From The Mouths Of Smiling Customers: 4 Creative Ways To Repurpose Your Reviews

It’s quite literally one of the best feelings ever. That moment when you receive a notification from Google stating that someone left you a 5-star review. I don’t know about you but whenever I see one of these, I immediately stop what I’m doing to go check it out. Seriously. I can barely contain myself in these moments.

Reviews … either positive or negative ... can seriously impact your business. Why? Because people trust their peers more than they trust marketers! Forbes research showed that “81% of consumers’ purchasing decisions are influenced by their friends’ social media posts.”

And according to Harvard Business Review, “84% of B2B buyers are now starting the purchasing process with a referral, and peer recommendations are influencing more than 90% of all B2B buying decisions.”

People trust their peers more than they trust marketers. That’s why it’s incredibly wise to try and leverage any glowing reviews you receive from happy customers or clients. How can you go about doing this? Let’s jump right in!

1. Create a graphic for social media.

Research has proven that social media plays a significant role in the buyer’s journey. Social Media Today sheds some additional light on this trend:

“There is safety in numbers. Human beings in general have a crowd mentality. This phenomenon is behind trends and fashions because people opt to move together in large groups. Thus, it is easy to sway them when they are in groups. This is why social media has become a hit when it comes to marketing. People will largely be convinced to make a buying decision if their peers have already done so. All you need to do is to demonstrate to them how the same product has benefited their peers and friends.”

Touting positive reviews in a creative way on social media can pay dividends. By using a platform like Canva, you can quickly and easily overlay text on top of a graphic. Pull little excerpts from your favorite reviews, make them visually appealing, tag the reviewer (with their permission), and post away. It’s as simple as that! Here’s an example of a graphic we created from a Google Review left by one of our favorite clients!

2. Feature your favs in your IG Story.

We love Instagram Stories for many reasons. One reason being we can showcase client reviews there in a really fun way! To see how we do this, simply visit our Instagram (@thelittlemarketinggenius) and click on the Reviews highlight!

Pro Tip: If you can persuade any of your customers to do a short video shout-out, you can upload it to your IG Story for maximum impact

3. Create a Reviews page on your website.

Your customers can essentially post reviews about you in a number of different places … Google, Facebook, Yelp, Trip Advisor … the list goes on. So why not organize the best of these reviews onto a single page on your website? Potential clients love to hear about the successes of other clients. A Testimonials or Reviews page is a great way to showcase all of the kudos you’ve already received. See how we’ve set up our Testimonial Page here.

4. Showcase a blurb in your newsletter.

If you email a regular newsletter to your subscribers, first off, you get a gold star! A newsletter is a great way to stay in front of your audience by sharing current info, events, and specials that pertain to your business. In your next newsletter, reserve a small section to include a blurb from a recent customer review or testimonial. It never hurts to remind your subscribers that you’re awesome (according to your clients).

Repurposing positive reviews and testimonials can pique the interest of future customers. Don’t be shy … use these to your advantage! If you have other creative ways of highlighting past reviews, share them with us in the comments!   

Tuesday Tip #6: Responding To Reviews

Some things never change. People will always have an opinion. What has changed are the pedestals and platforms that have been provided for everyone to voice said opinion. The Internet and social media have completely transformed how we obtain information about different businesses. In a land before time, you would choose the restaurant, cleaning service, or retail shop based on the referrals of other people in your circle of friends. Now, you can look up a business with a few strokes of your keyboard and scour the reviews left by strangers to base your decision on where you are going to bring your business.

As a business owner, this can be amazing, devastating, or sometimes even a mix of both, for your business. One “off” experience can lead to scathing comments and warnings to potential customers or clients. It can be a very tough pill to swallow. Here are two key pointers on how to respond to reviews.

1. Respond to positive reviews!

Say 'thank you' and let the reviewer know that you appreciate them taking the time to write such kind words. If they offer a suggestion, thank them for their feedback and implement the improvements if they seem suitable. 

2. If you are going to respond to a negative review, do so carefully and with class.

Do not engage in a battle of keyboard warriors. Sometimes saying nothing is appropriate. Depending on the situation, you can certainly respond but do so in a professional manner. Do not take this opportunity to degrade the customer because you are simply painting an ugly picture of yourself. Sometimes even a simple “We are sorry you didn’t enjoy your experience. We hope you give us a second chance in the near future ... ” If you feel further information is needed in order to rectify a bad situation, be sure to attempt to take the conversation offline. 

For more sound advice on professionally handling negative online reviews, click here! 

Why does this matter? It matters because people are absolutely reading reviews and watching to see how you respond. Bad reviews are like a train wreck that people can’t help but watch. Good reviews give potential customers/clients a glimpse into the positive experience they, too, can enjoy by doing business with you someday. Reviews help people determine what type of business owner you are and if they want to do business with you. Always put your best foot … or keystroke ... forward. 

Every Tuesday we share easy and actionable advice you can take to refresh your current marketing plan. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more!  

#LMGTuesdayTips

Staying Afloat In A Sea Full Of Critics: How To Respond To Negative Yelp Reviews

Your business is like your baby, right? You’re protective of it. You work extremely hard to support it and make it better each and every day. You have literally poured your blood, sweat, and tears into it. Hence, you see red as perfect strangers publicly lambaste it on platforms like Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Facebook.

