How To Ask Your Followers for Recommendations on Facebook

September 4, 2018

Let’s just cut right to the chase, shall we? Your business needs recommendations, doesn’t it? If you clicked on this article, that answer is probably “yes”.

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Recommendations have become the new norm on Facebook. No longer are businesses defined by a star-rating. Instead, Facebook wants its users to provide meaningful context behind their reviews so prospective customers are better informed about a business, brand, etc. before they make a purchase.

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So how do you go about asking your Facebook followers for a recommendation? Well, let’s think in terms of “good, better, best”. It may differ from business to business but this type of thinking can help you generate the right kind of idea to gain the most engagement from your fans:

Good

Just ask them. Go ahead, do it. Click that “make post” button in your timeline and craft a simple post. Here, I’ll get you started with a rough draft: “Do you like {INSERT BUSINESS NAME}? Feel free to leave us a recommendation. We greatly appreciate your continued support!”

Sometimes we don’t think about leaving our favorite businesses an online review, so creating a simple post like this can remind your fans and get the ball rolling on receiving recommendations.

Better

Build awareness by holding a social media contest. After all, everyone loves a good giveaway!

Say you’re a local ice cream store looking for more of your fans to leave Facebook recommendations. Consider offering one of your best products (a deluxe sundae, an extra-large milkshake, five scoops with a waffle cone, you name it!) to a lucky fan who not only likes and shares your contest post, but who also leaves a review and recommends your shop.

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Could you imagine the kind of response you could receive from an exciting giveaway such as that? Put a little boosting budget behind that post and you’re bound to see an influx of reviews and recommendations.

Best

Create exceptional brand experiences that will pretty much guarantee that your followers recommend you, regardless if you ask publicly or not.

Think for a moment about how you connect with your customers: the remarkable service from the front desk, the meaningful email newsletters being sent out, the vibrant online support from your website or social media accounts, the list goes on.

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How are you ensuring that each customer touchpoint is the best in its class? Which area can you improve in to make sure your customers know they mean the world to you and that you’re ready to assist them whenever they need you?

These elements are telling signs that brand experiences are an important part of your business strategy and it results in long-term, positive brand loyalty. And those Facebook recommendations? Oh, they’ll be there. In waves.