Brands: Why and when negative reviews can improve business

Kristina: Should brands utilize negative reviews?

Adrienne Weissman, CMO, G2Crowd: Negative reviews hold enormous opportunity for brands in all industries. First a company must understand that the vast majority of people don’t initially trust a product’s reviews until they see a balance of positive and negative reviews. So establishing a baseline of reviews is a must.

Kristina: What is the significance of negative reviews for retailers and brands?

Adrienne: Brands need to start recognizing negative reviews as opportunities. This is a company’s chance to show their commitment to their customers by responding to the negative reviewer and working towards resolutions to reported issues. Think of any negative reviews as an opportunity to identify the underlying challenges and use this as a chance to improve the product. Once you’ve engaged and addressed the issues, leverage it as an opportunity to show your audience the evolution of your product and/or offering and how customers have influenced product development efforts.

Kristina: What is the significance of negative reviews from a consumer standpoint?

Adrienne: Customers don’t solely trust positive reviews, they require a balance of positive and negative. A product with only positive reviews is frequently dismissed due to a lack of balanced information in the research process. Consumers want to know what they are getting before they buy.

Kristina: What are your top 3 tips for brands to use negative reviews to their advantage?

Adrienne: 1. Implement a review strategy and encourage all customers to share their opinions.
2. Identify negative reviews as an opportunity to engage with unhappy customers and improve their experience.
3. Negative reviews provide insight on your product’s areas for improvement. Leverage the feedback and make the appropriate adjustments, if necessary.