Let The People Speak: Amazon’s Strategic use of Reviews as Earned Media
Online retailers like Amazon have seen unprecedented growth in the last year from the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing demand for home delivery. While Amazon certainly has cemented their role as a dominant force in online retailing, they still need to operate in a way that is competitive and ensures the survival of the company. In this blog post, I hope to share some insights about how Amazon’s review platform creates opportunities for meaningful and robust interactions, and how this strategy drives marketing interest and earned media to their products. This use of interactive content promotes more traffic towards the site, creates long-lasting behaviors and patterns to return again and again to Amazon’s online storefront, and makes customers feel like part of the process, getting them hooked and making them loyal, frequent buyers.
A Full-Fledged Public Forum: Drowning Out the Competition
Although many websites and selling platforms such as Ebay and Etsy allow sellers to answer customer questions and receive reviews from buyers, Amazon takes the reviewing feature to a new level in many ways that set it apart from the competition. Amazon reviews have become a thriving community, with many customers voluntarily sharing pictures, videos, detailed information on their experiences over time, and updating reviews based on seller interactions. Some of the reviews are still obviously fake or unhelpful, some are downright hilarious, and many are meaningful, informative, and detailed. Approximately 95% of customers on Amazon reported checking reviews before making a purchase, according to this 2020 article by marketing research firm Smart Insights. 21st-century shoppers no longer rely on word of mouth in the traditional sense, but online spaces such as the forum of Amazon product reviews take on the role of a modern-day word of mouth, building trust and community between users and retailers. Especially in this age of isolation and social distancing, it is no surprise that many people feel compelled both to use the Amazon review platform to share their joys and frustrations with others, but also that more people are reading a greater volume of reviews just to achieve a sense of social connection.
Smart Searching Makes Reviews Work for Retailers
Amazon has also built in some interesting features into its review platform that allow users to get even more use out of the feature. Reviews can be searched for specific colors, sizes, and styles of products so that customers can find specific information for the product they want. Reviews can also be filtered to reflect changes in products over time and show how updated models are faring. What’s more, sellers can run analytics to see what kinds of questions reviewers are asking or what common complaints or keywords are. Coupled with a robust method for sharing and searching through detailed customer images, this makes for a powerful feature for interaction between sellers and buyers. Some sellers really do look at the requests of reviewers and use the information they provide to decide on new products or style options to offer.
Nothing’s Perfect: Some Caveats on Amazon Reviews
Of course, any time an online feature is offered in a digital marketplace, there will be those who try to exploit it. Amazon has recently cracked down on fraudulent reviews and review scams, where companies try to coerce buyers into leaving positive reviews by promising credits or discounts. However, the presence of scams and fraudulent reviews does not overshadow the genuine usefulness of the feature. The Amazon review community, which includes the 310 million Amazon customers, 90 million of whom are Prime members, and all its many thousands of retailers, has become a powerful force for generating earned media for Amazon and its subsidiaries. The buzz created by millions of people sharing stories, pictures, and tips on purchases is more powerful and organic than any large-scale “push” digital marketing campaign. I find it fascinating the way that Amazon has been able to tap into people’s natural desire to share and help each other, and turn it into a money-making strategy. It is one of the few win-win scenarios in a retail context, where the customers and retailers both benefit immensely from the communication.
Looking Ahead: Will “Word of Mouth” Make a Comeback?
Despite the success of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the relaxation of some of the health and safety protocols on in-person experiences, I believe that Amazon’s review platform is here to stay. Many customers will not return to their old habits of shopping in person or chatting with friends about their purchase plans, even post-pandemic, and will continue to trust Amazon reviews and take advantage of the convenience of home delivery. Using a feature like this is superior to traditional word-of-mouth in many ways — it allows a larger community with more expertise to communicate, and it is moderated by Amazon to include mostly helpful and informative reviews instead of unfounded opinions or nonsense. I for one believe that this form of communication is going to endure and produce value for its users even after the current crisis has passed.