Over the past several weeks, I spoke to several small business owners who share an aversion for Yelp in particular. Some of the common feedback they divulged: 1.) Yelp frequently hounds them about advertising (which, btw, they find to be very pricey). 2.) They question Yelp’s integrity and business practices. 3.) 1-star reviews are oftentimes extremely harsh and lack actual constructive feedback for improvements.

The point of this blog post is not to give my personal opinions on Yelp. (If you wish to hear them, however, comment below and I’ll write a separate blog post.) The point is to give you sound advice for professionally handling negative customer reviews. Because let’s face it, guys. Customer reviews WILL impact your business.

Before getting started, I want to point out that I believe restaurants take the WORST beating from Yelpers. If you own a restaurant or are thinking about opening one, KNOW THIS: You will get 1-star reviews. You will be told your food and/or service sucks. You will instinctually want to beat the living s#!t out of the people who post said remarks.

The restaurant business, in general, is excruciating. Now top that with public platforms that encourage everyone to release their inner food critic. You don’t have to be Mario Batali to understand that equates to a recipe for disaster.

I’m here to tell you that negative reviews can actually lead to positive outcomes. I’m sure you’ve heard this before but nobody is perfect. And yes, that includes you and your business. Mistakes will happen. People will call them out on social media. And it’s up to you to address them in the moment. 

The beauty of a review site like YeIp is that it can shine light on areas you may need to take a closer look at. For example, if you own a restaurant and 90% of your Yelp reviews suggest that your service is lacking, then guess what? Your service probably needs improvement. It’s the whole “outsider looking in” philosophy. When you’re in the thick of it, day in and day out, sometimes it’s not so easy to see the obvious.

Ok, so now let’s talk about addressing those 1-star ratings. 

1. Create a Yelp business account and claim your business. 

In order to respond to Yelp reviews, you’ll first need to open a Yelp account and claim your business. Note: This will be a different account than your personal Yelp account (if you have one). You can open an account and claim your business using the link below.

Yelp For Business: https://biz.yelp.com

Not only will your Yelp business account allow you to respond to reviews, but it also gives you the ability to update information about your business (location, hours, parking, etc.), direct message people who have reviewed you, and manage ads if you so desire.

A good rule of thumb is to monitor your Yelp reviews daily. I would highly recommend responding to negative reviews within 24 hours and posting your comments publicly. It will show that you are indeed listening to your customers. Posting public comments can also help enlighten fellow Yelp users on your side of a story.

(For positive reviews, Yelp encourages you to respond with a direct message to the customer rather than a public comment. A simple “thank you” is a nice touch!)

2. Take a breather.

Get your emotions in check before posting a response to a negative review. This is critical! You do NOT want to come off as defensive or as a hot head. Read the review, take a breath, and then revisit it after you’ve cooled down. 

Especially in circumstances where debasing remarks have been made, you’ll need to take the high road. Do NOT get into a pissing match with the customer. You will lose.

3. Assess the situation.

After you’ve performed yoga, squeezed your stress ball, or puffed into your paper bag a few times, read the review again … this time, from a more objective place. Was there any merit to what was said? Or was the review simply a rant? If the customer has legitimate points, make sure you address them and try to make the situation right.

For example, if someone complains their server was rude or not attentive, your response might be:

“I’m very sorry to hear you did not enjoy your recent experience. Customer service is a top priority for us and I would like to find out more about what happened during your visit. Please email me or direct message me if you wish to discuss this further.”

Now, if the customer is ranting or being just plain obnoxious, I think it’s ok to be a little more direct with them (without being unprofessional, of course). Below is a real-life example of a 1-star rating we recently responded to on behalf of a client:

“Small and tasteless portions. They try to act like a trendy west coast style place. But food and service is horrible. Not sure how they stay open between food and the prices. If they want to run a west coast style restaurant go to west coast. East coasters won't eat this trash.”
As you can probably tell, this would be classified as a rant. Vague comments. No substantive details.

Here was our response:

“[CUSTOMER NAME], you're clearly dissatisfied with your experience with us but your review lacks specific details on what needs to be addressed. You claim that our "food and service is horrible" ... what exactly did you try on the menu? Were you sitting at a table or at the bar? Your comment that "East Coasters won't eat this trash" is simply a rant; not constructive criticism that we could potentially utilize to make improvements. If you wish to provide actual substance to back your 1-star review, please reach out to me directly at [BUSINESS OWNER EMAIL].”

If you’re wondering, the angry patron has still yet to reply back.

The main takeaways here: 1.) Always come across as professional. 2.) Try to make right on legitimate wrongs. 3.) Keep your responses short and sweet and take the more in-depth discussions offline. 

Lastly, Yelp does let you report certain types of reviews. I’ve listed them out below. Unfortunately, if your 1- or 2-stars don’t fall into any of these categories, there’s really nothing you can do except politely comment on them publicly.

• It was posted by a competitor or ex-employee.

• It contains threats, lewdness, or hate speech.

• It doesn’t describe a personal consumer experience.

• It violates Yelp’s privacy standards.

• It contains promotional material.

• It’s for the wrong business.

4. Ease your suffering.

The occasional 1- or 2-star review is not going to take your business down. Trust me! In fact, your competitors are receiving them, too. Don’t believe me? Go scroll through their Yelp reviews and sort them by Lowest Rated to see for yourself. 

Think of Yelp as a tool that you can use to your advantage. Don’t focus so much on individual reviews … instead, assess what the community is saying as a whole. If you read all of your reviews taking a more objective approach, the common denominators (in both positive and negative comments) will be very obvious. 

Namaste.