Encouraging Feedback - Social Media Marketing Tips

Make It Easy For Your Customers
Here are three simple things you can do to encourage feedback from your customers to social media sites, such as Facebook, Google Places and Yelp.

Ask your customers for reviews. Point them to local search locations where your company is registered.

1) URL Shorteners
Use URL shorteners, both of these URLs go to Zajon on Google Places

http://bit.ly/zajon

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=13231396043340665883

If you ask your customers to leave feedback about your company, which one do you think is more likely to get results?

Customize the URL, even though it is shortened, make it memorable. Lots of services will generate a string of nonsense characters (http://bit.ly/cTsxJu). Choose a service that offers you the ability to customize your URL.

I like bit.ly because it lets me customize the shortened URL, in addition to using 301 redirects, but there are many URL shorteners that offer similar features.

2) QR Codes
QR Codes are two dimensional bar codes that can be printed and displayed. If you include these images with requests for reviews, then people with smart phones can use the graphic to go directly to the URL embedded in the QR Code.

3) Printed Material
Include a request for customers to review your company on printed material. Add the URLs, or QR codes to your receipts or other marketing material.

Print out coupons and include the request for reviews on the coupon.

Make Sure Customers Are Happy
If you are going to ask for reviews, then you want to do everything in your power to ensure they are positive. Offer people the chance to talk to someone if they are not happy. When asking for a review, give the customer a person to call if they are not 100% satisfied. Don't just put a phone number or anonymous email address (customerService@yourCompany.com), give them a real name. Say "Talk to John Smith if you are not happy with the service you got."