Marketing business is often expensive. Adding pocket-friendly customer acquisition strategies intensifies the challenge.
The acquisition of a new customer costs roughly six to seven times more than retaining an existing customer. However, there is another way of acquiring new customers that does not punch a hole in your pocket. You can ask your existing customer base to help you expand your sales. It may seem a little complicated, but it is much too easier than your expectations. It is only a matter of creative thinking. Finding an acquisition strategy that leads to customer retention is a win-win scenario for all the parties involved.
Underestimating the power of recommendation is like closing the door to business growth. According to a study conducted by Nielsen, 83% of consumers from 60 countries showed approval for the recommendations from their family and friends. So if your brand gets recommended to someone, there’s a fair chance of them giving it a shot.
However, the catch here is to get the initial recommendation. However, how would you do it if you have never tried to incorporate this strategy in your marketing scheme before?
Do not worry! We will give you the insight into reviews that will help you proceed. Here is a collection of six, most creative ways to get new reviews from your existing customers.
Here is information that you are looking for!
Utilize user-generated content
If you were looking for a creative idea to go crazy with, UGC is the latest hot potato. Encouraging user-generated content during promotions is a sly way to ask for reviews. You can start a hashtag and let customers use it to post their pictures with your products, and you can then repost the most engaging posts.
This costs you nothing — not even time to produce new content. The minimal effort spent on this would help you reap the benefits for long. This way, the customers are officially reviewing your product in a positive light and getting all the attention to your company for good.
Exposure is an effective form of recommendation.
Friendly customer service
Before you launch any new marketing campaign, analyzing your company’s culture is critical. You can start with your customer service. When customers have a pleasant interaction with a business, they are likely to make a recommendation. Friendliness would cost you nothing but give you everything. Make sure that your customer service representatives are all on the same page on the tone and nature of conversations.
Creating genuine and real connections would automatically influence your customers to leave online reviews on your social media handles. Your smile should be visible to the customer when they hear you on the phone. This no-brainer strategy would help you find the reviews that you need to improve the ratings on search engines and whatnot!
Quick response on customer queries
Continuing with customer service, one cannot ignore customer inquiries. Being friendly to consumers is necessary. However, you still need to be smart and go the extra mile with instantaneous responses. Frustration and disgruntlement could both become a hassle when tackling fussy clients, but you need to keep you cool and answer their queries. Making them wait for your response would only lead them to another door, selling perhaps a mediocre option.
Customers who receive a quick, ineffective solution are more likely to leave a review as opposed to those who received an excellent answer at a slow pace. Providing speedy responses is vital!
Introduce referrals
Some people would love to recommend your business only if they get a perk in return. However, you cannot blame the love of freebies in this economy, can you? Giving discounts and freebies would motivate your customers to engage in your social media campaigns actively.
Their positive comments in the hopes of winning a hamper of goodies would lead them to leave Uber’s credit system is an excellent example to follow. Once an old customer recommends you to their friend, and then they begin actively interacting, it would lead to the infinite chain of reviews and growth for you.
Find a way to incorporate this concept in your brand, and just like Uber’s rewards program, you are all good to grow.
Milestone celebrations
It is beneficial to know your customers and deal with them in sophistication. They are not faceless, nameless entities that help you earn. Speaking to them via posts, live stories and polls would benefit both the parties establish an actual bond.
Ask customers how they like your service, would they recommend a change? Are they looking forward to coming back? You need to show your customers that you genuinely care about their sentiments. Consider your consumer as a family and ask them to leave their opinion on your days/weeks/months/years of service.
Almost half of the consumers speak of their favorite companies online and love to leave reviews for companies that offer something unique. This is your moment of glory.
Ask for reviews
You might want to promote your business by writing heartfelt, creative descriptions about your products, but all would go in vain unless an online discussion exists on your page. Customers know that you would never reveal unsavory details about your product purposefully. Hence why they would prefer to read a review from real-life users.
Ensure the presence of your company on all review websites and let them shower your business platforms with reviews. Unabashedly ask your customers to leave reviews on your Facebook, Trip Advisor, Yelp, and Google Review pages. The more platforms you pursue, the merrier your results would be.
You can either ask them directly or give them a little inactive. A freebie or a discount code would do its magic in getting you the reviews. Remember not to solicit good reviews. Repost the best reviews on your social media and motivate more customers to leave their thoughts on the comments panel.
If you receive a negative review, ask the user what the problems they faced were? Alternatively, what are their suggestions? This will probably lead them to change their opinion and also get you brownie points for being such a good sport.
Remember to keep your brand reputation untainted at all costs.
Final Thoughts
Remember the golden rule ‘customer is king.’ A positive review from your existing customer base is not just a recommendation. It is an opportunity for you to grow exponentially. A right review can lead you to the stars or drag you to the ground. Put your thinking hat on and think of creative ways of incorporating these ideas in your marketing plan.
A few subtle changes could make a world of difference.
