3 ways to turn online reviews into storytelling gold

The positive things consumers say about your organization and its products and services can help you identify tales and experiences to connect with your audience.

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

This article originally appeared on PR Daily in September of 2017.

Reviews influence action.

Are you willing to eat at a restaurant with a one-star rating? What about getting a haircut from a two-star salon? It’s understandable if your answer is “no,” but ask yourself why. If you’ve never been to these establishments, how do you know you won’t have a better experience?

According to BrightLocal’s 2015 Local Consumer Review Survey, 80 percent of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Online reviews are changing buyer behavior, and communications pros ought to take note of review sites such as Yelp, TripAdvisor and G2 Crowd.

They can yield insights about a company’s products or services to inspire buyers to act. They also can be incorporated into brand stories delivered through earned, paid and owned media channels.

Here are three ways communications pros can use positive reviews for storytelling:

1. Mine review sites for story ideas.

One way to overcome writer’s block is to read reviews on sites such as Amazon, TripAdvisor, Yelp or G2 Crowd for inspiration. You will probably find new perspectives and ideas.

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.