In an effort to help local businesses better connect with their customers, Facebook decided to do some remodeling. You may have noticed that your Facebook Business Page looks a bit different than it did last week. The Reviews tab has gotten a makeover and is now called Recommendations. However, your Facebook Business Page may still say Reviews because Facebook is still working on this transition.
First things first: there’s no need to worry that you’ll lose your star rating or your fantastic reviews. All of your current reviews will remain on your Page and still contribute to your company’s total Facebook score. Your score is now based on how many people recommend or don’t recommend your Page, as well as any past ratings and reviews you have.
Let’s break down what this means for your business. We’ll be using Starbucks as our example company again because clearly, we’re obsessed with coffee, not to mention their amazing business model. Below you’ll see the renovated home page of Starbucks. There’s a new section called Recommendations and Reviews in the center, along with the new Facebook Score box on the right.
What are Recommendations?
Recommendations on Facebook are exactly what they sound like; recommendations from people who have interacted with your company and utilized your products or services. It’s word-of-mouth advertising for your business which means that Recommendations — for better or worse —will directly affect your online reputation.
Recommendations appear on your page and are discoverable across Facebook when people are searching for, or talking about your business. Because we know that people trust the opinions of those they know most, these Recommendations will be surfaced most prominently.
Why do Recommendations Matter?
According to Facebook, 2 in 3 Facebook users visit the page of a local business at least once a week, and 1 in 3 people on Facebook use the platform to look for Recommendations and reviews. Globally, there are over 2.23 billion monthly active Facebook users so needless to say, Facebook is a huge deal. There’s no doubt that your competitors are on Facebook and we don’t want you to miss out on what Facebook has to offer your business. Recommendations from your customers are directly related to your online reputation.
Your customers are your best ambassadors. When people look for places to eat, shop or book a service they often ask their friends and families where to go.
When you click on the new Recommendations tab on the left, you’ll see some of the new and exciting changes. Note the new Facebook Score box, the Recommendation box, and a Learn More button that offers a quick overview of the changes. You can also see some of the most common keywords that customers have recommended, in addition to what Recommendations look like (they’re almost identical to reviews). It’s important to know that business owners will still have the ability to respond to Recommendations.
Here is the information you’ll see when you click the Learn More button:
When faced with the “Do you recommend Starbucks?” question, customers are able to answer with a simple “Yes” or “No.” They can choose tags (keywords that appear in the pop-up box you see below), making it easier for Starbucks to gain an understanding of what their customers really love and what keeps them coming back. It also makes it easier for potential customers to see exactly what the business is known for – besides the obvious answer – coffee! This means that your business will begin to receive what Facebook refers to as “richer feedback.” Some tags that appear for Starbucks include Best Coffee, Great Breakfast, Free Wi-Fi, and Excellent Service.
What’s Your Next Step?
If the Reviews tab on your Facebook Business Page is already on, Recommendations will be automatically fired up and ready to go. The best thing to do is just keep doing what you’re already doing. Facebook has done all the work for you and you’ll just need to familiarize yourself with the new layout.
What if Your Company Gets a Poor Recommendation?
At some point along the journey, all companies will receive negative feedback and the best thing to do is respond to any negative Recommendations. But what about negative feedback from people who aren’t your customers? Here’s what Facebook has to say about that:
We understand that authentic Recommendations are important to get and keep customers, that’s why we make it easy to report content in Recommendations that is fraudulent, spam or paid for.
Facebook has always given business owners the ability to report erroneous reviews but it looks like they’re now offering two options for providing feedback. The first option we were given said, “What’s going on?” and the second said, “Give Feedback on This Post.” Each pop-up box offers a few categories to choose from. Since these features are brand new, we have no way of knowing how effective the reporting options are but rest assured, we’ll put them to the test!
Of course, you always have the option to turn Recommendations off on your Facebook Business Page, but we don’t think this is the best idea. How else will your customers be able to leave feedback on their positive experience with your company so that potential customers will see how amazing you are?
We want to make sure we inform you of all options, so here are instructions on how to turn Recommendations off (or back on!) for your Facebook Business Page.
We love to see Facebook encouraging businesses to interact even more closely with their customers and we can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with next! Please let us know if you have any questions about Facebook — WebPunch is always here to help!
