Snoball Review

ByObeydul Haque Reading Time: 6 minutes

Snoball, formerly known as Best Company for Business, is a word-of-mouth marketing platform that integrates with customer relationship management (CRM) systems to automate the process of generating referrals, collecting reviews, and creating reputation assets. Launched in 2019 and rebranded to Snoball in October 2023, the platform is headquartered in Pleasant Grove, Utah, and primarily serves home service businesses, though its tools are applicable across various industries. Snoball’s mission is to help companies leverage their happy customers to build brand trust, enhance online reputation, and drive sustainable growth through a “snowball effect” — where positive customer interactions lead to more referrals, reviews, and marketing assets, creating a virtuous cycle of growth.

The platform’s core offerings include:

  • Automated Referral Generation: Encouraging satisfied customers to refer friends and colleagues.
  • Review Collection: Gathering verified reviews for platforms like Google and BestCompany.com.
  • Reputation Asset Creation: Producing video testimonials, badges, and other marketing materials.
  • Analytics and Reporting: Providing insights into campaign performance and ROI.

By combining cutting-edge technology with personalized outreach, Snoball eliminates the guesswork from WOMM, making it a compelling solution for businesses looking to scale their customer acquisition efforts.

Key Features of Snoball

1. Automated Referral Module

Snoball’s Referral Module is a standout feature, designed to turn satisfied customers into brand advocates. The platform integrates with a company’s CRM to identify happy customers and automatically sends personalized referral requests via email, SMS, or phone. Unlike traditional referral programs that rely on manual follow-ups, Snoball nurtures customer relationships over time. If a customer isn’t ready to refer immediately, the system can pivot to requesting a review and re-engage later when the timing is right.

This automation minimizes the burden on sales teams, allowing businesses to focus on core operations while Snoball handles the outreach. For example, Snoball generated $165,000 in net new revenue for one partner in just two weeks by leveraging personalized conversations to secure referrals and reviews.

2. Review Generation and Management

Online reviews are critical for building trust, especially for home service businesses where customers rely on social proof to make decisions. Snoball simplifies review generation by automating requests at optimal times, such as when a customer is most satisfied with a service. The platform supports review collection for Google Business Profiles and BestCompany.com, a trusted review site that ranks over 10,000 companies.

Snoball’s system ensures that review solicitations are personalized and timed strategically to maximize response rates. Christian Jones, Snoball’s Chief Operating Officer, notes that unsolicited reviews are often negative, with eight out of ten organic reviews reflecting dissatisfaction. By proactively requesting reviews from happy customers, Snoball helps businesses maintain a positive online reputation.

Additionally, Snoball allows businesses to respond to reviews directly from the platform, using customizable templates or unique replies to foster customer loyalty and demonstrate responsiveness.

3. Video Testimonials

Video content is a powerful marketing tool, with web pages featuring videos being 53 times more likely to rank on the first page of search engine results. Snoball’s video testimonial feature enables businesses to collect authentic video reviews from satisfied customers, which can be shared across websites, social media, and email campaigns. The platform handles outreach and editing, making it easy to produce high-quality testimonials that resonate with prospects.

For example, Vivint Smart Home uses Snoball to create video testimonials that enhance its online reputation and drive conversions. These testimonials add personality and authenticity to marketing efforts, building trust with potential customers.

4. Reputation Assets

Snoball goes beyond reviews and referrals by transforming customer feedback into marketing assets such as badges, awards, and widgets. These assets can be embedded on websites or used in advertising campaigns to showcase a company’s credibility. The platform’s partnership with BestCompany.com enhances these assets by leveraging the review site’s SEO power, which ranks for over 7,000 review-related keywords.

5. Analytics and Reporting

Snoball provides detailed analytics to track the performance of WOMM campaigns. Businesses can monitor metrics such as referral conversion rates, review collection rates, customer engagement, and overall ROI. Custom ROI reports offer conservative to optimistic projections based on industry benchmarks, helping businesses understand the value of their investment.

6. CRM Integration and Data Security

Snoball seamlessly integrates with third-party CRMs, ingesting customer data to personalize outreach. The platform prioritizes data security, using customer information solely for generating referrals and reviews and offering to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) for added reassurance. This commitment to data protection builds trust with clients, ensuring compliance with privacy standards.

