Nowadays, businesses live and die by their reviews. A negative review can mean all the difference between success and failure and a great review can provide endless opportunities, so it is important to always provide the best service possible and to ask for those all important reviews to help propel your business forward.
Reviews really are the key to showcasing your knowledge and abilities, but if you go to all the effort to get the reviews you need to use them in as many ways as possible within your marketing repertoire.
In this blog, we look at 10 easy ways to use your reviews within your marketing strategy.
On your website
It’s a no-brainer. If you use a third-party providers to get your reviews such as Google, Trustpilot or TripAdvisor to name but a few, handy widgets are available so you can integrate the reviews you have on your website. Look at our Google reviews widget on our blog page (down the right-hand side) for example.
If you only receive reviews from your customers by email, you can also add testimonials to your website too. Why not create a testimonials page, or even add testimonials to all the pages within your website as a feature section.
Within your marketing
It is always worth adding testimonials to your marketing materials. A customer testimonials section should be included on all of your main marketing materials that would be used to reach new customers; after all, a majority of consumers trust reviews from others and will base their decision on whether (or not!) to use you based on this.
On pricing information or packages
If your business offers a range of packages or various services that have different costs, showing reviews and past testimonials from happy customers who have purchased our package or service will help new customers to make their decision. It will also help to show the true value of the package or service you are offering and also justify the cost(s) too.
On your business cards
A business card is perhaps one of the most (if not THE most) important pieces of marketing collateral your business can possess, – it gives that all important first impression, so why not make your business card work for you! Adding a reference to a positive customer review or recommendation, or even a link to a review website for potential new customers to see all of your reviews in their glory will add substance and value to your services and will also give you even more credibility.
In your promo videos
Video is a powerful marketing tool, so why not do a client testimonial video to show authenticity and capture their appreciation for your services, or add review/recommendation snippets to a video with links for customers to see more if they wish. Video makes a big impact, so be sure to include reviews and recommendations and upload to websites like YouTube, Vimeo and similar.
At exhibitions
If you exhibit at shows, then a great way to really shout about your positive reviews is to include a reference to it within your stand design and also your printed exhibition materials. This will help your business to really stand out and will send a positive signal to potential customers – and other businesses exhibiting too.
In your email
If you have an email signature, consider adding a favourite review to it, or perhaps link (or links if you use more than one third-party review website) to all the sources where customers can read your reviews. This makes it easy for interested clients to read your great reviews and encourages them to also leave a review for you too!
On Social Media
Social Media has to be one of the perfect online resources to share your reviews. You can reach a wide audience and gain shares, re-tweets and much more. As you get new reviews, why not post them on your Social Media channels and encourage others to share the good news!
On your blog
A great place to add a review widget is your blog (like we have done here) to showcase your great reviews and to capture receptive readers. If you use more than one third-party website for your reviews, consider adding a couple of widgets if you have the space.
Within your gallery/portfolio
If your website has a gallery or portfolio section, why not include photos of happy customers and a snippet of the testimonial / review below the pic or even a link so customers can read all your happy customers testimonials/reviews it in full.