ARK BLOG
Is Your Business Ready for Holiday Reviews?
The holidays are rapidly approaching and with the influx in sales comes an opportunity to receive an influx of reviews as well. Reviews may not be top of mind when heading into the busy holiday season, but reviews can be a powerful tool for small businesses. Not only do reviews help SEO, but they can also lead to higher conversion rates, and are widely used today as a product guide for consumers before making a purchase.
Utilizing the opportunity to gain reviews this season is something we think you should definitely put some thought into! We’re sharing a few different strategies you can action as a small business owner to make sure you are leveraging your customer reviews during, and after, the holiday season.
Use a Targeted Email Campaign to Receive Reviews
By encouraging your customers to leave a review, and providing a direct link to do so, you are increasing your chances of receiving reviews, which we know to be a vital tool when it comes to your small business’ growth.
Here is a sample email campaign that will help you leverage your customer reviews during, and after, the holiday season.
Email 1: Kick Off Email
Start the campaign a few days after a sale (e.g. Black Friday). Send an email requesting an honest review of their purchase, and show you care what they have to say.
Email 2: Thank You Email
If they review it, awesome! Next, it’s time to thank them. Thank negative reviewers for their honesty and indicate you want to improve in the future.
Email 3: Incentive Email Thank You Email
Reveal an incentive they’ll receive for writing a review for you. This can be an in-store discount, a $10 gift card, raffle ticket, etc.
Email 4: Doubled Incentive Email
Ramp up the pressure after Christmas. Double the incentive if the review posts before the 12th Day of Christmas to gain momentum.
Email 5: New Incentive Email
If they fail to post a review by the 12th Day of Christmas, offer a consolation incentive, e.g., the original incentive.
BONUS TIP: Reminder Emails
Sprinkle these throughout your campaign. You’ll stay top-of-mind when customers are looking for something you offer, and these emails will remind them to review!
Don’t think you can keep up with all of these emails and their send dates? Don’t have access to an email builder? Good news! We can help with our Email Marketing service!
Respond To Your Reviews
- Responding to reviews may not be at the top of your to-do list, however, acknowledging online reviews can help solidify your online reputation and add in overall value your customers feel they are receiving by doing business with you. In addition, when responding to positive reviews, you are showing your appreciation for your customers; and when responding to negative reviews, you are conveying that you acknowledge the customer’s complaint(s) and can show a willingness to learn and grow as a business. Don’t think this is something you can keep up with, or not sure of the best way to respond to customer feedback? Don’t sweat, let us help with our Reputation Management service!
Feature Reviews on Social Media
Given that users trust customer reviews, in addition to your usual holiday posts you should also post content that features a positive and helpful review for your service or products. When sharing review posts, you should also ensure that you provide a link that will directly lead consumers to leave reviews themselves. Feeling lost in the world of social media and not exactly sure what you should be posting? We got you! Let us help with our Social Media Management service!
We hope you’ve gained some valuable knowledge about leveraging your reviews this holiday season. Looking for more holiday marketing strategies? Check out our past blog posts, like this one, this one, and this one!
If you’d like to inquire or learn more about all of the services ARK has to offer, email us or comment below! Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for industry news, inspiration, and helpful tidbits for finding small business success.
Sincerely,
THE ARK CREW
