Tips for Today: Showcase Positive Reviews

By now you’re likely well aware of the power of customer reviews and how they can boost or dampen your sales. In fact, according to Nielsen’s 2014 Global Trust in Advertising report, “online consumer reviews are the second most trusted source of brand information and messaging, with 70 percent of global consumers indicating they trust online reviews.”

While many of your positive reviews may speak for themselves, why not do more with these reviews?

By “do more,” we simply mean that you should maximize the effectiveness (and reach) of your positive reviews by integrating them into your website content, sharing them on social media and including some special reviews in your customer e-newsletters.

JM Stock Provisions (a butcher and specialty goods shop in Charlottesville, Va. and Richmond, Va.) showed off this glowing review via Instagram last week:

While this is a hand-written review (and easy to snap a pic of), there’s another way to “beautify” your online reviews to make them fun to share on social media, in newsletters, or on your website. Overlay apps allow you to add text to an image or picture and share it online. Here’s an example of a text overlay, where the text isn’t inherently a part of the photo, but is “laid” on top:

This type of file is perfect for sharing a short positive review like, “Best meal we’ve had in San Diego,” or “Most helpful staff in town!” – leave the long reviews where they belong (on the review site). There are several apps that allow you to add text “over” images – and from there, the .jpg file is easy to share via email, social media or even print!

The more you show off all of your positive attributes, the more likely you are to attract new customers and retain the current ones! Remember – don’t underestimate the power of online reviews, no matter how small (or big) your company is! And, don’t be shy – take full advantage of positive feedback and see what you get in return!