Did you know that 90% of consumers read social media reviews before purchasing?
Nowadays, social media platforms are playgrounds where customers freely share their experiences, opinions, and recommendations. It’s easy to express our love or frustration with a brand’s products with just a few taps. And let me tell you, these social media reviews are gold nuggets because they give you real, unfiltered insights straight from other consumers.
And here’s the best part: businesses can make these reviews work in their favor, boosting their reputation, building trust, and attracting new customers. In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into the fascinating world of social media reviews and spill the beans on some fantastic strategies for businesses to get and unlock the full potential of these reviews.
What are social media reviews?
Let’s start by breaking down what social media reviews really are. Simply put, they’re customer feedback about their experience with a specific business, product, or service, and they’re shared on social media platforms.
You can find these reviews on various social media platforms, each with its unique format:
- Facebook: Users leave reviews and ratings on business pages, sharing their thoughts and recommendations.
- Instagram: People love expressing their opinions through posts, tags in Stories or Reels, comments on your posts or ones made during live streams, and via direct messages.
- X (formerly Twitter): Users often tweet about their interactions with brands, products, and services, sharing their experiences and making recommendations.
- TikTok: Get ready for engaging videos where users express their feedback and showcase their experiences in a creative and entertaining way.
- LinkedIn: Professionals and businesses receive reviews and endorsements on their LinkedIn profiles, showcasing their expertise and credibility.
- Google My Business: Users leave reviews and ratings for businesses on their Google Business Profile, which appear in search results and Google Maps.
These platforms provide different types of social media reviews, allowing businesses and consumers to connect, share feedback, and make informed purchasing decisions based on what others have experienced.
Why are social media reviews important for businesses?
Social media reviews are an absolute game-changer for businesses, and let me tell you the importance of social media reviews:
- Grow your online presence
- Build trust and credibility
- Boost SEO
- Drive sales
1. Grow your online presence
Social media reviews are a powerful megaphone, amplifying genuine feedback from happy customers who become your loyal brand ambassadors. It’s like having an enthusiastic army of supporters spreading the word about your excellent products and services. As their positive experiences spread like wildfire across social platforms, your online presence skyrockets, attracting more attention, engagement, and potential customers.
2. Build trust and credibility
Social media reviews are like having your best friends backing you up. They give you honest feedback and genuine testimonials from customers who’ve experienced your greatness. Positive reviews are the ultimate proof that your business is the real deal, building trust and credibility. They tell potential customers, "Hey, this business is legit and knows how to deliver the goods!"
3. Boost SEO
Search engines adore user-generated content, and guess what? Social reviews are the real rock stars of the game. The more positive social media reviews you have, the higher you soar in the search results. It’s time to climb those search rankings like a true champ and watch as your website pulls in a crowd of eager visitors, all thanks to the magic of social media reviews.
4. Drive sales
Picture this – customers scrolling through social media, looking for that one sign that screams "Choose me!" Social media reviews are that sign. When potential customers see those rave reviews from happy customers, it’s game over for the competition. You now have your dream team of satisfied customers, tirelessly spreading the word and skyrocketing your sales.
How can your business get more social media reviews?
Social reviews are the secret sauce to add social proof for businesses and fuel the word-of-mouth marketing simultaneously in multiple online channels. And hey, boosting those social media reviews is a piece of cake.
Here are ten effective strategies to get more reviews for your business:
- Claim your listings across sites
- Make it easy
- Send review requests via email and direct message
- Ask for reviews on a social media post
- Gather positive customer feedback via an upload form
- Engage with your audience
- Run engaging UGC campaigns
- Showcase reviews on social media
- Display customer reviews on your website
- Show social media reviews on your email campaigns and digital screens
1. Claim your listings across sites
According to a study by Pinmeto, claimed listings get more leads, while those unclaimed ones flash a message like "Own this business?," which gives the impression that the business is not actively managing its online presence or is less invested in its reputation. So, claiming listings across various customer review sites like Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook (and more!) is the way to go for boosting your reputation, winning trust, and getting more social reviews.
Claimed listings also come with a cool verification badge, adding a touch of trust and credibility to your brand. Customers know you’re the real deal, and they become more excited to share their experiences. Consistency is key too. With claimed listings, your business information stays smooth across all platforms, reducing confusion for customers and streamlining the feedback process.
2. Make it easy
Don’t let the review process be a hassle. Drop direct links to your social media profiles, so customers can easily leave their thoughts and feelings – just straightforward and fuss-free feedback. By keeping things simple, you’re opening the floodgates for genuine and heartfelt reviews that’ll paint a glowing picture of your brand.
3. Send review requests via email and direct message
Don’t be afraid to hit up your customers and ask them to drop some reviews. Send them a personalized email or direct message to show some love for their support, and gently ask for their honest feedback. Also, let them know that their opinion matters to you.
Remember, nobody’s a fan of long emails, not even your customers. So, keep those review requests short, sweet, and straight to the point.
