Authentic reviews are more than a stamp of approval for your products and customer service. They are versatile snippets of brand advocacy that customers trust way more than any content you create yourself.
Far from being confined to review platforms and product pages, they can - and should - be used to strengthen your image at every possible touchpoint. So here’s seven ideas on how to make review content a core part of your branding.
1. Repurpose Reviews Across Your Website
As we’ve said, reviews don't have to be confined to specific product pages. Customers will come to your site through multiple avenues, perhaps arriving at your blog, home page, or campaign landing pages. Wherever they end up, they’re likely to stick around for longer if you have brand advocacy there to greet them.
Any decent review solution will have a range of publishing tools - widgets and badges to suit different page layouts, customisable to your brand identity. You could also transform your strongest reviews into images, using them as website banners or in product galleries.
2. Use Reviews in Email Campaigns
Done right, email is an eCommerce brand’s golden ticket, generating greater ROI than any other form of marketing. Review content is the perfect addition, supporting brand messages with customer advocacy. And if you’re using integrated tools like REVIEWS.io and Klaviyo, creating powerful campaigns is a piece of cake.
Assign custom groups and tags to customer feedback, and filters to email campaigns, and Klaviyo will do the rest - pulling through reviews and star ratings relevant to campaign subject matter. From product recommendations to cart abandonment emails, adding review content is a great way to encourage brand engagement.
3. Turn Reviews into Organic Instagram Content
If there’s one place to nail your branding, it’s Instagram. An Instagram for Business survey found that one in two people use the platform for brand discovery, with 63% of users saying it enables more meaningful connections with those brands.
Coming up with fresh, engaging content on a daily basis is not easy, so why not throw the customer voice into the mix? Take your best reviews and turn them into impactful images that are both a continuation of your identity and a form of social proof. These visuals work great as standalone posts, or as content for your Stories. You can also take photo reviews and use them in the Shops tab, bringing your brand (and products) to life through a visible customer experience.
4. Make Reviews Part of Your Paid Ads Strategy
Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or Google, the cost of paid advertising continues to rise. Make your investment count by supporting ads with reviews and star ratings. For sponsored posts on social, you need to stop a scroller in their tracks before they even consider your brand as an option. Trust signals - like star ratings - encourage this, and give browsers the confidence to click through.
When you work with a Google licensed review partner, the benefits are even greater for paid search ads. You can enhance your brand with Seller Ratings, not only standing out from your competitors, but ranking higher than them in search.
5. Share Reviews in Video Content
Whether they’re watching it or creating it, Millennials and Gen Z love video. So if you want your brand to resonate with these profitable demographics, you need to be producing some stellar video content. Whether it’s a product close up, explainer video or product tutorial, overlaying customer feedback adds credibility to your message.
If you really want your brand to sing, let customers create the content for you through video reviews. The most authentic way to show what your brand is about is to share a visual, first hand experience of it.
6. Broadcast Reviews with TV Ads
If your budget stretches to this form of advertising, you need to pull out all the stops to ensure your TV ads represent your brand at its best. And there’s a lot to be said here for including a star rating and trust badge from a reputable review provider.
This is particularly important for ecommerce brands that aren’t household names. Consumers need a lot of encouragement to switch from products they already use, so as well as making your ad persuasive, you need to instil trust. If you’re considering investment in TV advertising, it’s well worth investing in customer reviews first.
7. Don’t forget about print
We tend to think of ecommerce as existing in the digital space, but for the customer, the product experience is a physical thing. That means there’s scope to leverage customer reviews on physical objects too. Objects that travel - like your product packaging for example.
That packaging could be seen by many. And if it includes the products most persuasive review, or it’s 5* rating, it’s no longer just a package. It’s testament to your brand’s credibility.
Customer feedback can do a lot for your brand. It’s powerful, versatile and delivers impressive ROI. The key is to use it to full effect, and add value to every single customer touchpoint.
Blend Commerce and Utilising Analytics
Your reviews can tell you a lot about your customers. Utilising your reviews within your email campaigns and digital space will have a great impact on your business. If you want to find out what Blend Commerce can do for your business when it comes to utilising these analytics, get in touch with us.
Published: April 05, 2022
Last updated: October 17, 2024
