With COVID-19 causing so many small businesses to close or offer limited service, now is a great time for people to support local restaurants and other businesses that they frequent.

Online reviews are a terrific way customers can support their favorite local restaurants, bars, and small businesses during this devastating pandemic.

In a time of such instability and uncertainty, you need all the help you can get. We’re doing our best to ensure your reviews are positive to help your profits stay stable. Many consumers are opting to shop locally to help their local restaurants, shops, and bars survive. Your customer reviews help create more digital traffic to your company and grow your sales. 

While people are more likely to leave online reviews for local businesses, it’s important to remember that companies of every size and in every industry are seeing the impact of customer reviews. Though reviews affect some industries more than others, consumers are still making it their mission to share their experiences online.

When you think of local businesses and online reviews, restaurants probably come to mind. However, other business types, such as photographers, funeral directors, and accountants, have an important responsibility to ensure a good online reputation. Your online reputation is based on a reliable amount of reviews highlighting the quality of service you provide to your customers.

Today, there are a number of steps that people take before making a purchase from your company. Prospective customers begin by researching your reputation to develop an idea of how you conduct business. They look at previous experiences of others as information to help confirm their decision to do business with you. 

A local consumer review survey conducted by BrightLocal found that 86% of consumers take the time to read the reviews of local businesses. The average consumer will read up to 10 reviews before making the decision to trust a company. When reading reviews, 40% of consumers only consider reviews written from two weeks ago. The study shows 91% of consumers are more likely to use a business because of positive reviews, while 82% are less likely to choose a business with negative reviews. Additionally, 57% of consumers will only do business with companies that rate four review stars or higher.

Your online reviews impact customers’ decisions to do business with you or one of your competitors. It’s safe to say that today, online reviews serve as the new digital form of word-of-mouth. One thing that hasn’t changed is the value of trust. According to the BrightLocal survey, 91% of people ages 18 to 34 place the same amount of trust toward online reviews as they would personal recommendations.

Reviews can have a measurable impact on your company, both good and bad.

As your company grows, it’s important to expand your social media presence to drive more business. What are you doing right and wrong?

Here are four quick tips to improve social media for your company:

1. Figure out which social media platforms are right for your company.

While Facebook should be on every company’s radar, other platforms depend on your audience. For example, Instagram probably won’t work for hospitals, since it’s highly visual, and posting patients can violate HIPAA. However, Instagram is perfect for a veterinary hospital. Sharing puppies, kittens, and other animals will catch the attention of animal lovers and make them aware of the good you do in your community.

Some platforms, such as Snapchat, target younger generations. If your audience tends to be over 21 – if you sell appliances, for instance – then these platforms shouldn’t be your focus. It’s all about finding who your audience is and which social media platform they spend the most time on.

2. Share visuals whenever you can.

According to Forbes, ninety-one percent of consumers prefer visual content over text. Whenever you post on social media, always include a picture or video. Using your own images is best; however, there’s nothing wrong with stock photos. Sites like Unsplash allow you to download and use any image for free.

3. Respond to all social media conversations about your company.

This includes replying to a comment someone made on one of your posts, using the search bar to find people mentioning your company’s name, and replying to online reviews. Stay aware of what people are saying about your company. Customers will appreciate when you address their comments and concerns. Make time every day to acknowledge and appreciate customers, and it will create more loyalty for your brand.

4. Use current trends to stay relevant.

Pay attention to what’s happening in your industry and what your followers are talking about. Twitter makes it easy with hashtags and topics that are trending. Facebook and Instagram can be trickier. Use your company page to follow some of your fans to see what they’re talking about. Make creative content that targets the audience you’re wanting to reach. Staying relevant will keep you top of mind for customers and create new leads to generate business.

To get more followers on social media, you first need to build your reputation. ReviewMaxer can help with that. Try out a free demo today!