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The Art of Asking For Reviews

diksha
December 22, 2024
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Social proof is an important part of digital marketing strategy. 93% of consumers check a customer review before making a purchase. Also, 82% of consumers stated that a review has convinced them to make a purchase.

Social proof helps in enhancing the SEO and building credibility. Customers like to leave reviews, they like to express their opinion and experience with others. But you should know the art of asking for reviews to convince your customers to leave a review at the right time.

In this blog, we’ll learn why asking for reviews is important, how to ask for reviews, and what mistakes to avoid!

Why is asking for reviews important?

Asking for reviews for your brand is very important because it increases its credibility. Reviews increase trust and credibility. They can also increase your brand’s visibility in search engine results pages and reputation.

Reviews also give a reality check to you, it helps in knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your brand. It helps in giving you recommendations as well as providing valuable knowledge to you.

If your brand operates locally then reviews help in enhancing your local SEO which boosts your visibility in local searches. It also gives you a competitive edge over your competitors.

Reviews build trust and credibility which boosts conversion rate.

Negative reviews on the other hand help in identifying your areas of improvement. Negative reviews are opportunities to turn a user into a loyal customer by solving their problems effectively and quickly. Reviews increase engagement and encourage customers to become brand advocates.

How do you ask for reviews?

Here are a few of the best ways to ask for a review from your customers

Right Time: To ask a customer for a review you must ask them at the right time. Ideally, request them for a review when the customer has just used your product or service. If you send it too early then chances are they might have not used your product. If you send it too late then chances are they might have forgotten the experience.
Use Email Marketing: Send a personalized email to ask for a review. To make the process easy you can include the links of your review page in your email. Remind the users how their experience was and how you have solved their problem. Keep your message simple and clear. You can also include images and videos in your email.
Track Social Media Mentions: Customers who tag you on social media provide them with content that highlights how you have solved their problems. Chances are they will leave a review for your brand. Track who mentions you on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, Pinterest, etc. Send messages to these happy customers and request them for a review. You can also share their content on your profile.
Automation: Set up an automation system to send review requests to customers who have made a purchase. An also use a review platform to ask for reviews by using emails, landing pages, SMS, etc. You can also reward your loyal customers or those who always leave a review for you by using automation. You can send them discount coupons, special offers, etc.
Multiple Channels: Use multiple platforms for collecting reviews. Allow your customers to post a review on any platform of their choice. You can also use these reviews as UGCs. You can set up a Google Business Profile and ask them for Google reviews. Google reviews and ratings can bring a 5-9% increase in revenue. Utilize the Check-in feature to know who visited your brand and try reaching out to them for a review. You can get the permission of the customers to use their review and post it on the platform of your choice. You can also include creative ideas and send your customers a handwritten postcard with a QR that directs them to the review page.
Follow-up: If a person leaves a positive review then ask them if they would like to send a video review or are willing to come for an interview. Don’t leave the happy customers just like that, build a connection with them. You can also use this review and build a blog on it highlighting the customer success story. Returning customers are generally happy with your services, so remember to ask them for reviews. Encourage your customers to turn into brand advocates. Also if a customer has written a negative review you can contact them and try to solve their problems. Send them a discount offer or return their amount, etc.

Mistakes to avoid

Here are some of the mistakes that you should avoid while asking for reviews.

Wrong Time: Asking for reviews either too early or too late will not get you the desired results. Sending the request for review at the right time is very important.
Lack of Sincerity: Be sincere and authentic while asking for reviews. Don’t use a robotic message, send a message that sounds more like a human. Show them that you value their opinion and want to hear from them.
Not Responding: Many marketers make the mistake of avoiding negative reviews, deleting them, and not responding to them. Respond to all the reviews and show empathy to everyone. You should be open to all types of feedback and turn the negative reviews into positive.
Incentives: At times sending incentives for positive reviews may look unethical and violate the review platform’s rules. Work on your customer service and deliver a smooth user experience.
Difficult Process: Sometimes the process of leaving a review is too lengthy or confusing that customers often don’t give a review. Don’t ask for their personal information and reassure them that you will follow a strong data privacy policy.
Don’t be Aggressive: Don’t be too aggressive or keep sending them review messages. It might irritate the customer. Give them their time to submit a review. Also always be respectful and kind while asking for a review.

Reviews are very important for your business as they help in increasing engagement, and conversion rates and building trust and credibility. Reviews influence the buying decisions of potential customers. It also increases the awareness of your brand. Lumia 360 has developed a review management software that can help you manage your reviews across different platforms. Brands can use such software for easy and effective review management.