Are you a type of person who would see reviews first before going to a restaurant? Me, too! As a culinary enthusiast, I have to make sure a few things before I go to a restaurant that I’m interested in; first, I have to know if the food is not that bad. Taste is something relative and opinions may differ, but if almost 100% of people say it is bad; it is definitely bad. Second, I have to know if the service is acceptable. I have seen people complain about a certain restaurant’s service that included the critics on how arrogant the waiters were, how late the food servings were, and even how inconsistent the service was. Once I saw those kinds of comments on that restaurant, I would immediately dismiss the idea to ever go there unless there will be improvements in that restaurant in the near future. I’m sure this is something that applies to any other aspect as well. As I am also a content writer who provides content marketing strategy for my clients, I realised that customer review is actually the new focus – it is the new content marketing. Why? We often focus on creating content however we please and what we think is good for business. The truth is; content should be made to please customers and based on what customers think is good for them. It’s not the other way around. In this article, let’s dive deep into why customer review is the new content marketing. Keep reading to learn more!

Customer review indirectly determines customer’s decision

Just like what I said above, before I even go to a restaurant, I have to read customer’s reviews first and whether or not I will eventually go to the said restaurant might depend on the reviews. Customers basically feel insecure when it comes to hasty buying. They have to convince themselves if a product is worth buying or not. For that reason, many people would read reviews first before buying a product.

Customer reviews can boost the value of products or services

More than half of all adults now consult customer reviews before making a purchase. Do you know what this means? Yes, that means customer reviews can either make or break your brand’s products. Although I don’t literally agree with the saying “you are what you say”, I can say that “a product is defined by what the user says”, and it’s true. When a customer says something about a product, what they say becomes the value of that product. The more customers say a product is good, the more valuable the product is.

Customer review is your portfolio

A product is our creation and it becomes our portfolio in the future depending on what our customers say about our products. We carry this portfolio forever and everywhere we go. This portfolio is also what defines our business’ reliability and quality in terms of experiences and authenticity in the future that will boost and increase our brand awareness.

So, what do you have to do in order to generate positive reviews from your customers?

That’s a good question. A good review is not asked – it is earned. When you provide products or services that are high in quality, people can’t help but review the products or services willingly without being asked to. Therefore, these are what you have to do:

• Always improve your product and service quality
• Always monitor the progress of the product making
• Always monitor social media mentions, in case you find customers complaining about your products or your employee services
• Always ask customers in case there are things in your products or services that need to be fixed or improved
• Never get tired of interacting and communicating with your customers or potential customers – they will consider and appreciate your efforts
• Focus on making content that is useful, helpful and entertaining as well for your customers
• Content should be made easier for customers to understand your products

Customer reviews and content marketing is just getting started, but watch the momentum pick up swiftly. Companies are desperate to add relevancy (and frankly, effectiveness) to their content marketing. However, the main point is always about customers. Therefore, creating content and improving product quality should be based on what your customers need and being able to make it work is the best reward for your big efforts to grow your business.