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How to Build a Better Reputation With Email Marketing

These days, a small business’s reputation is everything. It can quite literally make or break your success.

Here are some key stats to consider from Reputation X:

  • 97% of consumers search for local businesses online
  • Consumers read an average of seven reviews before trusting a business
  • Nearly three out of four consumers say that they trust a business more if it has positive reviews
  • 60% of consumers say that they want to work with a business less if it has negative reviews

To summarize, the vast majority of consumers aren’t looking for a business in the phone book anymore; they are looking on Google, Facebook or even Yelp. And, not only do they actively read reviews before choosing to work with a local business, what they read has a real impact on their decisions.

When it comes to reputation management, reviews are king

Reading reviews has become a key part of the modern local business search, and the only thing worse than having bad reviews about your business is not having any reviews at all.

Negative reviews can hurt your bottom line, but at least when someone sees that you have negative reviews, they know that you’re still in business. You can also turn negative reviews around by replying and following up the right way.

But, when you have no reviews at all, you’re an unknown entity. And, if there’s one thing most people aren’t comfortable with, it’s the unknown.

Having reviews also has an impact on how visible your business is online. Believe it or not, reviews actually have an effect on how your business ranks on Google Maps as well as Google’s organic search results.

Reviews also play a role in how visible your business is on review sites themselves. Business directories want to give their users the pick of the litter, which is why sites like Top Rated Local® display the highest-rated near-me businesses in local business searches.

The bottom line is that having reviews matters. The question then becomes, how do you get more reviews. The simple answer is just to ask.

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The power of asking for reviews

As we’ve already established, most consumers will read reviews before they decide to work with a local business. A lot of people assume that this means that most consumers also write reviews unprompted, but unfortunately, that’s just not the case.

The kicker is that only about 5% to 10% of consumers actually write reviews, which means that the likelihood is slim to none that your customers will write reviews on their own. However, 68% of consumers who have been asked to write reviews are willing to do so.

By requesting feedback from every customer, you’re also a lot more likely to get positive reviews. That’s because, when people do write reviews on their own, it’s often because they’ve had a negative experience.

Asking for reviews is a simple, effective way to boost your online reputation, especially when you take advantage of email marketing to help you do so.

How email marketing can help you build a strong reputation

It can sometimes be awkward to ask for feedback in person or over the phone, and it can often be forgotten when other things come up or get in the way. But, by setting up an automated email campaign, you can ensure that you get feedback after every service or interaction.

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Get more reviews with an automated email marketing campaign:

Email #1 - Collect feedback

The first email you’ll send to customers in your email journey will be a basic feedback question. Simply ask, “How did we do?” a day or two after a transaction has been completed or a service has been rendered.

You don’t need to get too caught up in the weeds here. Give your customer the option to rate their experience with either a thumbs up or thumbs down to keep it simple.

Email #2 - Direct your reviews

The second email triggered in your automatic email journey will be dependent on whether the customer chose the thumbs up or thumbs down option.

If the customer gave your service a thumbs up, the second email should ask for a review. Something like, “We’re so glad you were happy with your experience. Please take a few minutes and write us a review!”

Make sure to include a link to the review site you’d like the review to be posted on. If you have profiles on multiple review sites, you could prioritize one site or give your customer an option to post their review on multiple places.

If the customer gave you a thumbs down, send them a feedback form to enquire about what went wrong and how you can fix it. Make sure that you follow up, respond to any feedback (negative or positive) and use it to better serve your customers.

Email #3 - Say thank you

Whether you’re getting five-star reviews or constructive feedback, all feedback is valuable and can be used to fine-tune your business for future success. So, when someone takes the time to give you feedback, say thank you!

With automated email campaigns, saying thank you is built right into your process. And, you can customize your message based on the type of feedback you’re getting.

If the customer has gone on to write a review for you, say something like, “Thank you so much for writing a review! We value your feedback and our business!”

If the customer has given you feedback based on a negative experience, say something like, “Thank you so much for your feedback. We’re sorry that your experience didn’t live up to expectations, and we’re dedicated to making it right. A customer service representative will be in contact with you shortly.”

Back up your strong online reputation with a professional, modern website that builds trust and makes the right first impression on prospective customers. Pick a small business website design template to get started.