Review generation campaigns
You can't just wait for reviews to show up. Genuine review requests can help customers share feedback. No review volume assures an AI recommendation.
Setting up a review campaign
A review campaign systematically reaches out to customers and asks them to leave a review on a specific platform. The key elements:
Recipient selection
Choose eligible customers who actually used the product or service, using a consistent, sentiment-neutral rule. Include critical feedback rather than selecting only people likely to leave positive reviews.
Platform selection
Direct reviewers to the platform that matters most for your AI visibility. If your G2 profile has 12 reviews and Google has 150, send the next batch to G2.
Timing
When you send the request matters:
- Post-purchase: 3-7 days after delivery or service completion
- Post-milestone: After the customer achieves a result with your product
- Post-support: After a successful support ticket resolution
- Renewal: When a customer renews or upgrades
The campaign workflow
Step 1: select recipients
Choose from your customer list or import a CSV of email addresses. Outrigger helps you filter by recency, engagement, and likelihood of positive response.
Step 2: choose template
Select a review request template or customize one. The template should:
- Be brief (3-4 sentences max)
- Explain why reviews matter (social proof, helping others make decisions)
- Include a direct link to the review platform
- Be personal: use their name, reference their specific experience if possible
Step 3: set timing
Choose an appropriate time for the actual customer experience and the available sending controls. Compare your own campaign evidence rather than assuming a universal best time.
Step 4: send
Outrigger sends the review requests via email. Each recipient gets a unique tracking link so you can measure who opened, clicked, and left a review.
Step 5: track
Monitor the campaign dashboard for:
- Send rate (emails delivered)
- The open rate actually reported for this campaign, with any tracking limitations
- The click-through rate actually reported for this campaign
- Review conversion rate for your actual campaign; no universal response rate is assured
Compliance: the rules
Review generation must follow platform guidelines and ethical standards:
Never incentivize
Don't offer discounts, gifts, or rewards in exchange for reviews. Most review platforms explicitly prohibit this, and it undermines the authenticity AI models value.
Always genuine
Only ask customers who've actually used your product. Never send review requests to people who haven't had a real experience with your brand.
Don't filter by sentiment
You can time your requests strategically (asking after positive moments), but you should never screen out people who might leave negative feedback. Authentic review profiles include some criticism.
Respect opt-outs
If someone says they don't want to be asked for reviews, remove them from future campaigns immediately.
Platform-specific rules
Check the destination platform's current invitation, disclosure, and incentive rules before launching a campaign. Do not assume the same policy applies across platforms.
Campaign cadence
For sustainable review growth:
- Ongoing drip: 5-10 requests per week, targeting recent customers
- Monthly burst: 20-30 requests after a product launch or major update
- Post-event: Batch requests after webinars, conferences, or seasonal peaks
Aim for a steady trickle of reviews rather than big spikes. Platforms may flag accounts that go from 0 reviews to 50 in a week.
In Outrigger
Reviews includes campaign management with recipient selection, template customization, scheduling, and conversion tracking.