New marketing idea

[babyhydro]

Hi everyone. I have a marketing idea I want to run past you all. I'm thinking about a Referral and Review program. How it will work is when someone refers a friend or someone leaves a review about their experience at our shop, they will be entered into a drawing which will be done live and saved on our Facebook page. Drawing will be for something like $250 cash for 2 different customers. Drawing held early December for extra Christmas money. What do you all think?

[mspecperformance]

I would avoid cash prizes. You are essentially buying referrals and reviews which on the surface may sound nice but you are incentivizing clients not because they like you and would have given you a referral otherwise. I would be a bit more creative and maybe get some of the other businesses in your community involved. For instance go to a nice local restaurant and work out a deal with them where you purchase $100 gift card for 50-75% with the explanation that you are going to co promote their business. Great idea though, I like it.

[babyhydro]

True good point. Didn't think about that. Thanks for your feedback

[Autoshop Martha]

Also, Facebook has changed a lot of their rules, so you might need to look into the fine print. I know that at one point both Google & Facebook were not allowing you to "pay" for reviews.. They saw it as bribery, but there are other ways to do the same thing, within their fine print. Ex. a shop does a raffle for anyone that had an appointment/service in that 30 day time frame. So, it encourages setting up appointments in the shop, and then you can post the raffle winner on FB.

Just a thought!

[babyhydro]

Good idea autoshop martha! Thanks

[tirengolf]

Hydro, Lets face it , we want good referrals not the turds. I have 50 customers that I call my " Centers of Influence", I go see them, take a business card and write on the back one free oil change. I tell them, John your business is very valuable to me , and you and me have always been on the same page , 2 way street, John I want you to think of a friend you can give this oil change too, someone that you think would appreciate me and I would appreciate them, "the 2 way street". Bingo, you will get a good one. Good luck

[JustTheBest]

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[jeffa1958]

When a new customer is checked in, we ask if they were reffered to us. We send a a custom thank you card that is addressed and personalized by hand to the person that reffered them. It includes two ten dollar off coupons for the wings place next door. I pay 8$ per coupon and only pay for the ones that are redeemed. A thank you card with some candy explaining our free top off policy is included with oil changes.

[JustTheBest]

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[jeffa1958]

In conversation I will ask people to take the time to post a review for us. Verbiage on the invoice " The sincerest compliment we can receive is a referral of a friend"

[xrac]

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