UGC Reviews Shape Consumer Choices (How To Leverage Them)

Brands are waking up to the power of UGC and it all comes down to trust. User-generated content helps consumers make better, more informed choices, based on what their peers are saying about specific products and services rather than companies.

Furthermore, UGC reviews are arguably the most powerful type of user-generated content since they build trust immediately, leading to rapid conversions and shortened sales pipelines.

But how do they work in practice?

That’s the topic of this guide. We explore UGC reviews in more detail, including how to get customers to write them, when you should display reviews on your website and what social media channels to use for maximum effect.

How UGC Reviews Influence Purchasing Decisions

But first, how do UGC reviews influence purchasing decisions? What’s going on in the minds of consumers when they see this content?

UGC Reviews Establishes Trust

UGC reviews work because they establish trust. Users are more likely to take what their peers (other customers) say seriously compared to in-house marketers.

This attitude emerges because UGC reviewers have less skin in the game. It doesn’t matter to them if they say something negative since they don’t depending on the business for their income.

UGC Reviews Offers An Emotional Connection

Secondly, UGC reviews offer an emotional connection with audiences. Brands can get under their customers’ skin and appeal to them on deeper levels.

As such, UGC reviews are often the most helpful when they include personal stories or reassurance about spending money. Admissions like “I’d recommend spending extra for the premium option” or “We were barely surviving before we used this product” are gold for brands.

UGC Reviews Enable Comparative Analysis

UGC Reviews are also beneficial because customers can use them for comparative analysis. It’s easy to compare products and services between vendors when everyone uses the same rating system.

For example, a customer considering the purchase of a new bicycle could compare a competitor with four stars to you with 4.5. Because of your higher rating, they are more likely to choose you.

UGC Reviews Generate Social Proof

Social proof is another powerful benefit of UGC reviews. If your products or services are good enough for their peers, your leads will also reason they are good enough for them.

Social proof is effective because you aren’t saying anything. Instead, it works horizontally between your customers.

UGC Reviews Address Concerns

Lastly, UGC reviews influence purchasing decisions by addressing your audience’s concerns. Reviewers often mention things that put leads’ minds at ease.

These tiny insights are often the difference between conversion and non-conversion. Small reassurances help consumers take the plunge, provided their peers support the idea.

How To Encourage Customers to Write Epic Reviews

Of course, to leverage reviews, customers have to write them. And that’s not always straightforward. Some clients can be resistant.

So, what should you do?

Make Leaving Reviews Fun 

Start by making the process of leaving reviews fun. Provide an incentive or reward to drive hype.

Some innovative brands do this by sharing storytelling information with their customers. Firms turn the exercise into a creative writing task, with information distributed through visuals.

Others simply enter reviewers into a prize draw. The chance of winning something exciting is often all customers need to leave a review.

Ask When It Makes Sense

Asking customers at the right time is another pro tip. Requesting a review when users have had a chance to use your products makes sense.

For some businesses, getting this timing correct is straightforward. Restaurants can ask for reviews immediately after a meal. However, accountancy firms may need to wait longer because their services are ongoing. It can sometimes take weeks for a customer to determine whether the fees are worth it.

Provide Clear Instructions

When requesting reviews, provide your customers with clear instructions. Show them where they can leave their comments and star ratings.

The best way to do this is by using a survey or feedback collection software. These apps connect them to review sites in a couple of clicks, letting them give their honest opinions.

Avoid systems that require customers to follow long-winded instructions. Only the most committed or angry users will bother with these, leaving you short of social proof.

Engage With Customers Over Social Media

You can also try engaging with customers over social media and asking them to leave reviews directly. This approach can be risky (if customers feel pressured) but it can also be highly effective.

Where possible, offer an incentive. For example, you could enter them into a prize draw or provide them with access to your weekly creator newsletter (if you have one).

Follow Up With Them

Finally, ensure you follow up with your customers. Don’t assume they will take action immediately. Some won’t have the time, energy, or inclination to leave a full review the first time you contact them.

The best approach is to set up a string of automated emails that your client will send until the customer completes the review. These are handy because they remind the client what they stand to gain (if offering incentives).

Remember, you don’t have to go to the effort of encouraging customers to leave reviews when you use a UGC platform, like Billo. Our UGC creators are self-motivated, meaning they can sample and review your products consistently without you having to prod or nudge them. Furthermore, you can pay for as many high quality, authentic review videos as you want, depending on your scale and the audiences you want to reach. You don’t have to worry about research, relationship-building, or any of the other problems that go hand-in-hand with generating reliable UGC.

How To Display UGC Reviews on Websites and Social Media

Encouraging customers to write UGC reviews is only one part of the story. The other is to display them on your website pages and social media effectively. Getting this step correct can often mean the difference between an epic campaign and one that falls flat.

But what should you do?

