bad review; but you can take them as opportunities to show off your skilled customer success employees and turn a mediocre experience into a golden one. By monitoring your online presence, you’re allowing your target market to find reviews of your business; essentially taking the pitch out of your sales process.
When consumers are digging through reviews, they’re already sold on your platform; no matter what vertical you’re in. They’re simply looking for a reason to go to your store or to hit that ‘purchase’ button. Consumer reviews advertise your product for you with no extra charge; it’s free marketing, so why wouldn’t you gear your strategy to include online reputation management?
ReviewPush can help your business not only become aware of the power of online reviews, but can also create a more positive impression to the online world by generating more positive reviews, amongst numerous other tactics. Here at ReviewPush, we’re constantly listening into what our customers and outside consumers have to say; are you?
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