Benefits of Using Snoball

1. Time and Resource Efficiency

Manually managing referrals and reviews is labor-intensive and prone to inconsistency. Snoball automates these processes, saving businesses time and reducing the need for dedicated staff to handle WOMM. The platform’s plug-and-play integration with CRMs means minimal setup time, with onboarding typically involving a single call to outline goals and technical requirements.

2. Improved Online Reputation

A steady stream of positive reviews and video testimonials enhances a company’s online presence, making it more attractive to prospects. Snoball’s strategic timing and personalization increase the likelihood of positive feedback, counteracting the tendency for negative reviews to dominate organic submissions.

3. Measurable ROI

Snoball delivers measurable returns by driving referrals and reviews that directly impact revenue. Within the first 60 days, Snoball typically achieves a referral conversion rate of 1-3%, which can increase to 3-6% or higher over six months. These metrics translate into tangible business growth, as demonstrated by Snoball’s $165,000 revenue generation for a partner in two weeks.

4. Scalability

Snoball’s SaaS model is scalable, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes. Whether a small home service company or a large enterprise, Snoball’s tools can be tailored to meet specific needs, from single-location Google review management to multi-channel WOMM campaigns.

5. Enhanced Customer Engagement

By nurturing customer relationships through personalized outreach, Snoball fosters loyalty and turns satisfied customers into long-term advocates. The platform’s ability to re-engage customers at the right time ensures ongoing interactions that drive referrals and reviews.

Use Cases and Success Stories

Home Service Industry

Snoball is particularly effective for home service businesses, such as roofing, HVAC, or solar companies, where trust and reputation are paramount. For example, Shinnova Solar’s Marketing Manager, Christian Zirbel, praises Snoball’s review generation capabilities, noting that the platform has significantly improved the company’s star ratings on trusted platforms.

Vivint Smart Home

Vivint Smart Home leverages Snoball to collect video testimonials and manage Google reviews, creating a robust online reputation that drives sustainable growth. By automating review requests and producing persuasive video content, Snoball has helped Vivint enhance its credibility and attract new customers.

Event Marketing

While Snoball primarily serves home service businesses, its principles are adaptable to other industries. For instance, Snöball (a separate event marketing platform with a similar name) uses influencer marketing to amplify event registrations, demonstrating the versatility of WOMM automation.

Limitations and Considerations

While Snoball offers significant advantages, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:

  • Cost: Snoball’s pricing is not publicly disclosed, and businesses must schedule a demo to receive a quote. This lack of transparency may deter some potential clients. Interested businesses can visit https://x.ai/grok for more details.
  • Learning Curve: While Snoball is user-friendly, businesses unfamiliar with CRM integrations may require initial support to optimize the platform.
  • Dependence on Customer Satisfaction: Snoball’s effectiveness relies on a base of happy customers. Businesses with poor service quality may struggle to generate positive reviews or referrals.

Comparison with Alternatives

Snoball competes with platforms like Social Snowball, which focuses on affiliate and influencer marketing for e-commerce, and traditional review management tools like Yotpo or Trustpilot. Unlike Social Snowball, which is tailored for Shopify stores, Snoball’s CRM integration and focus on home services make it more suitable for B2B and service-based businesses. Compared to Yotpo or Trustpilot, Snoball’s comprehensive WOMM approach — combining referrals, reviews, and video testimonials — offers a more holistic solution.

Conclusion

Snoball is a game-changer for businesses seeking to harness the power of word-of-mouth marketing. By automating referrals, review generation, and reputation asset creation, the platform delivers measurable results while saving time and resources. Its integration with CRMs, focus on data security, and strategic personalization set it apart as a leader in WOMM automation. For home service businesses and beyond, Snoball’s ability to create a “snowball effect” of positive customer interactions makes it a valuable tool for driving growth and building trust.

Whether you’re a small business looking to boost your online reputation or a large enterprise aiming to scale your referral program, Snoball offers a comprehensive solution that delivers results. To explore how Snoball can transform your WOMM strategy, schedule a demo at snoball.com and experience the power of automated word-of-mouth marketing firsthand.

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