Embed UGC Reviews On Your Website

Embedding reviews on your website is one of the most popular strategies for using this form of UGC. It’s simple, effective, and provides verifiable social proof for leads. The concept involves adding review links to your website pages so audiences can get an overview of what users think about you (such as your star rating) and click through to read individual testimonials about your brand.

The Profs tutoring agency does this well on its website. It includes a link to its TrustPilot review page at the top and uses a separate banner underneath to highlight its social proof.

Adding these embeds is straightforward in most cases. You can do it for TrustPilot, Google, Facebook, Yelp, and numerous other platforms. Simply enter the HTML code into your website builder or use native tools to position reviews on your home and sales pages.

If you get stuck, you can embed your social media reviews using tools like Embed Social. These make it simpler to organize everything across multiple platforms.

Embed Your Reviews On Social Media

Embedding reviews inside social media channels is also helpful for many businesses. These let you build social proof within platforms so users don’t step outside them.

Most major platforms have tools that set this up for you. For example, Google has Google Business Profiles which lets users leave reviews visible on Search and Maps, whereas Facebook offers something different when you set up a Facebook Business Page.

How to Turn Reviews into a Positive Feedback Loop for Growth

The next step is to turn your UGC reviews into a positive feedback loop for growth. Mastering this flywheel can help you dominate your industry and beat the competition.

1. Collect Reviews Consistently

Start by collecting reviews consistently. The more you earn, the more impact your reviews will have on consumer choices.

Focus on collecting reviews after every customer interaction. Don’t worry if you get negative ones – a smattering of these can actually enhance your credibility. Work on building a system that generates consistent UGC and provides incentives for in-depth, story-driven testimonials. Then, focus on product or service quality to ensure feedback is overwhelmingly positive.

2. Explore Your Feedback

Next, explore your feedback and ask if you can use it to make improvements. Do the same issues keep coming up? Are customers worried about a specific process?

Feedback will often highlight your strengths – the things you’re getting right in your business – and also reveal weaknesses that you should correct.

Don’t pay too much attention to any specific review. Instead, look for patterns in the data to see if the same issues keep arising. These are often the ones that require your immediate attention.

3. Act On The Feedback

You should also act on feedback you receive. Taking action ensures you can address customer complaints and prevent them from arising in the future.

Usually, adjustments will revolve around:

• Customer service
• Quality control
• Managing expectations
• Product issues and necessary improvements

Making changes in these areas requires work, but it is often worth the effort. Long-term clients often notice immediately, encouraging them to continue using you.

4. Highlight Positive Reviews

Once you have a critical mass of positive reviews, start highlighting them on your website. Use them to drive social proof and generate more sales. Add new happy customers to feedback into the system and repeat the cycle.

5. Integrate Reviews Into Your Marketing

Integrating reviews into your marketing on other platforms can have a similar effect. Customers want to learn more about your products, what you offer, and why so many of their peers love using you.

Look for UGC reviews that resonate with specific customer segments. Then display them at opportune times. Leverage suitable reviews that complement specific stages of your marketing funnel. The UGC you promote for the awareness stage may differ from the decision-making one.

6. Keep Track Of Trends

Lastly, monitor trends to see how your customer feedback is evolving. You may notice that demands on you have been increasing since your early days. (Don’t worry, this is normal).

Keep track of these trends and see how they change. You may notice that some approaches that worked in the early days don’t anymore and require adjustment.

Best Practices for Showcasing UGC Reviews: What Works?

Showcasing UGC reviews is a combination of art and science. On the one hand, you have to follow the data, but on the other, you use your initiative. It’s a balance.

Here are some best practices to get you started:

• Update the reviews showcased on your home and product pages regularly. Don’t let anything sit there for more than two years (your services are likely to change during that time)
• Showcase video reviews where possible. You can source an unlimited number of these from UGC management platforms, like Billo.
• Integrate your UGC reviews with your email marketing, leveraging it to deliver social proof to leads
• Celebrate customers who contribute high-value UGC, discussing their feedback and creating events, like “Customer of the Month” to highlight their dedication
• Get users to respond to you by leaving comments under their reviews, encouraging a real conversation, driving UGC visibility
• Showcase different customer experiences. If you sell a range of products, showing you can perform across the board instead of a narrow niche
• Make your UGC review content as visual as possible, making it stand out on your pages (where possible)
• Feature your reviews on other properties, like your social media channels, providing followers with regular updates on their feeds

UGC reviews are among the most powerful forms of UGC available. However, acquiring them quickly through conventional channels isn’t always possible. It takes time for organic content, like reviews, to emerge.

Again, that’s where Billo can help. Our UGC management platform connects you to thousands of creators who can generate videos based on their experience with your products, allowing you to post them online to build trust. Each influencer goes through a vetting process and is available for hire for a flat fee of $99/video.