How to Leverage Customer Reviews to Generate More Leads

Actively Collect Reviews

The first step is to proactively gather reviews from your happy customers. As Jess Schultz, founder of Amplify Group, advises in a recent episode of The Hot Pursuit Podcast, aim to get at least 10 reviews to start, then add 5 new ones per quarter.

Here are some ways to encourage reviews:

• • Follow up with customers via email to request a review

• • Offer incentives like discounts or gift cards

• • Make it easy with direct links to your review profiles

• • Train your customer success team to solicit reviews

“I usually just frame it up as you know, hey, we’re looking to improve our awareness. We’re focused on go-to-market. One of the things we think is going to be really valuable is your personal testimony, because your experience, in your own words, carries so much weight.” – Jess Schultz

Leverage Reviews Across the Funnel

Reviews aren’t just for the awareness stage. Incorporate them throughout the buyer’s journey to build trust and credibility.

Here are a few ideas:

• • Include review snippets and links in sales emails and proposals

• • Feature testimonials prominently on key website pages

• • Share positive reviews on social media to attract followers

• • Use reviews in bottom-of-funnel content like case studies

“I encourage my clients to not just stop there, even though that’s great, that people are hopefully finding us that way and we’re getting more leads that way, but to also use it in the middle and bottom of funnel as well.” – Jess Schultz

Focus on the Right Review Sites

While there are many review platforms out there, focus your efforts on the ones that matter most for your industry and audience. For B2B software, G2 tends to be the leader. Look at:

• • Traffic to your existing profiles

• • Where your competitors are getting reviews

• • Review sites your customers and prospects frequent

“I focus most on B2B software. So in my experience, G2 is the leader there. But you can ask them or you can look up how much traffic is already coming to your page that exists once you create it, or how much traffic is on that site for your category.” – Jess Schultz

Respond to All Reviews

Engage with the feedback you receive, both positive and negative. Thank customers for their kind words. If you get a bad review, respond professionally to understand and address their concerns. This shows you value customer opinions.

89% of consumers would use a brand that responds to all of its online reviews. [4] Handling negative reviews well can even turn dissatisfied customers into promoters.

Highlight Reviews in Lead Gen Content

Weave compelling reviews and testimonials into your lead generation content. This adds credibility to your claims. Some opportunities:

• • Include quotes in blog posts and ebooks

• • Showcase video testimonials on landing pages

• • Feature customer success stories in email nurture campaigns

• • Add review snippets to social media lead gen ads

Authentic reviews build trust in a way that no marketing copy can match! By implementing these proven tactics, you can harness the voice of your satisfied customers to attract new leads and grow your business.