COMMENTS
This is a really great idea! I never thought that giving a web link on paper would actually result in someone taking action...but I guess it doesn't hurt anything to try either!
Great post! As a marketer, I always think of ways to promote a company that I am extremely pleased with. I will tweet about good service and post on Facebook pages. I feel that I only think this way because I am a marketer though. These are some great tips to get others thinking this way as well. Making it as easy for someone as possible almost always guarantees feedback.
Kip -
Great post. With all the attention that's given to the nuts & bolts of inbound marketing strategies (e.g. content creation, SEO, analytics, etc.), I think that companies sometimes forget the original inbound marketing technique: customer referrals.
I recently wrote a relevant blog post about how
great customer service is the best inbound marketing strategy.
@Katie - as long as the URL isn't long and crazy, its more likely to get typed in.
@Matt - totally. Good news spreads slow, but bad news beats you home - best to speed it up as much as possible.
@Chris - I'm pretty sure that saying also applies to DNS issues.
Great article, Emily. We are a new company, and have been asking our clients to send us testimonials which we put on our site, but the idea of having a page with other links is a great one. Going to set that up right now.
It would be cool if one could set up a system (like social media!) where a client could put in one review and have it posted automatically to all my location/business review sites. Any takers?
This is a very important business tactic that many people often overlook.
Its so easy, why NOT do it?
I'm a big believer in mixing up low & high tech tactics as seen in the postcard that listed websites. For a client, we recently promoted a new location to bloggers and media, but also created paper flyers for putting up in local hangouts to reach the target audience. Don't forsake the tried-and-true for the techy-and-trendy.
Dear Hubspot,
How is Step #3 ("Be ready for any and all feedback") and actual step one can take in turning their customers into cheerleaders? It sounds like a related after-the-fact heads-up to me, not like a step one can take that will do what your article title states. Am I understanding incorrectly?
This is a really neat idea. Many times, I am asked by a sales customer to go to their site and leave a comment, trouble is when I am home that comment is forgotten and not further contact made. A reminder is super.
@Erin - I included step #3 as a reminder that you probably don't want to execute #1 and #2 if you aren't ready for possibly bad (but useful) feedback.
To make it even easier, instead of using a separate postcard, you could print that link and a message on your receipt (for a retail store), your invoice (for services), or your packing slip (for something you mail).
On a different note, I saw a restaurant in San Francisco that had a chalkboard out front encouraging people to check in on Foursquare, and (possibly) offering a discount for those who did so.
@Keri - excellent suggestions, and thanks for the on-the-ground tactical view on executing these ideas.
I've seen the "show your check-in for a discount" around Boston as well.
Many thanks for such a creative business promoting tip.
Its a good idea but be careful. One negative review due to a small misunderstanding early on can really hurt the chances of a business, especially a small one, getting many referrals from a particular review site. As Christopher says, get in front of it.
The best referrals are word of mouth.
Not a big fan of anonymous postings on Yelp. I've discovered this new service for Real Estate agents called reachfactor.com to make it easier to get reviews from past clients - it automatically follows up and sends reminders to customers too without being too pushy. They also verify the review and put their badge on it. They also give me widgets so whichever reviews I want are automatically posted to my website, my facebook profile, etc. I love it and am getting great feedback that I'm using to promote myself, which is the name of the game in this business.