08 Feb How to Turn Brand Advocacy Into Better Business

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How to Turn Brand Advocacy Into Better Business

There’s nothing like when someone else says your business is amazing. It’s simple, credible, effective and best of all, it’s someone else giving praise (not yourself). Because, well…hearing yourself say how great you are can get a little old. How many of you read reviews of a product before purchasing from sites such as Amazon? If the reviews are good, your purchase becomes much easier, right?

Just recently, one of our clients asked us during a meeting how they can get more of their customers to rate them online and share positive reviews about their business; in other words, how to get more people saying positive things about their business.

Here are a few ways to get your customers to share positive reviews about your business and also be your best brand advocates.

Survey says. When was the last time you surveyed your customer base? This is often one of the best ways to get customer testimonials and positive reviews for your business. Best yet, you can ask for their permission to share their feedback for marketing purposes. Free tools such as Survey Monkey are a great way to establish a survey for feedback.

Social media. Asking people to rate you on social media is a quick, painless and easy way for people to share their positive feedback. Most people are using social media anyway, so it doesn’t become an additional step for them to take. This is truly an organic way to get brand advocates to act on your behalf; but the key is you have to ask and put reminders on your social media in order for people to take action. Coming up with graphics to accompany your ‘ask’ is an approachable and non-salesy way to accomplish this. Don’t have a graphic designer? Check out free tools such as Canva to create your own graphics.

Get familiar. Becoming familiar with review and rating sites is important. Knowing the rating sites that are most used for your business (for example rateMD for the medical professional, or Urban Spoon for a restaurant, Yelp and Google Business for most professional services). Know what your previous reviews say about your business or if you even have any reviews. Set up reminders to check this information closely or be prompted via email when you do receive a review. Becoming familiar with these sites allows you to understand your audience better, their behaviors, and what would further entice them to act as a brand ambassador on your behalf. So, what review sites are best for your company?

Print out materials. Consider having cards or printed materials at your business for people to know to review your company or service. Be sure to have this information where people will readily see it (such as attached to a receipt, or upon check-in or check-out). Brand ambassadors are great but even the best need to be reminded to share their positive words about your organization.

Reward. Some businesses can benefit by providing a reward for reviews. Be sure this approach complements your business and doesn’t pose any conflict of interest. Most businesses can offer a reward, such as a free account set up for a credit institution for example, or five dollar coffee gift card from an attorney practice.

Brand advocates are great for business. People heavily rely on other people’s comments and feedback before making a purchase. If you’re not capitalizing on getting positive reviews for your business, you could be missing out on a key component in growth for your company.

Download our quick Brand Advocate Checklist here. This quick checklist will ensure you’re hitting all the marks for obtaining more positive reviews for your business.

Need additional help with a brand advocacy strategy? No problem! Email us at info@nspublicrleations.com.

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