Captivating and persuasive: The customer reviews most likely to influence purchasing decisions

Whether you are booking a hotel room, choosing a restaurant, deciding on what movie to see or buying any number of things, it is likely you’ll read online reviews before making your decision.

But what makes a consumer review persuasive?

No matter how short, it tells a story in much the same way as a novel does. Yet, like a journalism report, it starts with its takeaway rather than saving that to the end. My colleagues and I have undertaken research into what gives consumer reviews their power to influence consumer choices, and these are some of the key findings.

In view of the influence reviews have, there is considerable interest among marketers, social media influencers and software developers in knowing the qualities that make them compelling and persuasive.

In a recent article in the Journal of Consumer Research, my colleagues Jennifer Escalas, Stephan Ludwig, Ellis van den Hende and I argue that persuasiveness lies in the experience of “transportation”. The level of this transportation depends on the degree and power of the offered narrative. Read more

Tom van Laer - SmartCompany - 17 October 2018