The Rise of B2B Product Reviews
How B2b Marketers can Leverage Customer Voices to Drive Relevance & Revenue
CLOUD TRANSFORMATION SERVICES Defining, Guiding, Designing, and Implementing ITaaS, ESM, DevOps, and Cloud Solutions.
CONTENTS 01 THE B2B PRODUCT REVIEW OPPORTUNITY 02 B2B PRODUCT REVIEW TRENDS AND BEST PRACTICES FOR MARKETERS 03 ENCOURAGING YOUR CUSTOMERS TO WRITE PRODUCT REVIEWS 04 GLASS HALF FULL: HOW TO LEVERAGE NEGATIVE REVIEWS 05 HARNESS THE GROWING POWER OF YOUR CUSTOMERS’ VOICES SUCCESS STORIES: HOW B2B MARKETERS 06 ARE LEVERAGING PRODUCT REVIEWS FOR SUCCESS Product Reviews Level the Playing Field for Kimble’s Specialized PSA Solution Looker Connects with Buyers at the Right Time on LinkedIn 07 THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LINKEDIN AND G2 CROWD 02
CHAPTER 01 THE B2B PRODUCT REVIEW OPPORTUNITY In the internet age, consumers control more of a brand’s reputation than ever before. One flash point of this shift in power from businesses to consumers is the impact of online product reviews — think Yelp, think TripAdvisor — to When was the last time you influence the purchase process. booked a hotel or ordered an item online without having This same process of browsing prior, informed knowledge reviews and checking in with peers is of the product? EXACTLY. now increasingly common throughout the B2B purchase process. As today’s business landscape grows in complexity, savvy B2B buyers are relying — more than ever — on the opinions and expertise of colleagues, peers and trusted networks when researching and making purchase decisions. 03
TECHNOLOGY BUYERS TRUST THEIR PEERS 8 in 10 decision-makers look outside the buying committee for information and counsel on B2B solutions. CASE Reviews, surveys, and usage 51% stats from fellow technology IN POINT: users make up 51% of today’s trusted sources. A recent survey from LinkedIn found that online ratingS and reviews Play 70% of technology a significant role in over 70% buyers are likely to discuss halF oF all technology solutions or vendors with Purchases. their professional peers. External discussions around technology solutions and products are highly leveraged resources for both IT and non-IT functions. 04
The evolution of the buying process has embraced We’ve created this guide to explore the transparency provided by real user reviews. how B2B marketers can take better advantage of the review ecosystem that Recent research from Northwestern exists — whether they’re participating 95% University shows that 95% of in it or not. In this guide, we’ll examine: shoppers use online reviews before making a purchase. Why reviews are becoming increasingly important And a product with five reviews has to B2B marketers 270% a 270% higher likelihood of purchase How B2B marketers can than a product with zero reviews. leverage B2B product reviews Because buyers want more insight into the value, How B2B marketers can function, and reliability of products, they use many encourage their customers sources to gain this insight. Often, our peers provide to write product reviews this information, and many times their insight is devoid of traditional advertising and brand messaging. How to leverage negative reviews This is even more relevant for businesses and Why B2B product reviews are professionals. In fact, peer-to-peer, influencer, part of a larger push toward practitioner, colleague, and authenticated and investing in customer voice verified user reviews are today’s primary sources as a business and marketer for pre-purchase B2B guidance, education, Success stories on how B2B and research. We see this firsthand as 550,000+ marketers are leveraging product LinkedIn authenticated and human verified user reviews inform purchasing decisions for nearly two reviews. million monthly unique visitors on G2 Crowd. 05
MARKETERS CANNOT LIVE BY BRANDED CONTENT ALONE First, accept that brand marketing and CHAPTER 02 vendor-supplied content cannot drive B2B PRODUCT new business exclusively. With approximately two-thirds REVIEW TRENDS 2/3 of customers steering clear of AND BEST branded content altogether, PRACTICES FOR we must rethink how our brands MARKETERS build trust and condition consumers and professionals to champion our products and services. For marketers to effectively leverage and tap into the power Stress test this against your own buying behaviors, of B2B reviews, there are four both personal and professional. We’ve all learned to key trends and best practices make better, more informed purchases — priming to take note and advantage of. ourselves to relentlessly seek the truth. 06
