10 Creative Ways to Use Reviews in Marketing

Your customers’ words and their stories make a much bigger impact on other customers than marketing messages from a business. By thinking outside the box and presenting reviews in unexpected ways, you can transform customer reviews and testimonials into memorable experiences that engage potential customers, build trust, and inspire action. Let’s take a look at some creative ways to use reviews in marketing to jumpstart your creative process.

1. Review-Powered Interactive Storytelling

Imagine an interactive digital story that unfolds based on real customer reviews. Visitors could click through a “day in the life” of a customer, seeing quotes or mini-testimonials pop up along the way to illustrate how your product fits into a real-life narrative. It’s an immersive way to show potential customers the benefits of your product, straight from people who use it.

This creative way to use reviews in marketing works especially well for products that impact a customers’ life multiple times a day. This might include something very impactful, such as a medical device the customer relies on. It might also include nice pick-me-ups throughout the day. For example, a customer might wash their clothes with a particular brand of laundry detergent, which not only removes stains and gets clothes clean, but it also leaves a lasting scent that they might enjoy throughout the day, even when they’re at the gym or at work.

Tips:

Choose a typical “day” in a customer’s life, from morning to night.
As the user clicks through different times of day, share a review that highlights how the product made that part of their day easier or better.
Integrate this on your website, app, or even as an engaging email campaign.

2. Custom “Review Art” Installations for Events or Showrooms

Transform your best reviews into art installations for events, trade shows, or even in your showroom! By creating large, visual displays of real reviews, you can add an artsy, emotional element to your brand. Reviews could be displayed as sculptures, collages, graffiti walls, interactive touch screens, or even on large installations like chairs or tables.

This can work especially well if your brand identity already has an artistic flair, or if you’ve received reviews that are especially impactful. Consider how you might integrate your reviews into a more artistic display; maybe it’s a collage that creates your business logo, or creative sculptures that represent your products.

3. Branded “Thank You” Ads Featuring Real Customer Reviews

Celebrate your customers in a unique way by running “Thank You” ads that show appreciation for specific customers and highlight their glowing reviews. This unexpected approach makes customers feel valued and shows potential buyers how much you care about every review. This also makes it possible for you to show your most impactful reviews to other potential customers, while also humanizing your brand.

Tips:

Use social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn or YouTube for targeted ads.
In each ad, thank a specific customer by first name (e.g., “Thank you, Sarah!”) and quote their review.
Make sure you have permission from this customer to use their review in this way.
Create a series, releasing new ads weekly to keep customers engaged and eager to see if they’re featured.

4. 360° Virtual Tours with Embedded Customer Reviews

For brands with physical stores, showrooms, or unique spaces, create a 360° virtual tour where viewers can explore and click on hotspots to see customer reviews associated with different products or spaces. Not only does this offer a memorable, immersive experience, but it also brings the voice of the customer directly into the environment.

This is a creative way to use reviews in marketing that works especially well for businesses focused on an experience. This might include a hotel or spa, casino, theme park or arcade, event center, or something similar. Embedded customer reviews allow new potential customers to not only explore the setting, but also see how each part of the setting has impacted other customers’ experiences.

Tips:

Use interactive hotspots on specific products or services featured in the tour.
As users move through the tour, display quotes from customers who used those exact products or services.
Make it accessible through social media, your website, and Google Business listings for maximum reach.

5. Geotagged “Review Maps”

Another creative way to use reviews in marketing is to create a map-based page on your website where customers can leave reviews at specific geotagged spots. People could click on pins on the map to read reviews from customers who used the product in that area, adding a sense of community and relevance to each review.

This can be especially impactful for brands that already have a strong existing community of customers. These customers may bond over their mutual love of the brand, and a geo-tagged “review map” can help them find and connect with other users more easily. This can also be a great strategy if you’re trying to show the global impact your brand has, and show that your business reaches across cities, states, or even countries.

Tips:

Use a map plugin to create an interactive layout on your site.
Encourage customers to tag locations they’ve used your product and leave their reviews.
For added engagement, offer a small reward for leaving a geotagged review in a unique or notable spot.

6. Turn Reviews into Short, Animated Stories

Animation is a great way to create relatable stories that are also emotionally impactful. Create animated mini-stories based on your best reviews and share them across social media platforms or in advertisements. These animated shorts would feature characters based on real customers and show how your product fits into their lives, adding humor, emotion, and memorability to each story.

Tips:

Use a consistent style for all animations to create a recognizable series.
Share on TikTok, Instagram, or as ads, promoting your brand’s “Customer Story Series.”
Feature a different customer “story” every week to keep followers anticipating the next episode.

7. Launch a “Customer Spotlight” Podcast

If your business has previously leveraged podcasts as a way of connecting with customers, a “customer spotlight” podcast can be a great idea. Showcase standout customer reviews in podcast form by hosting a Customer Spotlight series. Each episode could feature a short interview with a customer discussing how they use and love your product. The episodic format keeps it fresh, and the real voices add authenticity to your brand story.

Podcast Planning:

Keep episodes short, around 5-10 minutes, for easy listening.
Publish to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or directly on your website.
Consider integrating real-time reviews by reading new ones as part of each episode’s intro or outro.

8. Create “Review Pop-Ups” for Limited Edition Products

If you’re releasing a limited edition product, make it even more enticing with pop-up reviews of the previous version or similar products. Show them directly on the product page or within emails to remind buyers of past customer satisfaction, heightening the exclusivity and desirability of the new release.

Tips:

Show top reviews as rotating banners or pop-ups on the product page.
For pre-orders, use countdowns with testimonial quotes to create excitement.
Pair the reviews with messaging like “Loved by previous buyers” or “Highly requested.”

9. Reward Review “Loyalty Points” for Marketing and Feedback Insights

Create a loyalty program around review engagement points that encourage customers to leave feedback not just once but at different stages of their journey. For example, they could leave a review after a month, then follow up after six months with a second review to share their continued satisfaction, earning “loyalty points” each time they engage.

Keep in mind that offering rewards for reviews must be disclosed to potential customers. You might include a simple message like: “These customers were rewarded for their ongoing reviews through our loyalty program to help us optimize each customers’ experience. Make a purchase and sign up for the loyalty program today to find out for yourself!” This not only discloses your use of an incentive program, but also invites the potential customer to join.

Tips:

Offer customers points for reviews, which they can redeem as discounts or gifts.
Add tiered rewards for different types of reviews (text reviews, photos, video clips).
Share follow-up reviews in your ads to showcase long-term satisfaction, adding longevity to your customer feedback.
Always make sure you get your customers’ permission to use their reviews.

10. Set Up “Testimonial Treasure Hunts” for Event Marketing

For brands attending trade shows, fairs, or community events, organize a “Testimonial Treasure Hunt.” Place testimonials around the event space, and have attendees find and photograph them to receive rewards. It’s a fun, interactive way to engage people while amplifying your reviews.

Tips:

Use QR codes that link to the testimonial when attendees find one.
Gamify it by adding a prize for those who find all the reviews.
Encourage sharing on social media with a custom hashtag to amplify reach.

Infuse Reviews Into Your Brand’s Culture with Unique Strategies

By exploring creative ways to use reviews in marketing, brands can keep their marketing strategies fresh, genuine, and customer-centered. Integrating reviews into unexpected formats not only makes a memorable impact but also strengthens trust and loyalty with new audiences. Let your customers’ voices take the lead, giving your brand authenticity and wide appeal.