…but were rightly afraid to ask.

Engaging with users through the reviews they make of your products isn’t exactly content marketing; customer service is probably the most accurate description. Yet conversing with your stakeholders in this way may lead to new ideas about the types of content you should create, and can help you understand the mindset of your customers – again, no bad insight for an editor to gain.

For instance, suppose a customer has stated that your product, let’s say a flooring tile, is difficult to lay. A good response – apart from passing on the message to your customer service team – might be to create content that explains the essentials of tile laying. This could be a blog post, of if the budget stretches to it, a video post. Scanning through other reviews might also tell you whether the majority of your customers are direct consumers or tradespeople. From there you can create your content accordingly.

From a consumer’s perspective, online reviews are incredibly important. According to the infographic below (courtesy of Swiss-based Web Republic), some 69% of consumers search for online reviews before they purchase a product. So no matter how much content marketing you create, your ultimate sales might be undone by negative feedback.

For more gems on the psychology of reviews – and why you can’t afford to ignore them – Web Republic’s infographic is invaluable.