MARKET YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO SOLVE PROBLEMS Second, B2B buyers seek realistic expectations of products that will come close to meeting their needs — and brand affinity will not likely place vendors on the short list. Spend time evaluating how your products or solutions are marketed to solve business problems, and why (or why not) they complement or fit new and existing technology ecosystems. The reality is that buyers are not looking for the perfect product, they are looking for the product that best fits their needs. A small business does not want to purchase a product designed for enterprise customers. And if usability is the primary concern, then it is not searching for the product with the fastest implementation process. When you tell your product story, provide an honest look at your strengths and help prospects find the best fit. In turn, they are more likely to become loyal customers. 07
4.2–4.7 IN REVIEWS, LEVERAGE AUTHENTICITY WINS UNBIASED REVIEWS Third, if there are too many good reviews, Last, vendors are quickly embracing buyers won’t believe it. Research from the huge potential and benefits Northwestern University shows that products with an of reviews. Buyers want unbiased average star rating in the 4.2-4.7 range are MORE information to help find their likely to be purchased than those with near-perfect optimal solution. Brands that are ratings. This tells us that buyers are keen for honest, ahead of the curve leverage B2B real opinions. In fact, it’s hard to pinpoint one single reviews to sell to customers who are product or service that has only happy customers. educated and ready to buy. Embrace the good and the bad about your offerings — and use this as a discussion point to qualify the investment and how it can address your customers’ business needs. Critical reviews are an opportunity for vendors to publicly engage with dissatisfied The bottom line? Marketers customers and exhibit their customer service, should seriously consider which is central to any business relationship. These implementing a review strategy. reviews can also reveal true product fit use cases, as Your competitors certainly are. well as insights into the strength and weakness of both you and your competitors’ product(s) and features. 08
CHAPTER 03 ENCOURAGING YOUR CUSTOMERS TO WRITE PRODUCT REVIEWS Spiegel’s research, referenced before, also uncovers that product reviews may have even greater importance to B2B than to B2C marketers due to the likelihood of higher- consideration purchases being made. One illuminating figure from the report: “Based on data from a gift retailer, When reviews were when reviews were displayed for a lower-priced product, displayed for a lower-priced the conversion rate increased 190%. However, for a higher- product, the conversion priced product, the conversion rate increased 380%.” 190%rate increased 190%. Another finding revealed that, in general, more reviews lead to more purchases. “When products begin displaying reviews, conversion rates escalate. Having five reviews causes For a higher-priced purchase likelihood to increase by a factor of nearly 4x.” product, the conversion 380%rate increased 380%. Adding to these insights, a new Forrester report entitled, “Driving Customer Engagement with B2B Ratings and Reviews,” reveals that quality reviews play a crucial role in shaping purchase intent. “For ratings and reviews, review Five reviews causes quality is the key to attracting readership and interest. purchase likelihood to Reviews such as ‘It’s great’ or ‘Don’t buy this’ don’t offer increase by a factor of enough detail to be useful for the typical B2B customer.” 4X nearly 4x. 09
Compounding these recent findings, we recognize that attracting an optimal volume of quality reviews can be a challenge for B2B marketers. TO HELP, HERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO ENCOURAGE REVIEWS AND RATINGS OF YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. ACTIVELY SOLICIT TAKE THE EXTRA STEP AND MAKE IT EASY FOR CUSTOMERS REVIEWS AND RATINGS ENCOURAGE COMMENTS TO SUBMIT REVIEWS Don’t be shy about asking Once a review is posted, it’s Noting that many B2B markets are customers to review and rate not the end of the story. The small and competitive, Forrester your products so you can reach a best reviews — both negative encourages companies to critical mass of customer input. In and positive — can stand up to ask customers to submit the Forrester report, Bruno cited scrutiny by peers in the industry. testimonials. With sites two companies that successfully Forrester posits that this kind of now offering reviewers the ability solicited