Why wouldn't it be equally important for SMEs? In fact, many SMEs are also aware of this situation and take into account that opinion is often their best marketing campaign .
Recommend for the good and also for the bad
Customer recommendations can go in two very different directions. It is possible to find recommendations that encourage the purchase of a product or service , given the benefits of the brand or company that manages it; or the opposite. It is also possible to find recommendations that warn against buying a certain product or service , because it does not satisfy the needs or expectations of customers, or because of problems that it may cause the consumer.
The reasons why customers make positive recommendations are usually related to the fact that their expectations regarding the purchase have been exceeded. It is difficult for a customer to make a recommendation when everything is going as expected, and it is easier for them to open their mouth when problems of some kind arise: quality problems, poor customer service, non-compliance with contractual conditions, there are many reasons that can lead a dissatisfied customer to negatively recommend a company's services or products.
The main problem with negative reviews is that they are very college and universities email list hard to get started . All the effort put into shaping the product or service and marketing it can be ruined by a customer posting a negative review on a forum where it will have a big impact. There is no need for mass media, the seed can be planted anywhere and spread through the target market like wildfire. For example, in the neighborhood of a small store that only serves the area, a few days would be enough for the neighbors to comment on the poor details of the service provided.
Fernando González, BBVA's chairman, said at a recent conference that positive recommendations nowadays move in seconds, thanks to the Internet. He then added that negative recommendations move in milliseconds , which was leading the entity he heads towards a process of reconversion to be prepared to face this scenario in which we now live.
Buying recommendations is not a good idea
One strategy that some companies follow is to buy recommendations . A famous person or someone who has influence in a certain market is hired and they are asked to recommend a brand or product through a channel. Social networks are a very attractive place nowadays, where some people offer to publish messages on their profiles in exchange for sums of money.
