10 Ways to Use Your Online Reputation in Your Marketing

SaleCycle have partnered with leading online review community, Trustpilot, to enable clients to display their customer reviews and TrustScore directly in their remarketing campaigns to boost recovered sales. Something, that leading online travel agency, Ebookers have already implemented.

We grabbed, Ashley, serial blogger and Global Copywriter for Trustpilot, to find out how brands can make the most of their online reviews in their marketing.

Not so long ago, websites were little more than brochures or shop windows for a company. Everything was ‘top down’ – customers were talked to, not talked with. Today, websites aren’t just static. They can literally be the business (Facebook, Twitter and Amazon spring to mind).
Therefore, engaging with user-generated content is a must. It helps build trust in your brand, transparency through your business, and ultimately paves the road for a customer-verified reputation.
Here are 10 ways to use your reputation as a talisman of your excellence.

Before All That You Must Discover Your Online Reputation

I guess the big question is….how do you do this? The answer? Simple. Reach out to your customers. Why say you’re the best when you can just have your customers say it for you? It’s no use saying you’re the best, let your customers tell it how it is. Opening up like that can be daunting at first, but inviting customer feedback is the only true way to build a verifiable, customer-driven reputation in an open space.
According to one study, 92% of consumers read online reviews with another study claiming that 67% say reviews impact their purchasing behaviour.
People buy from people and people learn from people. So let your customers talk about you, and to you, so your reputation becomes your badge of honour.

1 Show You’re Credible!

Your website should be your first port of call to display your reputation.
By strategically placing your reviews on your site this helps guide people who are visiting your site through the purchasing process while showing your feedback.

Here’s how online security manager Dashlane did it, increasing conversions by 14.5% and increasing site downloads by 4.5%. Not bad for simply marketing a reputation.

2 Blog About It!

In an age where content is king, blogging is a key way to connect customers to your brand.
So if you’re learning from your customer reviews, why not write about it? Tell people how constructive feedback has led to changes, or perhaps new products. Feedback is certainly not wasted!

3 Tweet About It!

Social media has become an extension of a brand. Start reaching out to your customers on social media, and show off your positive feedback. Think of ways to engage on these different channels – channels which are often more personal to a customer. What is social proof? You can have a look at the link below to see how purplebricks are using social proof to increase their brand identity.
Here’s how the UK’s number one startup Purplebricks built their social proof with Trustpilot.

4 Google Yourself!

Google Seller Ratings (GSR) are an automated extension letting people know which advertising businesses, through Google AdWords, are rated for great service. Google gathers data for these ratings from a pool of reputable sources, like Trustpilot.
Providing that everything is set-up correctly, Google stipulates that GSR can become visible after a business with AdWords collects 30 fresh reviews in a 12 month period. Your average rating must also be 3.5 stars or higher. Over time, the more reviews you have, the more representative your GSR will be.
Overall, the information on your reputation helps people make informed purchasing decisions. For more information on GSR, click here.

5 Email It!

If you’re running email campaigns, why not insert a snapshot of your reputation into the email? Trustpilot customers can include their TrustScore in their email campaigns, showing in one simple graphic just how trustworthy they are – it’s as easy as taking a screenshot!
And don’t forget social sharing buttons so your customers can further spread the word about how great your customer service is – these buttons can drive a 158% clickthrough rate increase!

6 Remarket Yourself!

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This is something the SaleCycle team is working with Trustpilot on right now! By putting live, updated snapshot of your success in your remarketing efforts, you give customers and prospects the assurance they need.
This is what leading online travel agency, Ebookers, are doing with their booking abandonment emails to help boost recoveries.[/one_half][one_half_last] [/one_half_last]
Find out more about how Trustpilot and SaleCycle work together here.

7 In-Store Shoppers Should Know Too!

Research from Google shows that 34% of consumers research a company both online and offline, and a further 32% do their research in an actual store.

There are plenty of ways you could market yourself in stores. You could take key testimonials written about you and place them on a banner. You could even take some reviews from a particular month and put them on leaflets.
Don’t forget: any offline use of your reputation is static, so make sure to use a date stamp in your marketing so your customers know when your reputation dates back to.

8 Take a Multi-Channel Approach

Online and offline work together. Show your customer reviews online to drive people to your checkout. But even before that, show your success in offline media such as billboard advertising and direct mail, to drive people online.
As long as reviews are present, the relationship should work both ways.

9 Package It!

Packaging is used across every sector. Why not think of it as a way to showcase your reputation?
You could include a small flyer with your most recent reviews, for example. Let your customers know how well you’ve been doing recently.
Research shows that at least 37% of goods are still delivered to consumers in the UK. Cleverly use your packaging to keep your brand on the top of your customer’s mind. Maybe you’ll influence the postal worker, too.

And… 10 Think Outside the Box!

There are literally hundreds of ways you can use your reputation in your marketing. We’ve not even touched on YouTube, Google+, Instagram or many more outlets.
Maybe launch a product entirely designed by the feedback customers gave you? Perhaps make a bunch of TV ads featuring your online reputation? TV commercials featuring Trustpilot or a company’s TrustScore need approval beforehand. Whatever it is, just get in touch!
When you’ve got the creative spirit, no idea is a bad idea. So build your reputation, be creative, and let your reputation shine!

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Ashley Scrace Global Copywriter – Trustpilot

Ashley is the Copywriter for global online review community Trustpilot, scribbling anything and everything related to online reviews, customer service and online reputation.