Google #SmallThanks Turns Customer Reviews into Marketing Materials for Free

Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has announced its #SmallThanks initiative designed to enable Google-listed businesses to generate customized marketing materials to promote their business for free.

Small Thanks with Google

The marketing materials include social media images, posters, stickers, window clings, table tents and more, based on the “local love” businesses receive from customer reviews on Google.

Google-listed businesses can simply search for their business name on the site and Google will automatically create the marketing materials based on great reviews from customers.

Google recognizes online reviews from customers are vital for small businesses. They are often one of the first things customers see when searching for a small business online. Showing appreciation for the positive reviews customers make can have a significant impact on the decisions of potential customers thinking about doing business with you.

As Lisa Gevelber, Vice President of Marketing at Google, said in a recent blog post about the #SmallThanks initiative, “Reviews from your fans are like digital thank you notes, and they’re one of the first things people notice about your business in search results. A few positive small thanks can mean the difference between a potential customer choosing your business or going elsewhere.”

With #SmallThanks, businesses can select the reviews on Google they want to feature and then personalize their assets by choosing from a selection of colors, styles and layouts to match their brand’s personality and look.

Google recommends that businesses post the ‘Find us on Google’ stickers on shop displays or in office windows, as well as placing the #SmallThanks hashtag on social media channels. This small reminder will act as a prompt for customers to search for the business and connect with the brand on social media.

With 71 percent of customers admitting positive reviews in search results make them more likely to choose a business, it stands to reason that small businesses should be utilizing and exploiting their positive online reviews through features like Google #SmallThanks.

Image: Google

This article, "Google #SmallThanks Turns Customer Reviews into Marketing Materials for Free" was first published on Small Business Trends