7 Clever Ways to Use Business Reviews as Social Proof

Our latest series for franchise owners has encouraged you to get active and involved with online business reviews. So far, we’ve covered the following:

By now, the point should be clear – there are many ways you can be involved in online reviews, and your actions matter! Instead of viewing customer reviews as something passive that ‘happens’ to your business, you can actively encourage and manage the business reviews you get. And on that note, we have one more important subject to cover – using business reviews as social proof. Today we’ll explore this topic and share 7 clever ways to use online reviews to attract new customers and increase sales.

What Is Social Proof?

According to Wikipedia, social proof is “a psychological and social phenomenon wherein people copy the actions of others in an attempt to undertake behavior in a given situation.” The phrase was coined in 1984 by Robert Cialdini in a book titled, Influence: Science and Practice.

Social proof is why customer reviews sway behavior in the first place (and, thus, why you should pay attention to them). The business reviews you get on Google and other platforms form a mounting body of evidence that your franchise is a good (or bad) place to do business. In the case of uncertainty – like when a new customer isn’t sure which business to choose – they will take cues from the people around them (in this case, virtually) and follow the crowd.

So, in a way, just having business reviews out there means you already have social proof for your franchise. But why stop there? This article will explore how you can further use these reviews as social proof to raise your business reputation, intrigue new customers, and grow your franchise.

7 Ways to Use Business Reviews as Social Proof

You can get so much more out of your best online reviews with a little effort and ingenuity! Here are some clever ways to use your business reviews as social proof that your franchise is the best place to do business.

1. Website Testimonials

One of the first things you can do with business reviews that sing your praises is to add them to your website. After all, why should they be hiding on Google, Yelp, or Facebook when you can make them front and center on your own site?

Testimonials can boost your business reputation, and you can add them strategically to many of your existing pages, including the home page, your product/service page, your sales or checkout page, and campaign-specific landing pages. Select testimonials that feature different aspects of doing business with your franchise and match them up to bolster the pre-existing content on your pages.

2. Social Media Posts

Another alternative is to use business reviews as social proof on your social media pages. Using a free tool like Canva, you can create an eye-catching custom image for the testimonial quote and share it as a post or a story. The accompanying text can elaborate on the quote, discuss the product or service mentioned in the testimonial, thank customers for leaving feedback, or encourage customers who have also used your product or service to leave a review.

3. Email Content

You can also feature five-star business reviews in emails. For example, if you have a regular newsletter, perhaps you could add a section about “What Our Customers Say” to feature customer testimonials, or if you are spotlighting a particular product or service, you can share a quote in addition to other product details. Outside of newsletters, testimonials also work great for sales emails. What you have to say about your product/service is one thing, but people are always interested in what the experience is like for real customers.

4. Blog Posts

Another way to use your best business reviews is to include them in blog posts. A blog post dedicated to customer testimonials probably won’t get many clicks (because your blog should be about the reader, not you). However, if you’re mentioning a product or service in an article, you may weave in a quote from a customer to give the reader a user’s perspective. You can do this directly in the text or by adding an image to break up the text.

5. Online Ads

Just like business reviews can be used as social proof in organic social media, you can also use them in online ads. After all, images get people’s attention, and when you’re interrupting someone’s feed with an ad, the most important thing they want to know is, ‘why should I care?’ By selecting customer reviews that will resonate with specific audiences, you can create intrigue for your product or service and improve the performance of your ads.

6. Offline Marketing Materials

So far, we have focused on online or digital methods of using customer reviews – after all, they originate from online sources (review websites). However, remember that you can also use business reviews in your offline marketing materials. If you have a brochure, hand out flyers, or mail postcards, real customer reviews can strengthen your marketing materials by elevating your perceived business reputation.

7. Case Studies

A final way to use business reviews is to turn them into a full-blown case study. While it’s not always possible to track down the person who left a comment on a review website, sometimes you may know the person, or they may leave their full name, or you may have some way to contact them. So, if you are impressed by the review they leave and detect that they are a true fan, consider reaching out to see if they will answer additional questions about their experience. Their answers could be turned into a video testimonial, or an in-depth written case study, providing detailed social proof for new customers. Check out this guide from HubSpot for more information on writing a compelling case study.

Business Reviews Build Business Reputation

As we conclude this series on unleashing the power of online reviews in your franchise, we want to remind you that business reviews build your business reputation, online and off. What current and past customers are saying impacts the perception of new prospects. With your business reputation at stake, you must take an active role in online reviews. As discussed during this series, you can claim your profile on review websites, encourage more reviews, monitor reviews, respond to them (good and bad), and then use the best ones strategically as social proof. The links to all the articles in this series are at the top of this article, so read them all and get to work!

7 Clever Ways to Use Business Reviews as Social Proof