The connection between social media and online reviews is undeniable. The digital world we live in means the modern-day consumer can find out what a stranger thinks about a business, as well as what their friends think, all with just a few taps on their smartphone.
You don’t have the option of hiding your business from social media and online reviews. The conversations and the comments will happen online regardless — it’s up to you to decide if you want to join in.
Consumers Turn to Online Reviews
Online reviews aren’t just a side note consumers consider when they’re having a difficult time making a decision — they’re a go-to. In fact, 84 percent of people trust online reviews just as much as a peer recommendation, even though they’ve never met the reviewer.
Online reviews are important, but you don’t have much time to make an impression; 90 percent of consumers read fewer than 10 before making up their mind about a business. But 54 percent of people who read positive reviews will visit your website afterward, so online reviews can deliver a high traffic conversion rate in an extremely short period of time.
Consumers Spend Massive Amounts of Time on Social Media
Hmmm … where else do people go online to share shopping horror stories or, on the other hand, share a great experience with a brand or business? You guessed it: Facebook.
Facebook is on track to hit 2 billion monthly active users in 2017. Two billion! That’s a lot of people. And 66 percent of those people log in to Facebook every day.
Thanks to Facebook’s “reviews” tab for business pages, customers are no longer relegated to Google and Yelp as their main review sites — now they can leave feedback on the social media platform that a large portion of the world uses every day.
Reviews posted on social platforms carry a lot of authority. Not only can the user see if any of their friends have rated or reviewed a business, they can usually tell relatively quickly whether the review left on the page was posted by a real person or seems to be from a fake account.
Instead of logging into Yelp, why not just search for the local business on Facebook? From the popularity of Facebook ads to the growing use of social media by businesses, Facebook is quickly becoming the spot to check on a business before buying.
Social Media Is an Opportunity for Authenticity
So you know online reviews are highly trusted. You know consumers are spending significant amounts of time on Facebook. How are online reviews and social media connected and how can it help you increase conversions?
It’s simple – you have to jump into the conversation.
Taking a hands-off approach won’t work. The modern consumer doesn’t trust traditional marketing messages. They don’t want to be manipulated. They don’t want you to sell to them.
They want a relationship, and social media gives you the opportunity to build a genuine, engaging digital presence that connects with individual customers and shows the world what you value.
An active social presence allows you to respond to complaints with kindness, exemplify professionalism and demonstrate your dedication to excellence. It helps build authenticity, which can help restore your digital image if it does take a hit, and helps consumers learn who to trust — you or the negative reviewers determined to take you down.
Cultivate Positive Reviews to Grow Your Social Presence Even More
Of course, just having a great social media strategy doesn’t equal positive reviews. Five-star feedback starts offline with the customer experience. But with a service like Accrue Reviews, your reputation can grow positively online. Taking the time to cultivate top reviews provides fodder for a continued authentic social media presence: You can share testimonials and customer feedback to further engender trust with your audience.
Time to Get Started
Online reviews and social media shouldn’t (and can’t) be ignored. Let Accrue Reviews help you build the digital reputation your business deserves and show future customers what sets you apart!