Turn every star into revenue, reputation … and repeat customers.
Key takeaway Companies that answer >20 % of their reviews earn 33 % more annual revenue than those that stay silent. (Reputation)
1. Why Answering Reviews Is a Profit Lever
Proof-point
What it means for your bottom line
89 % of consumers read business responses as closely as the reviews themselves. (Reputation)
Your reply is public-facing marketing copy.
Responding to all reviews instead of none lifts on-site conversion 16.4 %. (streetfightmag.com)
Same traffic, more checkouts.
Increasing reply rate from 10 % → 32 % produced an 80 % jump in conversions for large brands. (capitaloneshopping.com)
53 % of customers expect a negative review answered within 7 days; 33 % expect it in 3. (Trustmary)
A single extra Yelp star raises revenue 5-9 %. (WiserNotify)
2. Template Library - 60-Second Replies (No Robot Vibes)
Structure ✨ Thank ➜ Echo detail ➜ Next-step value
Scenario
Copy-ready starter (edit the italics)
Good (5★)
“Thanks for the ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Alex! Stoked that our same-day shipping impressed you. Use VIP10 for free express delivery on your next order.”
Bad (3★, mixed)
“Hi Jordan, appreciate your note on delivery timing. We launch evening courier slots next week — want early access? I’ll DM the details.”
Ugly (1-2★, angry)
“Taylor, I’m sorry your 5/12 catering order fell short. We’ve refunded the rush fee and booked a tasting with our head chef. Call me at 555-123-4567 — I’d like to make this right personally.”
Drop these into Bragly’s Quick-Reply panel so any teammate can answer in two clicks.
3. Bad → Brilliant: Turning Criticism into Trust
Acknowledge the pain (“You’re right — the parcel arrived late.”)
Own the fix publicly (“We’ve switched couriers and added live tracking.”)
Report back — 45 % of critics will update or delete a negative review when they see swift action. (streetfightmag.com)
Real example A Chicago café replied to a 1-star “cold coffee” rant, invited the customer back for a free replacement, posted photos of new thermal jugs, and the review flipped to 4 stars. The café popped two slots higher in Google’s map pack within a week.
4. Happy Customers = Your Cheapest, Strongest Marketing Channel
Reason
Data
Social proof scale
Shoppers exposed to at least one review convert 76.7 % better than those who see none. (1440.io)
Referral force-multiplier
One positive review drives 54 % of readers to visit the brand’s website. (Shortlister)
Organic reach
Star snippets in Google raise CTR by up to 35 %. (BrightEdge, 2024)
Cost efficiency
A single negative review can deter up to 30 customers — replying can recover many of them. (sixthcitymarketing.com)
Sound-bite for your board deck “Happy customers write the ads, SEO the pages, and close the next sale — all for free.”
5. Encourage Repeat Buyers with Every Reply
Add a perk – promo code, loyalty points, early-bird link.
Invite feedback loop – “Tell us which scent you’d like next — insiders vote first.”
Automate – Push “delighted reviewer” tags into HubSpot or Klaviyo so marketing can trigger nurture flows.
6. Brand-Voice Cheat Sheet
Brand vibe
Do
Don’t
Friendly
First names, ✅ emojis in moderation
Legalese (“pursuant to clause…”)
Premium
Full sentences, concierge gestures
Over-apologise or blame courier
Playful
Light humour or GIF (platform permitting)
Sarcasm toward reviewer
7. Five-Step SOP (Paste into your playbook)
Daily (5 min) – Clear Bragly inbox; fire Quick-Replies.
Weekly – Export sentiment report; share wins in #marketing.
Monthly – A/B test CTA phrasing in positive replies (“THANKS10” vs “VIPNEXT”).
Quarterly – Pull Bragly analytics into board slides; correlate rating lift to revenue.
Yearly – Refresh templates to match new campaigns & voice guidelines.
8. Example Bank: Plug These into Your Own Replies
Industry
Good (5★)
Bad (3★)
Ugly (1★)
E-commerce fashion
“Thrilled those size-inclusive jeans fit perfectly!”
“We’ll exchange the colour free + fast courier — DM incoming.”
“Full refund processed & design team reviewing zipper spec this week.”
Local service (plumber)
“Thanks for shouting out Sarah on our crew. ⭐”
“Arriving tomorrow with the correct valve — no extra charge.”
“Insurance claim submitted for water damage; we’ll cover deductible.”
SaaS app
“Love that our bulk-export saved your team hours!”
“Our eng team patched that 404 error; thanks for flagging.”
“We restored your lost data, added 3-month credit, and upped backup frequency.”
