How to Engage Customers of All Ages Through Review Responses
Your business can’t succeed without catering to the habits and desires of younger generations, categories that now encompass many buyers under 40. These two generations represent $44 billion in purchasing power, so there’s a lot to lose if your company doesn’t evolve.
Customer Reviews Vary By Generation
Younger consumers, on average, turn to online reviews when making purchasing decisions. They are informed, and do a lot of research about business hours, location and local activities.
As a business owner or executive, you might be tempted to think that because these younger customers rely on reviews to make purchasing decisions, you don’t need to do much beyond get great reviews. However, this is not the full picture.
Below, we discuss three points your business should consider when attempting to make review pages friendly and engaging to younger audiences.
- Match Their Online Behavior
18 to 34-year-olds are more likely to look at reviews, but they’re also more likely to be skeptical of them. This age group takes what they read with a grain of salt (often rightfully so, considering how many fake reviews are out there now). This means your business has to be on top of its game both when asking for reviews from younger customers and replying to the reviews they leave. They are frequent buyers, but they’re also the least brand loyal generation. They care about the quality (of responses) vs. quantity of reviews. Personal responses left by the business are highly valued and create trust and loyalty.
Ensuring your business has plenty of reviews — and review responses — on a variety of platforms is a great way to ensure you don’t miss out on engagement from certain demographics.
2. Make Things as Convenient as Possible.
Apple and Google Maps are popular among younger generations because they’re convenient. These generations are already using those apps to get around, so it’s easy to also use them to check star ratings!
Your company’s review response strategy should similarly make things as convenient as possible. When replying to a negative review, consider explaining why the bad situation happened (and what your team is doing to solve it) directly in your response — instead of expecting the customer to click a link or wait on an email or phone call.
If you want younger generations to leave reviews, consider encouraging reviews at the location with a follow-up email, a QR code and possibly including an incentive for their next visit.
3. Get Creative and Respond in Your Brand’s Voice.
Gen Zers and most millennials are digital natives. Ensure that there is a direct line of communication from the consumer to your business. They will see right through canned replies, and it’s unlikely they’ll appreciate them. As you personalize your replies, be sure to follow the format of a great review response — thank them, apologize, explain what happened, promise a better experience and ask them to return.
When your business replies to a review, it should always be as personalized as possible. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your reply and show off your brand’s voice — especially if your industry allows for a quirky, informal feel. Including emojis can help create this feel, as long as you use them accurately (and probably only when replying to a positive review).
Response Strategy: Consider Generation Without Generalization
It’s important to pay attention to the general likes and dislikes of customers of all ages, especially younger generations, who, of course, will one day fill the shoes of the older generations — and the cycle will repeat.
Just keep in mind that these generational categories are ultimately generalizations. When replying to reviews, consider why the review writer may have said what they did, and put yourself in their shoes. That perspective will take you far no matter the reviewer’s age.
