Remember that marketing funnel we talked about months ago? Probably not, but here's the spoiler alert: the last step for a customer on their customer journey is ADVOCACY.
Advocacy means that your customer is actively going out there and gushing about your product or services and encouraging others to contact and buy from you.
This is the most effective marketing tool for you. We trust word of mouth more than any Facebook ad, mailer or email blast.
A form of this advocacy is testimonials. Here are five reasons why the extra effort to request and gather reviews will pay off in spades for your business!
1. It's All About Trust
People are scared to spend money. And they should be. Think about all of the scams out there. Now think about all of the cheaply made products you've purchased or the unpleasant customer reps you've dealt with when hiring a service. A lot of times those previous experiences are enough to talk you out of purchasing the items or services in the future. It's not worth the hassle.
So how do you combat that? You let your customers rave about you. If I'm wondering whether or not this product will break in a couple weeks, nothing changes my mind faster than a fellow consumer saying they've been using the product for years.
If I'm worried that I'll contract your landscaping service and you won't show up or answer my calls, nothing will convince me differently faster that someone saying your response time is excellent and your team is always early on the job.
First hand accounts are always believed first.
2. Tug on Those Heartstrings
If you read our blog about The Golden Circle, you know that most of the time it is actually our emotions that control our spending, not our rationale. For example hearing that a computer is faster than others is nice but not as powerful as hearing that I could accomplish twice as much work in the same amount of time. Same point, different emotional appeal.
Same with your reviews. Encourage your past consumers to talk about how your product or service improved their quality of life or made their jobs easier. Keep it personal!
3. Storytelling
Everyone likes a good story. Stories are relatable. Let your past customers tell theirs and your future customers draw connections.
People want to hear about other people, not your business. Let your company have been the tools used by your customer (the hero) to be successful.
4. People Trust People
How many companies do you hear making promises? You'll run faster. Look cooler. Be smarter. Work harder. You hear these marketing ploys so often that they go in one ear and out the other. People don't connect to companies. They connect to the people in them. They connect to a culture not a product.
That being said, hearing a person telling them that your product changed their life does a lot more good than you trying to convince them that your product would change their lives.
5. Stealth Mode
Ads slap you in the face. You're driving down the freeway and you see a billboard for the local casino. You're at the gym and you see a commercial for a streaming service. You're opening your mail and you get a flyer for a smoothie cafe. These ad campaigns are everywhere. Constantly. They're so inundated in our lives that we filter them out of our consciousness.
We live in a world where everyone and every company has their hand out looking for a piece of the pie you work hard everyday to have. So if you're competing with everyone how can you possibly be heard over the static of everyone else?
That's easy. You talk to your customer about your customer. Not your product or service. You offer them a cleaner, lighter life, you don't sell them a vacuum. You offer peace of mind and a place of zen, you don't sell them landscaping services. You are the liaison to an easier life for your customer. Don't sell them a temporary fix, sell them a lifestyle change.
Turn to testimonials to keep it about what truly matters... your customer.
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