eWOM and Reviews Strategy

Use when

• Proactive strategy for designing, stimulating, and amplifying electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) as a strategic marketing asset — engineering conditions that cause satisfied customers to talk rather than merely responding to what they say. Invoke when a client needs to build an eWOM programme from zero, when review volume is low, when NPS scores are high but referrals are not materialising, or when the client wants to turn satisfied customers into active advocates. Distinct from playbook-reputation-management, which focuses on damage control and response protocols.
• Use this skill when it is the closest match to the requested deliverable or workflow.

Do not use when

• Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
• Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.

Workflow

1. Collect the required inputs or source material before drafting, unless this skill explicitly generates the intake itself.
2. Follow the section order and decision rules in this

   SKILL.md

   ; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
3. Review the draft against the quality criteria, then deliver the final output in markdown unless the skill specifies another format.

Anti-Patterns

• Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
• Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
• Do not drift into out-of-scope work such as code implementation, design production, or unsupported legal conclusions.

Outputs

• A structured markdown document, plan, playbook, or strategy ready for client-facing or internal use.

References

• Use the inline instructions in this skill now. If a

  references/

  directory is added later, treat its files as the deeper source material and keep this

  SKILL.md

  execution-focused.

Required Inputs

1. Client business name
2. Industry
3. Country / city (defaults to Uganda / East Africa)
4. Primary goal (e.g. increase Google review volume, build a referral programme, measure NPS for the first time)
5. Current review platforms active (Google, Facebook, TripAdvisor, industry-specific platforms)
6. Current monthly review volume (how many new reviews per month across all platforms?)
7. Current NPS or CSAT score (if available — or confirm that no measurement exists yet)
8. Primary customer communication channel (WhatsApp, email, phone — affects activation tactic design)

eWOM vs. Reputation Management

The GST Framework (Hanlon and Tuten, 2022)

Identifying eWOM Transmitters

• Social listening: Who is mentioning the brand without being prompted? Use

  meta-social-listening

  to monitor brand mentions across platforms.
• Survey data: Ask "Have you recommended us to anyone in the past 3 months?" in an NPS survey — those who answer Yes are active transmitters.
• CRM data: Which customers have the highest referral rates? Which contacts are sending new enquiries?

Activation Tactics

At Peak Satisfaction Moments

• Project completion or delivery (services)
• Product unboxing or first use (e-commerce)
• Problem resolution after a complaint
• A milestone reached (client hits a goal with the service's help)

Incentivised Advocacy (Where Applicable)

• Early access to new services or products
• Entry into a monthly recognition draw
• Public recognition: feature the customer in a social post or case study
• A handwritten or WhatsApp thank-you note (in EA, personal recognition is often more motivating than a discount)

The Objectivity Principle

• Respond to every negative review within 24 hours
• Acknowledge the experience without being defensive
• Offer a direct channel to resolve the issue (WhatsApp number or email — not a public argument)
• After resolution, invite the customer to update their review if they feel their experience has changed

eWOM Measurement Framework

Platform Priority for EA Clients

eWOM Programme Build Sequence

1. Audit current proof — inventory all existing reviews, testimonials, and social mentions. Identify which peak satisfaction moments currently generate unsolicited advocacy.
2. Set up review links — create a short-link (bit.ly or similar) for each priority review platform. Test on a mobile device before deploying.
3. Train the team — brief every customer-facing team member on the 48-hour review request window and the WhatsApp request template. Role-play the conversation.
4. Implement NPS measurement — send an NPS survey to all active clients in the first month. Identify promoters (score 9–10) and add them to the Advocate List.
5. Launch referral mechanic — create a simple referral prompt for promoters: a WhatsApp message or email with a referral request and a small recognition incentive.
6. Build the review response routine — assign one team member to check and respond to all new reviews weekly. Draft response templates for common positive and negative themes.
7. Report monthly — review the six eWOM metrics monthly; adjust tactics based on what is generating the highest review velocity and NPS movement.

Quality Criteria

• The GST Framework (Give / Seek / Transmit) is applied — the strategy activates all three eWOM behaviours, not just review generation
• Peak satisfaction moments are identified for the specific client — not generic timing recommendations
• The 48-hour review request window and WhatsApp-first request channel are specified
• The objectivity principle is applied — the strategy includes negative review response, not just positive review generation
• All six eWOM measurement metrics are included with monthly tracking cadence
• Google's prohibition on incentivised reviews is flagged — incentives are directed at referrals and social sharing
• Platform priority is ranked with EA context: Google first, Facebook second
• Language is British English throughout; imperative in all instructional sections