It’s no secret that quality reviews on key platforms such as Google, Facebook, The Knot, and Wedding Wire can increase consumer confidence from potential clients and turn leads into tangible business. But do you ask for a review when you’re just getting started. Here are 10 easy tips to land quality reviews to help your business take off.
- Go above and beyond for your clients – This really should go without saying, but when you go above and beyond for others, chances are they will want to do the same for you. When you go out of your way to provide your customers with an exceptional experience, they will want to do the same for you when it’s time to ask for a review.
- Make writing your reviews as easy as possible – Let’s face it, writing isn’t for everyone and for some of your customers it really may be daunting or difficult to write a review, even if they truly enjoyed their experience with your business. Providing them some guidance or even some questions for the review (What was your favorite part about working with insert company) can go a long way in ensuring they leave a review that is not only top notch, but aligns with your business objectives.
- Post your top reviews EVERYWHERE – Just because someone writes a review on Google doesn’t mean it needs to stay solely on Google. Post reviews on social media stories, make Facebook posts, Tweets, Snapchats, Tik Tok, you name it. Wherever your audience hangs out on the web make sure there are quality reviews there for them to see. If you can create video reviews, even better!
- Give it two weeks – Be honest. Your couple is probably having the time of their lives in Tahiti sipping on a Mai Tai, honeymooning it up in the week or two following their wedding. Okay, maybe not every couple, but a fair amount of couples are enjoying their time together as in newly wedded bliss. There is nothing that will annoy a couple more than one of their wedding vendors pestering them for a review a few days after their wedding. Give them some time to relax and enjoy each other and ask when you have their full attention.
- Know How to Ask – Sending a simple text message on a Thursday afternoon asking for a review is a surefire way to get lost in the mix of your clients life. Instead, try writing a considerate, well thought out email that engages your couple followed up with a phone call during the least busy times of the day (typically early evenings). This engagement will not only resonate with them, but will also create a higher probability they will follow through with the review.
- Respond to every review even the negative ones – In the world of bots, fake accounts, and inauthenticity, engagement is so important to the modern consumer. That includes you the business owner responding to reviews. When responding to a positive review, engage on a personal level. Using the person’s name when responding to a review is an effective and easy way to create meaningful engagement. Now here comes the not so fun part. Everyone will receive a bad review at some point or another, it’s the nature of operating a business. However, how you respond to that negative review will make or break the foundation of your business. Give yourself time to cool off after receiving the review in order to refrain from writing some you will (trust me you will) regret. Respond with empathy and compassion, even if you know they are completely wrong. Additionally, asking them to discuss further offline to make things right, is an excellent way to display professionalism and top tier customer service to your potential customers.
- Highlights Highlights, Instagram Highlights – Social media is the blood of the modern business. It’s how we connect, share, and discover people and businesses. Instagram is currently the most active social media platform in the world so it is absolutely imperative that reviews live on your Instagram page preferable in the highlights section of your page where everyone can see. Before anyone even begins scrolling on your page they can pull up myriad reviews of what high quality work you have provided for so many people. The psychological benefits to this are IMMENSE and there are numerous studies that suggest people are more inclined to purchase if your product is saturated with good reviews. BEFORE they’ve even seen your work.
- Keep it simple – When’s the last time you actually read the full essay-like review left on a product or service you considered purchasing? I read about the first 1-2 sentences before I keep scrolling as do a good majority of others. Keep it short and give your potential clients all the information they need in a short piece that gets to the point before you lose their attention.
- Video is King – We’re data nerds here at WBG and the numbers on video content don’t lie. 72% of Twitter content is video and 85% of the Internet audience is watching video. Written content engagement is at an all time low and video rules our digital interface. So what does this mean for you? If you can create compelling video reviews from your clients, they will resonate with your leads and there is a higher probability they will engage with the review longer than a written one. Don’t get me wrong, YOU STILL NEED WRITTEN REVIEWS IN CERTAIN PLACES. However posting video reviews in the right places at the right times will be powerful beyond words…Literally.
- Be Honest – At the core of every successful business model is trust and honesty. The same goes with asking for reviews. If you can explain to the client how valuable a review would be to generating business in the future and how much it would mean to you if they left that review, it helps the client understand in a way they may not have realized before. Always be transparent and watch your business soar.
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