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Building Trust Through Expertise: How Expert Reviews Drive Success for Brands

EmmaW
Advocacy Marketing
Best Practices
Customer Experiences


Jun.14.24
MAR_2166_MakeOrBreak_Blog_header

In today’s marketplace, consumers are discerning and faced with endless product options, prompting them to thoroughly research before making a purchase. This is especially true for outdoor gear, where shoppers need to know how products perform in specific conditions and compare their options carefully. 

Influencer endorsements are becoming increasingly noisy and perceived as untrustworthy, leading more people to rely on reviews from peers and trusted experts. A recent survey by Harris Poll and ExpertVoice shows that reviews impact consumers’ purchase decisions more than anything else, with 83% preferring advice from knowledgeable individuals over social media influencers. Let’s explore how brands are building trust through expert reviews. 

The Undeniable Importance of Quality Reviews

Quality reviews are crucial for guiding purchase decisions. Recent findings show that 87% of consumers are selective about which reviews they trust. To stand out, reviews need to meet key criteria:

  • Verified: 49% of Americans seek verified non-paid reviews for authenticity.
  • Authentic: Nearly 70% desire more customer-generated content and videos with reviews.
  • Balanced: 82% find value in negative reviews for insights into potential drawbacks.
  • Expertise: 83% prioritize recommendations from knowledgeable individuals over influencers.

Additionally, 72% of consumers say that featuring credible expert reviews strongly impacts their perception of a brand. This highlights the need to connect with experts and generate honest, in-depth reviews. How can brands achieve this? ExpertVoice has been at it since 2004.

Brands Driving Revenue Through Expert Reviews

ExpertVoice connects brands with industry professionals, enthusiasts and retail employees, facilitating genuine advocacy and product awareness. This approach allows brands to leverage trusted voices to educate consumers and enhance brand perception. Let’s look at three recent success stories.

1. Outdoor Research

Outdoor Research partners with ExpertVoice to connect with key audiences, ensuring their products reach knowledgeable and influential users. Displaying ExpertVoice reviews on their product pages has led to a 14% increase in revenue per session, demonstrating the value of expert feedback in driving consumer trust and sales Through ExpertVoice, they ran a successful product sampling campaign for their new mountain biking line, gathering high-quality reviews from mountain biking pros. These reviews were 431% longer than organic ones, had a 4.9/5 star rating, and 88% included photos that were used across marketing collateral (check out their blog post made up entirely of expert reviews!). 

2. Stanley

Stanley uses ExpertVoice to build engaged communities of key groups, ensuring expert consumers feel connected to the brand. Recently, Stanley launched a review display on their e-commerce site, syndicating expert reviews from ExpertVoice directly onto their product detail pages (PDPs). This provides consumers with honest, credential-backed reviews at the point of purchase, enhancing trust and confidence in their products. According to Nick Joy from Stanley, “A key benefit of using ExpertVoice is staying top of mind with top experts, building brand awareness, increasing recommendations, and gathering valuable product reviews and insights.”

3. Big Agnes

When determining what information to trust, 82% of consumers say they are highly likely to follow an expert’s recommendation. Big Agnes taps into this trend by partnering with ExpertVoice to connect with knowledgeable reviewers. They collect and syndicate high-quality reviews across their e-commerce experience that feature the reviewer’s name, background, area of expertise and often UGC. By displaying these reviews on their PDPs, Big Agnes showcases real people with genuine expertise, making it easier for shoppers to trust the feedback and feel confident about adding products to their cart.

Conclusion

In a world where trust is paramount, leveraging expert reviews can be a game-changer for brands. By identifying and engaging key experts with influence, providing first hand product experience, and fostering a sense of community and advocacy, brands can build genuine trust and drive sales. ExpertVoice offers a proven solution to help brands do exactly that. To discover how ExpertVoice can transform your brand’s approach to consumer trust, learn more today.

 

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