This morning, a hotel client asked me how to motivate positive customer reviews on popular ratings and review site, Yelp.
One of the ideas she threw out was to offer a gift certificate to those who commented positively. Another was to hold some sort of contest for a free gift card. These are common responses that take one thing for granted: Genuine praise cannot be bought or sold. But it can be reciprocated and appreciated.
Here’s how that breaks down along with some specific ideas for motivating your own customer reviews on ratings and review sites like Yelp, Urban Spoon, etc.
Why Public Gift Card Offers Will Fail
It just smells bad. Think about it. For example, what if a hotel offered its Facebook fans a gift certificate for their positive review on Yelp? No matter how large or small, it’s still a pay to play situation.
First off, it takes away all chance of an authentic review because the review has been “bought.” Making a simple positive review is pretty low risk, and since humans have a tendency to say almost anything for money or perceived value, they might just patronize your business for their own benefit.
Worse than that, however, is that for all of those who saw your offer – which extends to the networks of your fans and friends, you’ve just devalued, even broken the trust of the ratings site for which you were seeking to motivate reviews. If I know outrightthat the reviews on a site are “bought,” then I’m can no longer trust that site, and it ruins it for the rest of the businesses and users. Now, I understand that your intent as a business owner may be completely pure. And in the old world (pre-social media and relationships marketing), such a tactic was widely accepted. But in today’s world, customers and prospects alike have little trust – and are looking for a reason NOT to trust you as a business. Tactics like these give them just such an excuse.
Bottom line: Reject tactics that offer “payola” in return for customer recommendations or high ratings in any form on any site.
All you have to do is ASK.
First things first: Make sure you’ve set up your page, completed your profile with all vital information, photos, etc. on the ratings/review site in question (This allows you to communicate more directly with your reviewers and gives you some analytics and other information. Your business is most likely present on these sites – you just may not be informed or able to access the data directly.) Here’s what you do next:
- Get the link to the exact place where one would go to comment or give recommendation about your business.
- Post the “ask” on your Facebook Page wall. It might look something like this: “If you’ve ever stayed at our property and LOVED it, you can tell others about it by posting a recommendation or testimonial at Yelp.” Share the link and post. If appropriate, write a blog post or “note” on Facebook explaining the importance of such recommendations to your business – from a customer perspective.
- Tweet out the request with a shortened link to the recommendation page
- Post a graphic on your web site asking for recommendations from past customers and pointing prospective customers to this site for unbiased feedback.
- Ask for feedback as a part of a routine e-mail newsletter. Maybe re-use the graphic you put on your web site.
- Institute a system that e-mails customers within 24 hours of departure asking them for a recommendation while the adrenaline of the experience is still flowing. These will be your best and most vivid comments.
All of these efforts make your customers AWARE of your endorsement and desire for them to participate in specific ratings/review sites, and it encourages them to be human – to share their positive experience with others.
As an alternative to the public campaign, you can ask your best customers for their testimonials. If you’ve been in business for more than a week, you should have at least a handful of loyal, dedicated, outgoing customers. For most of our clients, this list of folks comes immediately to mind. If I ask you to name ten folks who are your “ideal” customer – few business owners hesitate before naming these customers. In this case, call these customers up, send them a private e-mail or Facebook message or Twitter direct message (DM) and just flat out ASK for the testimonial. Send them the link to appropriate page of the ratings/review service. Make it easy for them. Whatever you do, make it a private communication.
Be a Giver. And Always Reciprocate.
Instead of making public offers of reward, I recommend changing your perspective. No matter what the technology platform or off-line situation, a thankful attitude and giving spirit are always in style – and always appreciated – because it’s never done enough.
While potentially controversial among social media purists, this is business after all, and here are two possible alternatives to public purchase of ratings:
1. Say thank you.
When you say “thank you” publicly, you are showing gratitude, taking the spotlight off of you and putting it where it belongs (on your customer) and creating an atmosphere of appreciation and trust among your customers and prospective customers.
Say thank you on the platform, if allowed. Most ratings and review sites have some means by which the business can show appreciation for reviews. Regardless of the tone of the comment, you can learn from it. Be thankful for that insight – and voice it. Future visitors to your business’ profile will see gratitude and a willingness to listen to customers as part of your business DNA. This leads to trust and sales.
Say thank you across platforms. For instance, if someone recommends you on Urban Spoon, but you are already connected to that person on Facebook or Twitter – be sure to publicly thank them on the other platform. Something like this posted on their wall or tweeted at them will do: “Jenny, thanks so much for recommending our restaurant on Yelp! You have no idea how much we appreciate your loyalty.” This will likely lead to an exchange where all of Jenny’s friends and your connections see this and are also motivated to either try out your business OR make a recommendation based on their own experience there.
2. Be a giver.
Random acts of kindness never go out of style. You have a currency that you can spend in your business. If you’re a restaurant, you can give gift certificates or certain food/drink products at very low dollar value – but with great perceived value to your customer. If you’re a hotel, you can give room nights, meals, drinks, value-added experience like free spa treatments or valet parking. Whatever your currency, you can and should spend it to build loyalty through random acts of kindness.
There are many applications for this practice, but today we’re going to focus on how it applies to appreciation for recommendations given. Specifically in this case, I personally believe that you should not give publicly. Use the messaging feature on Facebook, the DM on Twitter or an e-mail to thank the customer and make them aware of your gift. Let THEM do the telling. This is much more authentic and valuable. Once they tell, you can re-tweet, reply to their wall post, etc. thanking them again publicly for their loyalty. Do not in any way tie the gratitude to the specific action of the recommendation in the public forum. May that recommendation simply be a signal to you as a business owner that you have a customer who is sincerely and overwhelmingly loyal – to the point of sharing your business with others. These are the types of customers you want to build relationships with for the long-term. Showing your sincere gratitude to them as part of an ongoing relationship is a great step to this end.
3. Whenever possible, reciprocate.
Do you have customers who are business owners themselves? Whenever possible, look for your customers and their related businesses on-line. Do business with your customers whenever feasible. And if you have a good experience – say so. Go to their profiles on Yelp, Urban Spoon an the like – and leave positive recommendations. Become a fan of THEIR Facebook Pages and leave praise for their business. Comment on their blogs. Don’t ask for anything in return. Be habitual about this. Just build social capital for you and your business – it will pay sooner AND later.