reviews: Intuit and 3M. interplay between product users to write high-quality, verifiable For its TurboTax product, Intuit should be fostered, and that input with confidentiality, Forrester solicited reviews “seconds after “B2B sites must encourage also recommends “making it users submitted their taxes,” while other customers to validate or easy for users of the product a healthcare division of 3M placed invalidate existing opinions.” to submit reviews by review submission screens in embedding reviews forums and communities. These and rating two approaches were found to opportunities “increase review volume [in one as part of the online community] by 200% in installation just three days.” or customer service process.” 10
STRIVE FOR AUTHENTICITY Ideally, marketers want reviews to be submitted by end users rather than purchasing managers. “With 97% of IT buyers indicating that they rely on peer recommendations, ratings, and reviews when it comes to buying business software, B2B sites must give special status to reviews posted by power users of a product,” says Forrester. The inclusion of negative reviews also lends an air of credibility to a website — with 82% of shoppers making a point to read negative reviews, per PowerReviews. The aforementioned Spiegel report further supports this point, noting that “readers are skeptical of reviews that are too 97% of IT buyers positive and, in many cases, a negative indicate that they rely on online review is seen as more credible.” 97% peer recommendations, ratings, and reviews EXTEND THE REACH OF REVIEWS when it comes to buying business software The syndication of reviews can create a multiplier effect. “Several digital business pros who Forrester interviewed indicated that syndicating their ratings 82% of shoppers and reviews to supplier and manufacturer partners 82% make a point to read increased the total net number of ratings and reviews negative reviews across the entire channel,” Bruno writes. 11
Today’s buyer selection process revolves around education and trust. In fact, 85% of technology 85% decision-makers read up to 10 online reviews before making a purchase — and 53% rely on peer 53% recommendations, per G2 Crowd’s latest research CHAPTER 04 on customer reviews. Honest voices from savvy customers help to build GLASS HALF FULL: credibility and transparency around your products HOW TO LEVERAGE or services in a way that traditional advertising cannot. Take it from the experts, as user behavior NEGATIVE REVIEWS on G2 Crowd recently showed that: As the saying goes, it’s impossible to negative reviews (those with please everyone. But in the world of one or two stars) receive nearly B2B reviews, a frustrated or unhappy 200% to 300% more clicks and customer can be one of your biggest 300% views than positive reviews. assets. It’s true: You can turn For marketers, this reveals untapped opportunity negative reviews into a positive. to leverage reviews without the stress of striving LET US EXPLAIN. for perfection. And when it comes to making lackluster feedback work in your favor, try the following quick roadmap to success. 12
Embrace and promote the Offer a response, clear up Build relationships with and gamut of existing online misconceptions, or provide help influence your community feedback about your company, further insights from your of reviewers. At this stage, it’s and contribute to these brand as a next step. Shoppers important to respond quickly, conversations. Now that the who seek out negative reviews thank the customer for their Consumer Review Freedom are more engaged with their pre- feedback, and explain how you’ll Act is in place, you can no purchase research, viewing nearly fix the issue at hand. This shows longer prevent consumers from four times as many products as that you care and will go a long expressing negative opinions, so the average visitor to a site. way toward helping to build trust. you’re better off owning up to any shortcomings and positioning them as a learning experience. STILL NOT CONVINCED? A RECENT HARRIS STUDY CONCLUDED THAT 18% OF PEOPLE BECAME LOYAL CUSTOMERS AFTER A COMPANY RESPONDED TO THEIR LESS-THAN-POSITIVE REVIEW. 13
