At the heart of every successful business are happy cllients and a plethora of success stories. When we are looking to book an experience, purchase a product, or hire a vendor, the first thing we all look at are reviews. So how do we as business owners get those reviews?

Here are our top 5 tips to acquire reviews for your business:

1. Reach Out Directly
   
   The most obvious and common way to get reviews is to go straight to the source and ask your clients directly. This could look like sending out a text message or email, or even bringing it up in person if you have the opportunity. When reaching out directly, a great tactic is to ask for a review right in the middle of providing your services. Once a client books, schedule an email or text (or both!) to go out letting them know how grateful you are to have the opportunity to work with them, and include a line letting them know how much your business depends on positive reviews and constructive feedback from clients like them to thrive. Ask them to please consider leaving you a review if they are happy with the services you provide for their event. 
   
   
2. Cast a Wide Net
   
   Another tried and true way of bringing in reviews is posting a review request right on social media. Let your followers and community know how much your business needs and appreciates reviews, and ask any past clients who have enjoyed working with you to please take a moment to provide feedback to be shared on other platforms such as your website. Many times, clients do not think to leave a review once the chaos of the event is over, and may need to see that reminder pop up on their feed later on to grab their attention in a non-invasive way.
   
   
3. Incentivise
   
   First and foremost, it is never ok to bribe your clients for positive reviews. Reviews are intended to build trust, and should always be authentic, accurate depictions of the service a client received. With that being said, review burnout is real and exhausting. Think of all the review requests you get from all the companies you have worked with. Eventually, you may start deleting those messages purely from oversaturation. While you may have already provided fantastic service to your client, it's important to remember they already paid money for that service, and in many ways, providing a review for your business can feel like an unneccessary extra step that adds no value for the cient. It can be incredibly beneficial to add value by offering an incentive when requesting feedback. A great example of this particularly in the wedding industry is to leave a a small gift at the wedding along with a note reminding them  that you would love them to leave a review. The gift adds value, they get the gift whether or not they leave a review, and they will be more likely to go that extra step to review your business because you have went the extra step to add value with no strings attached. 
   
   
4. Make It Easy
   
   Remember, clients (and humans in general) are most likely to do things when they are easy. In today's society, everything is served to consumers on a silver platter, all at the touch of a button. When requesting that your client goout of their way to leave feedback and share their experience, the same level of ease should be present. If you are sending out emails or text messages, include the link right inside of the email. When leaving a note, add a QR code they can easily scan. Making it an easy and accessible process will result in more reviews and lessdeleted messages or trashed notes.
    
5. Go that Extra Mile
   
   Don't forget, the best way to get reviews is to provide amazing sservice. Sure, the emails and texts help, the notes and incentives make an impact, but nothing makes a client more likely and more eager to share their experience than an experience worth sharing! We have all had experiences with business that we couldn't stop raving about. That one cashier that made you feel like king of the planet, that auto repair shop that didn't try to scam  you, andactually fixed the clunking noise no one else could decode, that pet groomer that your pet gets excited to visit instead of hiding behind you. It is easy to recommend good business when the businesses make a difference. Make your clients want to leave a review because they just can't believe how great you were.
   
   Cheers!