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Newsletter #880: The “7 Reasons TripAdvisor Gets Great Reviews” Issue

Hi there! I need your help.

My book is coming out in paperback and we’re hoping to get it stocked everywhere. You can help make it happen by pre-ordering a copy today. There are some great bonuses for pre-ordering — and if you like this newsletter, you’ll love the book.

If you’re traveling and need advice on a hotel, TripAdvisor is a fantastic place to get it. The reviews their community members leave are incredibly helpful, and it’s all thanks to their fantastic process for requesting and collecting them.

What to do:

1. Ask for them
2. Make it easy
3. Offer status, not incentives
4. Insist on honest reviews
5. Help them share it
6. Say thanks
7. Give feedback

1. Ask for them

The fastest and easiest way to instantly get more reviews is to simply ask for them. TripAdvisor does it with a simple email asking their customers to leave a review shortly after their stay. They remind you how much your reviews mean to other travelers and they politely ask for your help. It’s simple, friendly, and it makes you feel like you’re doing something for others.

2. Make it easy

You can leave a review on TripAdvisor in just a few clicks. They have a simple rating system and they encourage you to leave quick, short tips. There’s plenty of room to add more details for anyone who wants to leave more feedback, but most reviewers are done in less than a minute.

3. Offer status, not incentives

You should never pay for reviews. It creates awkwardness, it can hurt the trust of your community, and it can actually lead to less reviews. But the good news is that there’s a much easier and fun incentive you can use: status. TripAdvisor, for example, awards badges when you leave reviews. Three reviews gets you “Reviewer” status, six reviews makes you a “Senior Reviewer,” and it continues until you become a “Top Contributor” at 50+ reviews.

 

4. Insist on honest reviews

Low quality reviews — positive or negative — are bad for everyone. They hurt the legitimacy of all reviews (including the honest ones), and businesses don’t get the true feedback they need. That’s why TripAdvisor’s honesty checkbox is so fantastic. Before anyone can submit a review, they must confirm the review is based on their own experience and is their genuine opinion of the hotel — and that they’re not biased by any personal or business relationships. It adds an extra step, but TripAdvisor’s zero-tolerance policy for fake reviews means both customers and businesses have a much better experience.

5. Help them share it

After you post your review, TripAdvisor makes it easy for you to share it in social media. It’s great timing to ask for word of mouth, because the reviewer just invested a few minutes to leave feedback — feedback they want others to see.

6. Say thanks

After you leave your review, TripAdvisor sends a great thank you note. They remind you how helpful your feedback is for other travelers and then invite you to leave reviews for other places you may have stayed. Most companies would just display a simple thank-you on the review form, but there’s something personal and genuine about TripAdvisor’s thank you note that makes you feel like you’re part of a special community.

7. Give feedback

A week after you’ve posted your review, TripAdvisor sends you an email telling you how many people have read it. Not only is it positive reinforcement, but it’s also a great opportunity for them to encourage you to leave another review.

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