User generated content as a part of web 2.0 has been a focus for many companies in the US and the UK for a number of years now. The developed markets are moving more into Web 3.0 and the semantic web, but here in the UAE we are still very much focused on user generated content. And for good reason. As we as consumers become more and more web savvy, we are also becoming better at filtering out the noise, or rather, the Spam. In the online arena, shouting about how good you are and how long you’ve been in business is a good strategy for wasting both yours and your potential customers time.
We as people have a much greater trust for our peers than the major or minor corporation trying to sell us their wares. To the point where, on sites like Tripadvisor, we will believe the review of a complete stranger over what the hotel or restaurant actually has to say. And Google have been wise to this for some time now. You only have to see how they have introduced the star system and reviews into the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) to know how much value they place on peer reviews. This means that when you do get the kind of glowing reviews that put a big smile on your face. You should leverage them!
Below is an example of a peer recommendation for our client the Beat The Cyberbully initiative. Clean and concise and it’s the customers voice not that of the initiative.
Use your imagery to convey customer satisfaction. Much like no one really cares about your website (it’s harsh but true) – they are only interested in getting the answer to whatever question they posed that brought them to your online shop window (website) – no one really actually cares about you telling them how good your product or service is. They want to hear it from your customers. They want testimonials and proof that other people (just like them) have used your products or services and have loved it. The power of a peer to peer recommendation is huge. In fact A Harvard Business School Study by Michael Luca (2011) revealed that a one star improvement on your Yelp score, could result in between a 5-9% increase in revenue.
Get your customers to help you get more customers. Brand ambassadors and fans are priceless in this user generated content age of the internet. So develop them and then give them the ammunition (fantastic looking imagery that resonates with them) to go find more people just like them!!