How to Write the Perfect Press Release for Net Promoter Score®

Written by Sarah Frazier - Digital Content Manager, CustomerGauge

Ever on the lookout for news, the enterprising PR person can find newsworthy nuggets in what can appear to be most mundane topics. Taking the result of a Net Promoter® program can be just such a useful thing.

One best practice that we frequently preach is Net Promoter Score transparency. As such, we’re always happy when we see companies promoting their Net Promoter Score. It shows that the company is focused on customer experience, listens to customer feedback and is transparent about metrics. It can also be a useful topic to show that the company is a leader in the sector, especially if you can show a comparison.

There are some pitfalls to publishing your Net Promoter Score as a news story you should avoid. Follow these tips to start building your next great Net Promoter press release.

1) Presenting the Score and Time Frame

First, it’s important to understand how a Net Promoter Score should be presented. There is always some margin of error accepted in surveying. If you use a decimal place for your score it shows that you are not grasping what the Net Promoter Score represents. It's a rookie mistake, so don't do it!

In addition, while some companies use percentages after their score, we wouldn’t recommend. The Net Promoter Score is on a scale from -100 to 100, so using a percentage isn’t necessary. So: “Acme Company achieved a high Net Promoter Score of 75…”.

Now, mention the time period this Net Promote Score represents, and the increase experienced. “…in Q4, a +5-point rise since ramping up their customer experience program in Q1.”

Side note: Remember to spell out Net Promoter Score (as opposed to NPS). This will be picked up more easily by Google Alerts. 

2) How Was It Measured? 

Adding background on how your score was calculated helps not only show that you are a customer experience expert, but also a company that pays close attention to KPIs. This approach gives credibility for customer experience pros and investors. Part of this is understanding where your score is coming from. A relationship survey asks how likely you are to recommend the brand. A transactional survey attempts to measure the satisfaction with the transaction, the effort spent or the transaction's impact on the likelihood to recommend the brand. So, you can run a relationship survey after a transactional event. Rob Markey from Bain & Co. has suggested a combo where after a transaction a company asks the NPS question followed by the question “To which extent did the [transaction] impact your likelihood to recommend?"

So, building on what we have: “Their latest bump in customer experience merit came from their last Q4 relationship survey…”.

3) Who Was Surveyed and What Information Did You Find? 

Now that you know how the information was captured, you should determine how many customers were involved. If the number is impressive, it’s worth posting in your press release. You don't need to give the exact number if it is sensitive.

However, NPS® pros will scoff if you pair a Net Promoter Score based on less than 100 or so responses. For extra marks, show a response rate (also a good indication of customer engagement). There are two main reasons to focus on the response rate: 

• A market researcher often requires a statistically significant result, which means you typically need approx. 800 answers. The point of statistical significance is to ensure that driver diagnostics are likely apply to the entire customer base. (Note: Statistical significance is complex topic that requires a lot more space to describe in detail).
• Net Promoter is a good dialogue tool to determine how engaged your customer base is. According to our two benchmarks studies, 30% response rates are average across the spectrum, in B2C. In B2B, 70% or more is world class.

If your response rate is less than ideal, however, it might be good to investigate your bounce rate. Now that you’ve added transparency to your Net Promoter Score, add some best practices and takeaways to demonstrate that your company acts on their Net Promoter Score to improve customer experience. Let’s build on what we have: “…which surveyed over 45% of their customer base. After listening to their customer feedback, Acme Company has decided to streamline their mobile online shopping experience as well as expand their shipping options by partnering with local warehouse distributors across the country.”

Side note: It’s worth noting that some larger companies have different Net Promoter Scores per region, or business unit. ING is a good example of this.

4) Get the Legal Stuff Right

Using the technique and calculation of Net Promoter is all open-source, but remember, Net Promoter Score, Net Promoter System®, Net Promoter are registered trademarks. Make sure you get the right accreditation in.

Ensure that you use the correct form of attribution: "Net Promoter, NPS, and Net Promoter Score are trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld.”

5) Educate the Market on Your Metric and Post Your Score!

Every content marketer and PR person knows backlinks are ideal to ensure heavier traffic to your content. If your press release for your Net Promoter Score, you should include backlinks, such as the following to educate the reader on the Net Promoter Score and Net Promoter System: https://customergauge.com/net-promoter-score-nps/

In addition, include added information in your press release about what, exactly, the Net Promoter Score is, as not everyone will be an expert! 

Adding on to what we have from before:

“The Net Promoter Score is calculated based on responses to a single question: How likely is it that you would recommend our company/product/service to a friend or colleague? NPS can be as low as −100 (all detractors) or as high as +100 (all promoters). An NPS that is positive (i.e., higher than zero) is felt to be good and an NPS of +50 or over is excellent. In the cartoon demolition industry, a Net Promoter Score of 55 is average, making Acme Company’s Net Promoter Score of 75 especially commendable.”  

Speaking of backlinks, before you send out your press release, make sure to add your Net Promoter Score to NPSBenchmarks.com! You can then link to it in your press release along with your source. Share your score on social media and invite people to NPSBenchmarks to discuss best practices on your company page. 

Don't forget that this communication can also be sent to customers and employees. When you do this, you become more transparent. You can add actual comments (positive and negative), highlight areas for improvement and other learnings. 

Adding your score and information is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Start by clicking the "Add Your Score" button on the NPSBenchmarks.com homepage. A pop up will appear where you can fill in all the relevant information about your company. 

Good PR doesn’t stop after one single press release. Make sure to update your Net Promoter Score on NPSBenchmarks.com at least every quarter to maintain accuracy and views. As previously mentioned, the discussion section of your company page is a great way to get your audience involved and engaged—the true measure of a customer-centric company. 

Conclusion

Bringing everything together, we have the framework of a good Net Promoter Score press release:

“Acme Company achieved a high Net Promoter Score® of 75 in Q4, a +5-point rise since ramping up their customer experience program in Q1. Their newest bump in customer experience merit came from their last Q4 relationship survey, which surveyed over 45% of their customer base. After listening to their customer feedback, Acme Company has decided to streamline their mobile online shopping experience as well as expand their shipping options by partnering with local warehouse distributors across the country. After listening to their customer feedback, Acme Company has decided to streamline their mobile online shopping experience as well as expand their shipping options by partnering with local warehouse distributors across the country. The Net Promoter Score is calculated based on responses to a single question: How likely is it that you would recommend our company/product/service to a friend or colleague? NPS can be as low as −100 (all detractors) or as high as +100 (all promoters). An NPS that is positive (i.e., higher than zero) is felt to be good and an NPS of +50 or over is excellent. In the cartoon demolition industry, a Net Promoter Score of 55 is average, making Acme Company’s Net Promoter Score of 75 especially commendable.

 Want to learn more about Acme Company’s Net Promoter and customer experience program? Contact <insert here>.

 *Net Promoter, NPS, and Net Promoter Score are trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld.”

 A high NPS score is not necessarily newsworthy. You might be even accused of "gaming" the score if there is little background (and frankly any score over 90 is a bit suspect!). It's the improvement over time that matters. Scores are not "awarded" or "given". Normally they are self-measured and "calculated". They are not GAAP auditable but you are making a statement that could have a material impact on company evaluation, so you should take the metric seriously. If you provide the information above, you will be "showing your workings".  

Have you got a great PR template format for your Net Promoter Score? Or some points we did not cover? If so, add them to the discussion in the comments below.