Recognize that solutions are built to fit better with some companies than others. One size rarely fits all. Some software is designed to help small businesses, while others are amazing solutions for enterprise players. In other instances, a solution is built to excel in a certain business vertical. Discussions with negative reviewers can often lead to a better product fit, more satisfied customers, and perhaps better reviews. Be sure to use filtering options on review sites to get the best data and feedback for your company size, industry, etc. Proactively gather insight on what you can do better. It’s possible that a complaint exposes real problems with your product or service. Use this valuable information to fuel your customer experience feedback look — and don’t forget to thank the brave person who submitted the feedback. Once an issue has been addressed or corrected, reach out and seize the opportunity to ask for an updated review. This is the most important step you can take to help influence future purchasing decisions. 14
CHAPTER 05 HARNESS THE GROWING POWER OF YOUR CUSTOMERS' VOICES As we all know, buyer voices control the Effective marketers are beginning majority of today’s purchase process, to understand that product reviews and playing an active role in this can have an outsized influence on conversation is a critical step for B2B the entire funnel and the complete brands. Turn detractors into champions customer experience — from product and loyal customers by encouraging development and thought leadership an open, honest, and constructive to website and social media marketing. atmosphere. In time, this will lead to satisfied customers, a better product, Ultimately, reviews and customer and — most importantly — more sales. comments on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter are The value of product reviews is a fertile ground for marketers. By growing, and growing fast. No longer paying attention to customer voices, are reviews solely lower-funnel marketers can learn how their products marketing opportunities. and services are being perceived in the marketplace. Product reviews and customer comments can even provide a pathway for marketers and engineers to understand how their products and services can be improved or marketed more effectively. 15
HERE ARE SEVEN WAYS MARKETERS CAN USE PRODUCT REVIEWS THROUGHOUT THE FUNNEL — FROM DESIGNING BETTER PRODUCT ENHANCEMENTS TO UPSELLING AND CROSS-SELLING EXISTING CUSTOMERS. R&D — DEVELOP NEW PRODUCE THOUGHT GENERATE PRODUCTS AND IMPROVE LEADERSHIP AND CASE STUDIES CURRENT ONES OTHER CONTENT For marketing teams looking to Through product reviews, By monitoring product reviews and feature customer voices, positive customers can often provide customer comments on social media product reviews are a must-have. clues as to what additional platforms such as LinkedIn, marketers In the past, case studies have features they’d like from a can get a window into what their been challenging for marketers to product. By paying careful audience cares most about. For produce. It’s often a challenge to attention to reviews and user instance, if your product has dozens find a customer who: a) loves your comments, marketers can of features but users focus their product, and b) is willing to say so discern how to improve current comments on only two or three, this publicly. With positive reviews, a) and products by fixing flaws and can be an opportunity for insightful b) are taken care of; all that remains even develop ideas for marketers to build thought leadership is convincing the happy customer to new products by fulfilling content around the features that are participate in a formal case study. customer wishes. most important to their audience. Even negative product reviews Additionally, marketers can monitor can provide opportunities for case what the audience is saying about studies. When a company solves the competitors and emphasize any problem in a bad review, the story of advantages to craft content that turning a negative into a positive can gives their company the upper hand. make for a compelling customer tale. 16
ADDRESS NEGATIVE REVIEWS HEAD-ON While negative reviews are unfortunate, they also present a big opportunity. Shoppers who seek out negative reviews are generally more engaged with their pre-purchase research, viewing almost four times as many products as the average visitor to a site. Marketers should seek out customers who have posted bad reviews, offer a response, and clear up misconceptions. If these negative reviews identify a genuine problem, marketers should work to get the issue fixed. And when customers who post a bad review have their issue addressed, marketers can even reach out for updated — and presumably more positive — reviews. SUPPORT ACCOUNT-BASED MARKETING Account-based marketing relies on strong communication between marketing and sales. By monitoring product reviews and social media comments by specific customer accounts, marketers can glean important information that can be passed to their sales counterparts. The sales team can then use these insights to better understand what specific accounts need and want. 17
