We’ve all seen the effects of bad reviews on brands and businesses.

So, what do you do when someone takes time out to write a positive review for your business?

According to a study by BrightLocal, 87% of consumers read online reviews, and a third trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

That is why it is a terrible idea to sweep client reviews under the rug.

That said, how can you take advantage of positive customer feedback and leverage them effectively?

Here are a few tips that will ensure that the efforts you put into soliciting reviews are not in vain. Take a read:

Use on social media as social proof

Buyers place a lot of trust in the opinions of other consumers when making a purchase.

Reviews from previous customers, photos on your social media pages, even the comments on your posts are all used to help make a buying decision.

According to HubSpot, 88% of consumers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Although social presence is crucial to establishing credibility and trust, the amount of social proof around your brand can help you drive sales.

In addition, social proof has gone beyond plastering positive customer feedback on your social media pages.

Everything you do — from sharing social posts to interacting effectively with your audience — counts as social proof.

How do you enable social proof?

Reply to questions and comments in a timely, knowledgeable, and friendly manner.
Support returning customers by providing them with exclusive offers and giveaways that they will share with their friends and followers.
Reward your fans, who take the time to comment, by offering contests or free products. While this may sound suspicious sometimes, it’s a great way to reward a loyal customer base.
Lastly, use customer reviews as content on your social media pages.

Share positive feedback within your organization to boost team morale

Think about the time when you were recognized at your workplace because of the deal you sealed or the client you helped. How did it make you feel?

Also, if you’ve not been on the receiving end of this recognition, think about how you felt when your colleague was appreciated. Did it motivate you to work more?

As someone who has been on the receiving end of recognition, I can tell you for free that you can’t buy these feelings in the market.

Four reasons sharing positive customer feedback matters to your team:

Positive customer reviews are a signal to your team that they’re doing something right. It reinforces the belief that customers appreciate the effort your team puts into their work.
When you share positive brand reviews within your organization, you’re telling your team that “you see them”. Every employee dreams their employer sees and appreciates their efforts.
Sharing positive brand feedback with your team helps to build their confidence and can also promote productive competition, which can translate to improved sales and customer delight. Employee recognition increases productivity by 14%.
Positive customer feedback also helps you build better workplace morale as well because when people are happy at work, they tend to be happier in their personal lives as well. Business productivity increases by 31% when employees are happy.

Positive feedback helps employees feel like they are contributing and helps them remain motivated by the work they do.

Overall, when brands share positive customer reviews within their organization, it can help build a recognition-rich environment.

Use positive client reviews as office wall photos

Imagine how you’d feel if every time you walked into your office, you saw a frame with positive reviews from customers hanging beautifully on the wall.

This is the visual version of what it would feel like to be appreciated daily. Now, who wouldn’t want this kind of workplace recognition?

Creating frames out of positive client feedback doesn’t just serve as excellent office decor, it also serves as a constant reminder of your team’s efforts and how much it matters to your brand.

When you post customer testimonials on your website or social media pages, you’re creating a positive online brand perception.

However, when you create frames of positive feedback from customers, you’re doing two things:

You’re reinforcing a positive culture within your organization and building brand advocates.
You’re communicating a wonderful message to prospective clients about the quality of service you provide.

How does this work? By creating beautiful frames from positive client reviews, you’re bringing the same social media experience to offline or in-store visitors.

Use customer reviews on your website as customer testimonials

Customer reviews are an important part of creating an emotional connection with potential clients and building trust.

While online reviews are increasingly being taken with a grain of salt, they still convey a sense of legitimacy to a brand. 93% of customers will read reviews of local businesses to determine their quality.

As consumers read through online reviews, they develop an image in their head about your company and its offerings. It’s often subtle, and it’s usually subconscious, but it’s there.

However, if you don’t have testimonials on your site, you are missing out on an opportunity to convert more leads into customers.

Here are a few areas you can add reviews to:

Right on your homepage. If you have a product or service with lots of reviews, this is the obvious place to add them. The key is to make sure that the reviews aren’t hidden in a menu or dropdown. Readers will skip anything they have to “hunt” for, so make sure you showcase your highly rated products and services front and centre.
Your “about us” page. Any time you’re trying to convince readers of something, it’s best to back your statements up with facts and figures, and reviews are no exception. If readers trust your products, they’re more likely to trust what you say about yourself.
Beneath the “add to cart” button. When customers are ready to buy your product, they will also see that others have bought it and liked it. This can increase their desire to purchase your product, too.

Other excellent places to show your customers’ stories include:

Blog post
Sidebars
Landing page/Sales page

Engage positive reviewers and turn them into brand promoters

As more and more businesses turn to online tactics to build better relationships with their customers, positive reviews are playing a bigger role than ever.

How do you convert positive reviewers into brand promoters?

Thank and reward feedback — Thanking a customer for sharing their experience of your product or service offers a psychological reward that can increase their desire to help you out with referrals or become a mega-fan.

“People who receive recognition are more likely to want to do it again in the future” — Christopher Steiner.

Continue the conversation — Perhaps your products or services eased a pain point for a customer or solved a problem. If so, be sure to ask them how you did.

Listening to and promptly addressing their concerns will make them much more likely to share their story with others.

Follow up — Following up with positive feedback is often easier than following up with a negative review, but it’s essential to do both.

Negative reviews are inevitable, but they don’t need to be fatal.

Asking for the opportunity to turn these reviews around and follow up with positive interactions will make the difference between losing a customer and gaining a brand advocate.

Wrapping Up

Richard Branson once said: “Reputation is the cornerstone of all great long-term businesses”.

And that’s true: positive brand reviews help build your brand reputation and grow your business.

Your customers will return to you again and again. And they’ll share their positive experiences with others, helping grow your customer base and encouraging more people to trust your brand.

5 Simple Ways To Take Advantage of Positive Customer Feedback