Here are some templates that businesses can use to get their customers to leave reviews on social media:
- For a restaurant or a business where customers can pay a visit to:
- For a home services business:
- For an e-commerce business:
4. Ask for reviews on a social media post
Another excellent way to boost those social media shout-outs is using your posts to ask for reviews. It’s similar to having a genuine chat with your audience and tapping into the awesomeness of your online community. Just create a post and invite them to spill the beans about your brand’s products in the comments.
And here’s a little secret sauce: Remember to ask them to use your branded hashtag and mention your social media accounts when they talk about your brand in their posts. The most innovative brands have taken this further by gathering all the brand mentions in one place, moderating the entries, and then embedding a hashtag feed on websites, apps, and digital screens.
GoPro uses #GoProAwards to celebrate and highlight the most beautiful images and thrilling videos their customers share on social media channels. Furthermore, they display posts and videos made by customers and influencers in a beautiful stream on the GoPro Awards page.
By encouraging your customers to share content mentioning your branded hashtag, your content will reach new audiences and build more organic engagement. The social proof displayed on your website increases sales, too.
5. Gather positive customer feedback via an upload form
Looking to take those social reviews to the next level? Offer your customers an upload form to share their positive feedback. It’s a fantastic way to gather their thoughts and get more love on social media.
Imagine this: They visit your website, find that slick upload form, and boom. They can express how excellent your brand is in their own words.
With Flockler's Reviews feature, you create a custom upload form, allowing your audience to upload content directly on your website without using social media channels. No more hassle or long processes – it’s quick, convenient, and stress-free.
Do you know what’s even cooler? You can share this feedback across all your social media channels. All that glowing feedback becomes those awesome social reviews that people devour. Real stories from real customers – that’s what they crave, and your upload form makes it all possible.
6. Engage with your audience
When your amazing followers drop comments, messages, or reviews about your brand, they reach out to you – wanting to connect with your business on a personal level. And guess what? You’ve got the perfect chance to grab that hand and give it a warm, heartfelt squeeze of appreciation.
We’re not talking about those robotic "thanks" or "likes" – oh no. We’re all about going the extra mile here. Show them that you genuinely care by responding with thoughtfulness. Ask them questions, get curious about their experiences, and make them feel part of the family.
And here’s the cherry on top: Your audience will notice the love you put into it. They’ll feel valued, respected, and understood. They’ll become your brand ambassadors, not just because of your amazing products or services, but because you make them feel heard and appreciated.
7. Run engaging UGC campaigns
If you’re looking for an accessible and engaging way to acquire vast amounts of social media reviews, running user-generated content campaigns should be your go-to move.
A great idea for your UGC marketing campaign can be asking your customers to show off how they use your products in real life, helping other customers see how the product would fit into their life and how to use it. Let me tell you; I had this moment myself when I bought a home office desk – I was completely sold on the beautiful mahogany desk only after seeing it in someone else’s living room.
Check how Worktop Express does it - they regularly share inspiring images of customers using their products in home design on Instagram. Moreover, they proudly display these amazing UGC on the "Our Customers' Creations."
When you click any of those images, they take you right to the matching product. And believe me, people can’t resist clicking those images and videos – they do it A LOT!
For more inspiration, check some best practices for utilizing UGC in e-commerce marketing.
8. Showcase reviews on social media
Let’s flex those awesome reviews. Share the love on your social media platforms by showcasing the incredible experiences your customers have had. It’s not just about encouraging others to leave reviews but also about boosting your credibility and reputation.
Here’s the trick: Create different visuals, short videos, or catchy creatives to promote those shining reviews across social media. Let everyone know what your audience thinks about you. Oh, and don’t forget the magic words:
"Check out what our awesome audience thinks about us. We’d love to hear from you too – leave a review!"
Want to go the extra mile? Share those fantastic reviews in your Stories, Reels or create a Highlight on Instagram, giving your audience a VIP front-row seat to all the love and positivity you’re receiving.
9. Display customer reviews on your website
Showcasing customer reviews on your website is like rolling out the red carpet for more love and feedback. Seeing those glowing reviews from happy customers sparks this domino effect – they feel inspired and eager to share their own experiences too.
You’ve got to check out Hapag-Lloyd Cruises – they’re nailing it with customer testimonials from social media displayed on their website. It’s a live feed of happy customers sharing their experiences and thoughts.
And let me tell you why it's even more fantastic: When potential customers see those genuine reviews and feedback, it’s like an instant connection – they can trust that Hapag-Lloyd Cruises delivers on their promises. Here’s the real kicker: It’s a proven way to drive conversions. When customers see that others love their cruise experiences, it’s a green light to book their adventure.
For more inspiration, check examples of how travel brands add social media feeds to their websites.
10. Show social media reviews on your email campaigns
When you showcase those fantastic reviews on your email campaigns and digital screens, you’re hitting two birds with one stone. It’s a power move that builds trust and gets more and more social media reviews pouring in.
When your customers open those email campaigns, they’ll be greeted with glowing reviews from real people, right there in their inboxes. They immediately trust and feel excited about your brand and can’t wait to join in on the love fest and leave their reviews too.
With Flockler, many brands successfully collect social media reviews from TikTok, IG, YouTube, and more and embed social feeds in an email newsletter. In simple steps, you can create a styled social media feed for your email newsletter and feature some of your best content and UGC.