EQUIP SALESPEOPLE WITH THE TOOLS AND CONTENT TO COMMUNICATE MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH CUSTOMERS AND PROSPECTS In addition to supporting ABM and tactics for addressing specific PROVIDE SALES ENABLEMENT accounts, product reviews can Marketing can curate key learnings from product inspire content that addresses how reviews, such as comments that help inform how the the broader marketplace responds market is thinking about or pushing back on your to your products, including the products/services. This approach helps salespeople identification of pain points that update their positioning, ensure they’re proactively need to be addressed. By studying addressing potential concerns, and, as a result, product reviews and social increase their likelihood of winning deals. media comments by the target audience, marketers can better The customer voice is becoming more crucial every equip salespeople with content day, and listening to it can be the difference between and presentations that speak marketing that succeeds and marketing that fails. directly to customers’ needs. Product reviews are a key part of the customer voice, and marketers who pay close attention to this aspect of the customer voice can boost their effectiveness throughout the funnel. 18
CHAPTER 06 SUCCESS STORIES: How b2b marketers are Leveraging PRODUCT REVIEWS FOR SUCCESS There’s no question that review sites are crucial platforms for business and consumer markets. The experiences of Kimble and Looker go a long way in demonstrating the value of monitoring product reviews and listening to and acting on the voice of the customer. 19
CASE When it began to consider With G2 Crowd, Kimble has boosted STUDY: partnering with G2 Crowd, Kimble its brand awareness and flow of Professional Services Automation qualified leads. G2 Crowd’s verified PRODUCT REVIEWS faced off against well-funded user reviews assure Kimble that LEVEL THE PLAYING competitors with bigger marketing “real” customers are commenting FIELD FOR KIMBLE'S budgets to promote their PSA on its PSA solutions as well as its SPECIALIZED PSA offerings. With Kimble’s strong competitors’ products. SOLUTION focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, it has devoted Through G2 Crowd, prospective far more resources to product customers gain a balanced and development than to marketing independent view of multiple PSA and sales. Kimble’s goal is to let solutions in one place. Kimble also the product speak for itself. leverages its high user satisfaction ratings in the highly competitive But how could Kimble ensure PSA category to reach prospective that its solutions gained buyers. Thanks to G2 Crowd reviews, visibility amid a sea of customers are able to see how competitors buying online Kimble’s PSA solutions work with advertising? Kimble’s answer was complementary “best-in-class” to leverage the G2 Crowd platform. products from other vendors. This allows Kimble to gain an edge against larger firms with suite solutions that include a PSA component. 20
By using G2 Crowd as a key part of its marketing efforts, Kimble has leveled the playing field for its specialized PSA solution. Kimble’s customer success teams point clients and prospective customers to the G2 Crowd site for impartial and independent reviews. Reviews also establish an important feedback loop, creating a better experience for users. In addition, Kimble sees a trend toward moving away from product suites to individual products. Capitalizing on this idea, Kimble ensures that its products can be integrated with other software to customize the user experience. m o r e f c i ho e c l p s peo e v i er d g tt w a o r ’t m 2 C sn G e o t d ers — i d i v s o a e pr m h l r p i ti l u rs a f m a l l o g d n eti rk a e y m l n p a g peo w m n ho li l e ut t bo t a o rs. s n ’ e . It y d u n g b pe n ti o s a t c u ut ed bo s a ’ t ; i y u o b t t a h w MARK ROBINSON CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, KIMBLE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AUTOMATION 21
