Getting a great recommendation from a satisfied customer is one of the best compliments for many businesses. This kind of positive feedback not only shows that they’ve pleased their customer, but it can also lead to new customers. However, what was once just an in-person activity now mainly happens online, and marketers can use several strategies — like the ones mentioned below — to inspire more positive recommendations.

What’s one digital marketing strategy a service-based business can use to drive more positive word-of-mouth? Why is this effective?

1. Have Your Audience Participate

A great way to create positive word-of-mouth today is by involving your audience in your digital marketing efforts. There are various strategies to do this, but one straightforward and effective method is to engage with your audience on social media by sharing content they create featuring your product or service (i.e., user-generated content). This approach makes your customers feel very engaged. – Ryan Meghdies, Tastic Marketing Inc.

2. Publish High-Quality Content

To generate more positive word-of-mouth, service-based businesses should showcase their industry expertise by publishing high-quality content. People look for businesses they can trust to offer them solutions. If your writing reflects your knowledge, you’ll be able to appeal to your audience and generate positive comments and attention for your brand. – Jared Atchison, WPForms

3. Leverage Relevant Influencers

You can use influencers to drive more positive word-of-mouth for your business. Get influencers to post about your brand by sending them your best products and offering incentives, like coupon codes and free giveaways, that they can share with their followers. This works because people trust recommendations from peers more than the brand itself. – Benjamin Rojas, All in One SEO

4. Request Video Testimonials

A good way to drive more positive word-of-mouth is by encouraging your users to create video testimonials. Share them on social media and tag the customer. Video testimonials can have a greater impact on your users because they can actually hear the experience being spoken. Also, seeing real people talk about their positive experiences with your service can easily build credibility for your business. – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster

5. Offer Incentives

When generating more positive word-of-mouth for your service-based business, it helps to offer incentives that encourage action from your customers. You can offer customers a free gift, reward points or a discount in exchange for a rating or review. This boosts your brand’s social proof and builds trust with new customers. – Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

6. Ask Your Customers to Leave Reviews

A service-based business needs to build its reviews and ratings on social media and listings. People want to hear about real experiences from their peers when researching a company. Asking your customers to share their positive reviews online and leave a high rating will create a positive impression and will induce more people to try your company’s services. – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

7. Create a Branded Hashtag

Create a branded hashtag and encourage your customers to share the moment they’re using your services on social media. Ask them to add your branded hashtag and to mention your social media handle. Their peers will find your profile and online content and are likely to follow you. Encouraging social shares is a great way to build positive online PR. – Blair Williams, MemberPress

8. Offer Your Service Over Video

When you deliver your service virtually, you show potential customers that they can take advantage of your service in the same fashion — and they’ll tell more folks about it. If video conferencing isn’t an option to deliver your service, at least you can use it to offer tutorials on how your service can benefit the lives of your potential customers. – Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

9. Host a Giveaway

One way to get more people to talk about your business is to host an online giveaway. People love the opportunity to win a prize. You can create rules for your contest that result in more positive word-of-mouth feedback. For instance, you could encourage users to share your post and write about why they love your product. This type of promotion can lead to significant gains in traffic and sales. – John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC

10. Focus on Digital Publicity

Focusing on digital publicity can be one of the most effective forms of marketing for a service provider because it helps with search engine rankings and improves credibility overall. Interviews and podcasts are great visibility builders. – Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC