Facebook has a star rating system that allows your customers to share their experience (whether positive or negative) publicly. If you are concerned about the effect that these reviews have on your business, then read on to discover everything you need to know about Facebook Reviews and Ratings.
What are Facebook Reviews?
Star ratings encourage people to rate a business, which determines whether it is eligible to appear in the newsfeed. This feature helps Facebook users discover new businesses that have a positive reputation, whilst also giving business pages a greater level of brand awareness.
Star ratings are incorporated into a business’s Facebook EdgeRank. This is the algorithm that determines where your posts end up in the news feed. EdgeRank is calculated with “affinity”, “weight” and “time decay”. Affinity measures the interaction between a Facebook user and a brand, while weight is the importance of that action. Star ratings factor into both. Overall, organic reach and brand visibility are directly impacted by EdgeRank, which is influenced in part by star ratings.
Advantages of Facebook Reviews
The ability to influence EdgeRank is a major benefit to maintaining Facebook star ratings on your page. There’s also the increased integrity and credibility that comes with brand transparency.
Encourage your audience to review your product or service – the more ratings and reviews, the more likely you are to positively influence your EdgeRank.
Disadvantages of Facebook Reviews
When you use ratings, there’s always the potential of receiving a poor rating, as well as the likelihood that a user who has poorly rated your business will have strict privacy settings and you’ll be unable to respond to that review. There is also the prospect of fake ratings.
It is important that you do not ignore positive or negative reviews on your Facebook page. Where possible, comment or privately message everyone who leaves a review – this builds trust, customer loyalty and in the case of a negative review, opens up a conversation as to how things can be done better.
How to get Review Notifications
If you decide to allow star ratings to your page, you will want to respond immediately to both positive and negative reviews. Turn notifications on within your page settings to stay on top of any ratings that your page receives.
- Go to ‘Settings’ in your admin dashboard
- Select ‘Get a notification each time there is activity on your Page or an important Page update’
- Make sure that all notifications are turned on under ‘Edit your notification settings’
- Select whether you additionally want an email sent to you each time there is activity on your page
You will now receive notifications for any activity on your company’s page.
How to turn off Reviews
If Facebook ratings are creating too many problems for your business, then you may want to remove the option to leave a rating or review altogether.
Removing star ratings from your page can only be done by also removing Check-Ins on your business map in the ‘About’ section.
Here’s how to turn them off:
- Go to ‘Settings’ from your admin dashboard on your Facebook page
- Select ‘Page Info’
- In Page Info select ‘Address’ and you will be shown your business address, a map and a checkbox that says, ‘Show map, check-ins and star ratings on the Page’.
- Uncheck the ‘Show map, check-ins and star ratings on the Page’ box and Facebook users will no longer have the ability to rate your business.
Removing ratings may be a solution if you are having major ratings challenges. However, it is important to remember that removing the ratings option, removes some of your brand transparency in the eyes of your audience.
Reputation management should be an integral aspect of your Facebook marketing strategy and it should be a priority to respond to reviews, whether that be done through the ratings system, or as a comment on a post.
How to respond to poor Facebook Reviews
All business owners strive to provide the best customer service at every level of their business. Unfortunately, you can’t always please everyone. A 2-star rating or review can happen. The key to dealing with the ramifications of a bad review lies in how you respond.
As a page admin, one you receive a star review, you will be alerted via the notifications bar or via email, depending on which option you have selected.
If negative, respond privately (and immediately). Handle negative ratings with compassion and brand integrity, no matter how upsetting the situation may be.
Research the issue, and find out exactly what happened. Then contact the reviewer with an apology and a solution, to help rebuild your reputation and their relationship with your brand.
Whilst there are instances when a compromise can’t be achieved, the fact that you demonstrate empathy and patience on behalf of your brand is a positive step toward rebuilding your brand reputation.
Respond publicly after you have made every attempt on behalf of your brand, to clarify the issue and resolve the customer complaint. Make a public response in the form of a comment on the star rating.
Keep in mind that your public response needs to be timely and empathetic, as well as following your businesses brand tone and core values. The response should provide closure to the issue. In most situations, this will be the end of the story.
The simple act of contacting the customer and seeking out a solution will not only endear you, but there is a good chance that the poor star rating will be edited shortly thereafter. A little empathy goes a long way.
Facebook ratings and reviews provide businesses with the opportunity to increase brand transparency and credibility amongst clientele. Ratings and reviews are also part of building a relationship with your audience. Make reviews work for your business, and only consider switching them off as a last resort. Don’t be concerned about the possibility of a poor rating. Instead, embrace the prospect of the potential for many 5-star reviews.