CASE STUDY: LOOKER CONNECTS WITH BUYERS AT THE RIGHT TIME ON LINKEDIN Looker found that prospective buyers evaluating business intelligence platforms often utilize networks such as LinkedIn during the due diligence stage of the buying process. Looker needed a way to connect with these buyers during this consideration period to deliver valuable, relevant information, with the ultimate goal of bringing them into the sales process. Previously, Looker had promoted various content assets on LinkedIn, such as case studies, blogs, and advertisements, to engage these prospects. These campaigns succeeded by increasing leads, but fell short of the lead-to-opportunity conversion rate Looker aimed to achieve. Looker needed a campaign that would continue to drive leads from LinkedIn and also convert to opportunities at a high rate. To increase leads and drive higher conversion rates, Looker chose to promote its status as a Leader on the G2 Crowd Grid® for Business Intelligence Platforms report with a Sponsored Content campaign on LinkedIn. 22
Looker Achieves 6x Average CTR TM Promoting their G2 Crowd Grid Report on LinkedIn. For Looker, this campaign 85% has generated approximately Looker has a strong presence on G2 Crowd, 85% of all leads from TM GRID REPORT CASE STUDY with reviews from companies of all sizes paid channels. and industries. With a satisfied customer Connecting with Buyers at the Right Time base that has continued to grow, it earned The campaign’s 3% conversion Looker found that prospective buyers evaluating business intelligence Leader status on the G2 Crowd Grid® for rate has outperformed other platforms often utilize networks such as LinkedIn during the due Business Intelligence Platforms report. Using 3% content assets, including other Powering data-driven cultures at diligence stage of the buying process. Looker needed a way to connect more than 1,200 industry-leading third-party analyst reports, a Sponsored Content campaign on LinkedIn, with these buyers during this consideration period to deliver valuable, Looker was able to target its ideal prospects relevant information, with the ultimate goal of bringing them into the and innovating companies sales process. with G2 Crowd’s Business Intelligence Grid. Previously, Looker had promoted various content assets on LinkedIn and has maintained a higher- The Grid offers product insights ranging from to engage these prospects, such as case studies, blogs, and than-average click-through 6x overall satisfaction to ease of implementation advertisements. These campaigns succeeded by increasing leads, but rate on LinkedIn for more fell short of the lead to opportunity conversion rate Looker aimed to Average Click Through achieve. Looker needed a campaign that would continue to drive leads and usability. By offering these prospects a than six months. Rate on LinkedIn trusted third-party asset, Looker was able to from LinkedIn and also convert to opportunities at a high rate. provide valuable content to the right people 85% at the right time. Of All Leads Generated via Promoting G2 Crowd content via LinkedIn Paid Channels Sponsored Content has been a winning combination for Looker. According to 3% LinkedIn, Looker’s campaign is consistently Conversion Rate the top sponsored content across all technology advertisers and generates six Products Used times the average click-through rate • Linkedin Sponsored Content TM compared to the average campaign. • G2 Crowd Grid Report • G2 Crowd Premium Profile continued on next page 23 www.g2crowd.com
CHAPTER 07 THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LINKEDIN AND G2 CROWD LinkedIn and G2 Crowd have a strategic partnership in which reviews from the G2 Crowd site may be shared and brought to life by LinkedIn members while providing product insight on the LinkedIn platform. This functionality allows reviewers to showcase their unique skill sets, knowledge, and expertise with B2B products and services and, likewise, enable brands to promote their customers’ ratings and reviews by spurring meaningful conversations with their LinkedIn followers. With detailed reviews of B2B products and services now a part of the newly searchable LinkedIn newsfeed, we encourage you to explore this functionality — tagged #B2Breviews — and discover what users are saying about brands while helping us foster improved, enriched, and transparent discussions. This integration is driving value for LinkedIn’s technology decision-making community — fostering improved B2B knowledge sharing and empowering LinkedIn members to grow and tell their professional stories. And for solution providers, with more than 67% of today’s buyers using online reviews as part of their daily purchasing process, the ability to share and engage with these third-party online reviews in a trusted crowd-sourced environment is a unique and highly valued opportunity. 24
Founded in 2003, LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. With 560 million members worldwide, including executives from Fortune 500 companies, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. For more information, visit marketing.linkedin.com