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If you don’t know much about Facebook reviews, allow me to introduce you to this feature.
Facebook reviews is the way that your business page gets rated. So, that little 5-star review on your page will affect how many people see your business page at all.
Since Facebook has 19% of all online customer reviews, it’s really important that you learn how to get more Facebook reviews for your business. This is especially true if you have only been focusing on getting more Google reviews for photography businesses, or if you haven’t been paying attention to getting reviews at all. One bad review can seriously damage your rating if you only have a few dozen ratings in the first place.
Plus, now that you know why Facebook reviews are important, you should understand why you need to get more Facebook reviews. I’m going to show you how.
Give Your Clients Incentives to Review
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The easiest way to get more Facebook reviews is to offer your clients something in exchange for their reviews.
So, when I was trying to get more Facebook reviews a few years ago, I offered my clients their choice of a print or a 5% discount on their next photoshoot. I got a lot of feedback from my clients that they loved the option to pick which incentive they could get and I successfully got over 10 reviews in my first month of running the program.
You don’t need to offer anything as exciting as gift cards that you need to buy out of pocket, though some people do suggest that you can get more Facebook reviews if you directly pay for them. I am of the belief that your customers likely want to give you a review already, if they liked you, and they really just need a tiny push to do so.
Simply Ask Past Clients for Reviews
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As I just mentioned, you may be more successful in your endeavour to get more Facebook reviews if you offer your clients something in return for them. However, you can also get more Facebook reviews by simply asking nicely for them.
If you are learning how to get more Facebook reviews, then it is definitely easiest to start by reaching out to your most loyal clients. Reach out to anyone you’ve been working with for years and they will be more than happy to support your business by taking five minutes of their time to review it online.
You’re going to have far better results if you personalize each message. This doesn’t just mean that you change your client’s name at the beginning of the email or text message, either. You need to be genuine. Ask how your client has been since they (insert last thing you know about their life). Mention how your business has been doing through the pandemic. Then, let them know that they can support your reopening efforts by reviewing you on Facebook.
You can’t get more Facebook reviews if you don’t ask for them.
Learn More:
- How to Get More Google Reviews for Your Photography Business
- Get More Photography Clients By Nurturing Leads
Get Better at Following Up
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You have to understand that the process of learning how to get more Facebook reviews is going to take time. You aren’t going to get more Facebook reviews overnight. What this means in practice is that you need to create a process that helps you follow up with every client, not just your most loyal ones.
There are a ton of ways that you can follow up with your clients. You just need to find the one that works best for your and your business.
I’ll tell a little story to explain my point.
photo by Urupong via iStock
At the beginning of the pandemic, I was genuinely concerned about how my business was going to fare. So, in an attempt to pandemic-proof it, I started following up with all of my clients asking for reviews. If I’m being honest, I had really let this part of my marketing slide because I had gotten comfortable with my revenue stream.
I sent out emails to some clients, called other clients, and asked for reviews in person during my last meeting with clients when they would get all of their deliverables. While all three of these methods were successful, asking for reviews in person was by far the most successful thing I did. About 60% of my clients gave me a review when I asked for them to do so face-to-face.
So, while you may not have the time to try and get more Facebook reviews in person, it really does help.
Automate Your Review Process
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If you frankly don’t have the time to get more reviews, then there is another option. Instead of personally reaching out to all of your past clients to ask for reviews, you can create a system so that each client you work with receives a request asking for a review after you’ve finished working for them.
Of course, you could build your own automated system, but unless you’re a computer engineer, we recommend using an automation tool like Podium.
Podium is an all-in-one messaging platform that allows you to keep track of all of your communications from just one place.
But, Podium also has a feature called Podium Reviews. With Podium Reviews, every single one of your clients gets a text message once you’ve finished working with them. You can use their standard review request, or specialize it for your business. That text is then followed up with a link to whatever social media site you want them to leave you a review on.
This works so much better than email because almost all text messages are at least opened. It also works so much better than you. If we’re being honest, chances are that you’re going to forget to follow up with some clients. The beauty of using a system like Podium is that it never forgets.
While Podium is not a free service, they are offering a free trial to PhotographyTalk readers right now. All you need to do is visit their website to learn more.