Harness the Testimonial Economy in 2018

Whether we like it or not, the digital world is here to stay and it has an impact on your business and brand. One aspect that weighs heavily on your brand is the reviews it receives. The amount of consumers who look to Google, Yelp, even Facebook for reviews before making a decision is increasing almost on a daily basis.

Understandably so, companies speak highly of themselves. Why wouldn’t they? It is, after all, their brand they are promoting and hoping to gain business for. This has caused consumers to rely more heavily on objective reviews or comments from other consumers. What they find becomes the foundation of their own customer experience. Positive reviews make it easier for a decision to be made, whereas negative reviews can combat even the most stellar marketing plan.

Harnessing the Testimonies

Respond: Each review left for your brand needs to be acknowledged in some manner. Whether it’s good, bad, or truly ugly, the review needs to be responded to. By doing so, a few things will happen. Your brand becomes proactive and consumers will take notice. If a negative review is left, this allows for the opportunity to voice your apologies and attempt at correcting the issue. It will also show other consumers that you truly care and hear what the community has to say, whether it’s positive or negative.

Monitor and Track: Your brand may encounter different consumers, those that are really happy and comment on everything, and those who are angry and comment on everything. Give kudos for the continued support for those who continue to display their trust and good experiences. Why? It will further instill in other consumers that you care and that you’re paying attention. Address the negative. Perhaps someone on your staff truly was at fault; don’t sweep it under the rug. Acknowledge the concerns or issue. While some will complain just for the sake of complaining, others may have genuine complaint that need to be addressed. If you are receiving common complaints from numerous people, there is an underlying issue that will need to be addressed.

Be Professional: Remember that your response serves as a representation of your brand. Is the customer always right? No, but, telling them in such a manner is not advisable. More often than not, giving a genuine apology along with the suggestion of taking the conversation offline is the route to take. So not only have you responded, but, you’ve opened the channel of communication in another manner so you can discuss the situation in depth.

Another vital part of harnessing the testimonial economy is having a team of knowledgeable professionals monitoring and maintaining your presence. With years of experience, and clients from multiple industries, Brawn Media is the team you’ve been searching for. In addition to our know-how, we are equipped with BrawnGuard, our Reputation Management Tool. Its purpose is to monitor reviews and will notify our experts within 24 hours of a new review so that you are able to stay on top of your online reputation quickly and efficiently! Contact us today to learn more and to get started on the right path for your brand!