Testimonials. How often do you read them before purchasing a product? I would hazard a guess and say a
lot! According to research by Nielson 92% of consumers trust a recommendation from a peer and 70% will trust a recommendation from someone they don’t even know, highlighting the need to collate, gather and use your business testimonials. Testimonials play a big role in building a brand, developing credibility and loyalty, customer service but also for search engine optimisation.

Testimonials provide your customers with a voice, and allowing them to express it increases customer engagement and interaction as well as loyalty. Businesses with testimonials will rank higher in search engines as both Facebook and Google favour businesses with testimonials (recommendations).
According to MOZ’s Local Search Ranking Factors Survey (2018), online reviews could make up 10% of how Google (plus other search engines) rank search results. Some businesses choose to use platforms like Trustpilot and Tripadvisor to collect and collate their testimonials, where they are awarded stars or a
satisfaction percentage. Whatever you use the process is super simple but the benefits are huge to small businesses.

Ask for testimonials: Using your social media, email marketing or even directly asking, encourage customers to leave testimonials of the service/product they received. Emphasise how easy the process
is and avoid using language like “write a review” which makes it sound like a chore. Instead, opt for ‘leave a review’.

Share your testimonials: Again using social media et al, share with your customers what others have had to say, make the testimonials work as a marketing tool.

Include CTA in your paperwork: Adding call to actions onto all correspondence, email footer, website footer, compliment slips, invoices, receipts, reinforcing the importance.

Make your testimonial obvious: Have a page on your website, even if that’s a link to your Google testimonials, be proud and show off.

So if you want to rank higher in searches, develop your brand and increase your customer base make sure you are utilising and collecting testimonials everyday.

By Joanne Dewberry – https://joannedewberry.co.uk/

“I’m absolutely over the moon.”

The reaction of Rosie Mead, Founder of Blandford-based Musica Music and Wellbeing CIC, after hearing she had been named a Woman of Inspiration in this year’s top 100 WISE (Women in Social Enterprise) list.

WISE 2020, held by Pioneers Post in partnership with NatWest, focused this year on how stars of the social enterprise world had adapted to Covid and showed it ‘who’s boss’.

Musica Music and Wellbeing CIC is a not for profit organisation specialising in dementia care.

Rosie, and the team at Musica, looked at innovative ways to support caregivers during the pandemic to use music in the daily lives of people living with dementia.

In August the company launched a free online introduction to music and dementia.

Already 250 people have signed up to the course worldwide.

Rosie, who is the Chief Executive of Musica, said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to be included in the top 100.

“We’ve worked really hard this year to change what we’re doing to support people living with dementia during Covid.

“Being recognised for those efforts is a big boost for the whole team.”

Megan Peat, CEO, NatWest Social & Community Capital, said: “The stories of these leaders who have shown agility, resilience and adaptability over the last few months will inspire many on their path towards rebuild and recovery.”

Musica’s free online introduction to music in dementia course is made up of videos, podcasts and handouts around the power of music in dementia care.

It takes around one hour to complete.

In addition to this, each learner receives an email series of ten tips for using music in dementia care.

They also receive access to Musica’s online community where they can connect and engage with other caregivers to share ideas, successes and challenges.

Musica was established in 2010 to improve dementia care through the use of responsive, musical activities designed to improve the wellbeing and quality of life for both those living with dementia and their carers.

The company has gone on to provide support to healthcare professionals and family carers by offering guidance on how music can be embedded into daily care routines.

Rosie said: “The benefits of music in dementia care are significant.

“The use of meaningful music can help to strengthen connections between the individual living with dementia and their caregivers, reducing social isolation as well as improving overall wellbeing and quality of life.

“I want to bridge the gap between research and practice by supporting caregivers to have an understanding of the research behind why music benefits people living with dementia as well as how they can put this understanding into practice as part of their relationship-centred dementia care.”

Musica is considered one of the leading music and health organisations and is on the SE100 index for 2020, listing the top 100 performing social enterprises in the UK.

The organisation operates across the UK delivering online support, training, coaching and meaningful music activities for healthcare providers and family caregivers to support relationship-centred dementia care.

To sign up to Musica’s free introduction to music and dementia care, please click here.musica-music.co.uk

By: Andrew Diprose Dorset Biz News