It is increasingly difficult to get conversions through conventional online marketing strategies. The low return on investment leads professionals in this sector to optimize the resources allocated to attracting leads.
Users, exposed to the irritating bombardment of advertising, seek valuable information in other ways when buying a product or taking an interest in a specific brand.
That is why, the techniques to attract customers have evolved towards recommendation marketing .
If you haven’t put it into practice yet, it’s time to start.
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What is referral marketing?
Referral marketing is not a new term, much less an unknown strategy. In fact, it has always existed.
This is the traditional “word of mouth”, where the satisfied customer recommends a product or service to a third party , thus ensuring that the brand gains credibility and trust.
Strategies focused on generating testimonials or positive reviews aim to attract customers and conversions through actions that make a good impression on users.
We must not forget that the digital user is more informed every day, is demanding and comparative. With just one click, you can easily get relevant information about any product, price or opinion. But there is something that never fails, a good recommendation is the key for the user to opt for your brand.
In referral marketing , experienced users become direct influencers for future customers, especially at the time of the purchase decision. Therefore, this type of marketing has a direct impact on the online reputation of the company, consolidating itself as a fundamental strategy to create a sustainable brand .
Already in 2014, a survey carried out by Adobe determined as a result that a user’s chances of buying on the Web are five times greater through a recommendation than through an advertisement.
Strategies to get positive reviews
It is clear that attracting customers through recommendations and testimonials is a very promising strategy within online marketing. But… How can we implement it? How to get positive reviews from my clients?
Before getting into the matter, we must take into account two things:
1. Although at first glance it may seem simple, it is not
It is necessary to “know how to ask for” a recommendation and do it honestly, be willing to receive criticism and continue to improve so as not to damage the company’s reputation.
Behind a positive recommendation there is a long chain of actions that must be impeccable for the user to decide to make a good assessment. It is easier for the user to go to the page to post a bad comment than a good comment, and in this case, we must be prepared to manage it correctly.
2. It is not an action that is achieved overnight
It requires that it be natural and spontaneous.
Let’s forget about adding fake comments with profiles of family or friends. Google is able to detect it and classify it as Spam, especially when it comes to reviews on Google My Business.
In addition, each company has its characteristics and type of public, so it is necessary to carry out a previous study to analyze and implement a successful recommendation strategy.
Marketing actions to receive positive reviews
There are 3 basic pillars that we must take into account to receive positive reviews.
1. Product evaluation
The first step is to get good online support that is integrated with the management of the store and allows us to track customers, purchases and returns.
What this plugin does is display a widget with customer reviews for each product, but it is also capable of sending emails to customers with an invitation to leave a comment on their latest orders .
This ensures that you only receive real feedback.
As if that were not enough, it also incorporates little Reviews stars (Rich Snippets) that will help improve the SEO and CTR positioning of your organic results.
2. Google Reviews
Google reviews are, today, one of the most used and most influential actions for users.
A simple way to get customers to leave positive reviews on our company listing is to create a direct link to the rating page of our profile. You can easily place this link in the signature of your company email, email marketing or Blog.
3. Comments on social networks
In Social Networks, what works the most is to humanize the company and give it a face so that customers can feel close. It is very important to be natural and offer an immediate response system through customer service.
If Facebook or Twitter users verify that, when faced with a particular question, there is a person behind them offering a solution , it will be a piece of cake. You will receive positive feedback and thanks quickly.
Referral marketing is so necessary today that it would be unthinkable not to take it into account when planning your company’s global strategy.
A well-defined and implemented recommendation campaign will begin to bear fruit in the short/medium term, generating a boost in traffic and conversions quickly, which will allow you to save money on other actions that are not giving you benefits.