DISTRUST: A BUSINESS’ BIGGEST THREAT

What’s the most worthwhile thing a business can invest in?

Marketing? Nope. Purchasing experience? Nope. Transparency? Close, but no.

The answer is building trust. This transcends mediums and techniques. And it’s crucial. 2 in 3 of your customers will leave unless they come to trust you. Trust-building is complicated, but it amounts to this: Your company must maintain the same friendly, personable nature as a local bakery, even as it scales. Build connections and relationships, and you foster trust.

Start with great reviews. They are the foundation of building trust.

REVIEWS: GAIN A CUSTOMER’S TRUST

Amazon well understands the importance of reviews. It invests immensely in improving the UI, ease of use, legitimacy, and asset uploading of its reviews system. It’s even developed a full algorithm to more accurately calculate star ratings.

So why are reviews so important?

Trust. 4 in 5 of your customers will trust reviews as much as personal recommendations. Ever had a brand recommended by a friend? We’ll wager it didn’t take long for you to purchase.

SEO. Extensive content marketing isn’t required for this somewhat hidden SEO tool. Great Google Business reviews will quickly skyrocket your SEO.

Loyalty. Customers that write good reviews will feel more positive and loyal towards your business. They instinctively remain consistent with their publicized, positive opinion of you.

However, like anything worth having, reviews don’t come easily.

Amazon is strict about limiting seller review requests. It knows that customers hate mass, emailed review requests. Demand is high, supplies are low, and companies are zealous.

Incentivizing reviews is a costly mistake. Customers may agree to it, but they will quickly question the motivations behind other reviews. The reviews that convinced them to buy from you. Better ratings are not worth destabilizing trust.

Plus, there’s a better way to ask for reviews.

HANDWRITTEN NOTES: SHOW CUSTOMERS THAT YOU CARE

Customers will do a lot for you if they believe your company cares about them.

And with IgnitePOST, it’s easy to show them you care. Send a friendly handwritten note thanking them for their business. It makes them feel special. Include towards the end that you’d appreciate it if they left a review. That’s it.

They will want to write one just to repay your kindness, and even if they don’t, they’ll still gain respect for your company. Win-win.

CAN’T I JUST MASS-PRINT DIRECT MAIL?

No.

When I check the mail, I sort it out. Some mail gets scoffed at, some filed away for later, some ripped up. What do I immediately recycle? Impersonal, unwelcome ads. Mass-printed junk mail. A printed review request? Gone.

But anything that remains now has my undivided attention. Ooh! A handwritten letter? For me? Yes, please.

IgnitePost’s handwriting escorts your message into what remains. Past your customer’s junk filter. Because your message deserves your customers’ undivided attention.

Junk mail shoots weeds into the dirt. They may grow fast, but they’ll die just as easily. A handwritten note is an investment. Plant your seed carefully and it will blossom with time.

IGNITEPOST: THE REBIRTH OF DIRECT MAIL

Marketers abandoned direct mail long ago. How come?

Handwritten notes aren’t always appealing. Writing and mailing cards required a massive investment of time and effort, and there was no clear way to track your campaigns.

Not anymore. IgnitePost is the phoenix rising out of the ashes.

Time your handwritten notes to any event in the customer lifecycle. IgnitePost will scribe, stamp, seal, and send the cards for you, and promptly report your results. There is no more economical, practical, and user-friendly method for requesting reviews.

It’s easy, like an email list. The difference: IgnitePost gets 30x better results.

We are wired to love personalized, tangible communication. IgnitePost provides exactly this. So, get ready to wow your customers with authenticity and wow your company with results.

Let’s dive headfirst into the future of marketing.

LEARN MORE

OR, CHECK OUT HOW WORLD-CLASS MARKETERS ARE

• Using IgnitePost to Thank Customers
• Using IgnitePost to Ask for Referrals
• Capitalizing on the Relationship-Centric Era
• Building Customer Loyalty with IgnitePost

REFERENCES

• https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2019-07/2019_edelman_trust_barometer_special_report_in_brands_we_trust.pdf
• https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/

‍