HOT TIP:Including product reviews on your social media business page can be a very savvy marketing ploy.
Consumers tend to trust “real” people’s feedback and viewpoint more than they will what they are being told by the brand or business itself.
A brand or business has a vested interest in showcasing great feedback on its products or services.
Impartial consumers do not. So by providing authentic customer reviews and testimonials on your social profile, you build trust and confidence in your brand – even more so if you don’t delete reviews that are less than stellar.
Balance is important for authenticity, and transparency is the key to building a loyal base of paying customers who are willing to be ambassadors for your brand.
Social media product reviews can also be invaluable when it comes to driving SEO (search engine optimisation).
Marketing your products or services is about much more than just creating great product descriptions, providing high quality images, promoting your business and posting content that engages its audience.
Including product reviews is a very powerful way to drive traffic to your website and ultimately convert visitors into paying customers.
The Importance of SEO
FACT:Most online business operators have heard of SEO but many don’t fully grasp what it really means or what is really involved.
SEO is about more than using a few keywords, publishing a blog, and hoping for the best; it is a complex practice utilising many dynamicparts, both on-page and off-page.
This is why it pays to consult a professional for expert SEO services – but be aware; the most expensive SEO supplier is not necessarily the best one for you.
Like any entity, not all SEO providers are equal and some promise a lot, deliver little to nothing, and charge a premium. It pays to do your research.
SEO should be viewed as an ongoing investment rather than a cost to your business. It should be viewed as a marathon, not a sprint.
When it is done well, it offers a potentially extremely high return on your financial investment. It puts the focus onto your website, emphasising it properly for the purposes of your business.
It targets your ideal consumer and it represents a critical aspect of your marketing efforts.
But don’t be fooled…
SEO on its own won’t deliver you your highest potential when it comes to marketing and results. You must include it as just part of a strategy that includes branding, social media, email marketing, blogging, and more.
It is the cumulative benefit of complementary aspects of all these parts working together and reinforcing each other that will grow your business to its highest potential – a potential that you dictate.
SEO has an impact on the research/buying cycle – it attracts potential shoppers to your website when they search for relevant keywords you are successfully targeting, literally capturing prospects and directing them your way.
Did you know … SEO doesn’t involve just one person.
It utilises teams of people working behind the scenes doing keyword analysis, link-building, publishing unique offsite SEO articles, and an array of other activities that are customised for each client if your SEO provider is doing their job properly.
The right SEO provider will provide regular reports not just on the success of the campaign but also stipulating exactly what activities they are undertaking – so you know they really are working on the strategy for your SEO. Here’s an example of what you should look for in an SEO provider
Myths about SEO
- MYTH: SEO does not integrate with other aspects of your business marketing.
- MYTH: SEO can be carried out without management and co-ordination by a supervisor or project manager.
- MYTH: SEO can be left to web developers or amateurs.
- MYTH: SEO is a quick fix.
- MYTH: SEO techniques are best focused on marketing concepts or product titles as opposed to search volume.
The SEO benefits of product reviews
How do social media product reviews benefit SEO? Consider:
- 90 per cent of consumers will read reviews prior to visiting a business or its website.
- More than 30 per cent of customers will spend significantly more if a business has great reviews.
- More than 70 per cent of consumers will act only after reading a positive review.
(Source: Search Engine Watch)
By using fresh content generated by consumers, reviews can significantly boost SEO results.
The algorithms Google uses to rank websites are being modified all of the time. The current focus of these is on social sharing, content, integrity, uniqueness, and mobile friendliness.
When it comes to data analysis, almost ten percent of total ranking on Google comes from product reviews submitted by consumers.
Customer reviews help drive SEO in the following ways:
- They create fresh, unique, relevant, user-generated content which is dynamic and influential.
- Google places focus on websites with authority and that receive high consumer ratings with social proof of this.
- Reviews are a natural SEO attribute – websites are optimised through a system of keywords, titles, internal links, Meta descriptions, back-links, and other attributes. Customer reviews build links organically for you – you don’t need to do a thing.
- Reviews boost keyword traffic and site ranking, especially for long-tail keywords that other target consumers are likely to use.
- Reviews create a conversation on social media for your business and boost social SEO.
- Reviews provide improved rankings for specific products.
- Visible star ratings on your social profile will be viewed positively by social media users – resulting in a conversion rate boost of almost 20 percent.
It’s worth noting that star ratings are created by Google using third-party review sites. To get the most from this, you need to have at least thirty new, unique, and authentic reviews annually, with an average rating of at least 3.5 out of 5 stars.
How to use customer reviews to drive SEO
- STRATEGY
First and foremost, you need to have a strategy. Encourage customers to leave reviews and “tell us what you think”. Target consumers for reviews and time your request for them leaving a review carefully – always after purchase (within a week is ideal).
Track your reviews and use feedback to improve your business and the customer experience it offers.
- INCENTIVES
Offer incentives for reviews – but don’t allow yourself to appear desperate. Always reply to reviews, both positive and negative.
When responding to negative reviews, remember to keep calm, be polite, apologise, and offer a satisfactory solution to any problem the consumer has.
In fact, you should embrace your negative reviews when they arise: these are what many consumers actually want to see most (it’s human nature) so, unless they are offensive or extremely disrespectful, don’t delete them.
Publish them alongside all the great reviews you receive to demonstrate transparency and trustworthiness, and the fact that you are focused on finding mutually satisfactory solutions to problems.
- MAINTENANCE
Maintain the tone that reflects your brand identity. Don’t waver from this – no matter how frustrated you might get!
Your tone, whether friendly, casual, professional, formal, or otherwise, needs to always be polite, helpful, and yet authentic for your brand. Most consumers can smell a “fake” from a distance!
It’s a great idea to sign up with a reputable third-party review site. Learn about these sites, and work towards building your brand reputation. This will guide you to better search engine results pages.
Social media product reviews can be your best friend, and using them properly can boost your SEO efforts and results exponentially.
So offer a great product, great customer service, and a great brand experience for consumers overall. Invite and actively encourage reviews, publish these on social media, and watch your business grow like never before!
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Meanwhile, you can use your customer reviews in your blogs too. Do you blog?
Part of running an effective business marketing campaign on social media is creating content that gets read and shared.
Isn’t that right?
This extends beyond your basic posts; you also need to offer a blog for your audience to delve deeper into your brand.
Just having a blog is not enough, however; you need to also know how to get traffic to your blog and make it happen.
Why have a business blog?
Ideally published on your website, a blog is simply an easy-to-use tool for connecting with your customers and fans, allowing you to directly share timely and relevant information that relates to your brand, business, product or industry. It is among the most valuable of engagement tools between a business and consumers.
Want to know more? Just click on this link to read all about it
IN OTHER NEWS …
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If LinkedIn is your preferred social media channel, take a look at this course to raise your profile, generate leads and boost your business – so LinkedIn can start working for you.
