When I built my very first (admittedly embarrassing to look back on now) website six years ago, there was a section on my template for client testimonials. It was clear that I needed to start gathering reviews, but to be honest I didn’t quite yet understand the power of them yet. Are you not sure either? Let’s dive in!

Reviews Help Build Trust

Client reviews are SO crucial because your potential Ride or Dye Clients are making a HUGE investment in your services.  To make this investment, they want to know if they can trust you. You may have heard about the know, like and trust factor. In order to purchase anything from you a client must first know. Once they’re aware of you through  brand awareness, they then must like you. I accomplish this through social media marketing. Finally, they must trust you.

What better way to build trust than to build it through Reviews. As much as you can tell people all about your services, it’s very powerful for them to be able to trust that you can follow through on your promises because you’ve been able to do it for other people before.  

Reviews Build Social Proof

Piggy backing off of trust, every time someone leaves you a review, it creates Social Proof for your business. According to Wikipedia, Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation. In other words, from the time we are young, we desire to fit in and be like others. Social proof shows a future client what they can have too, and taps into the basic human desire. 

 

Reviews Can Tell a Story

Reviews also allow your Ride or Dye Clients to tell the story of what it is like to work with you to your future Ride or Dyes.  You may think that being in the photography business you are just selling your photos, but the truth of the matter is that you are selling SO much more. You’re actually solving a problem that hits on a deeper desire than just actual photos.

 

What do I mean by solving a problem? For family photographers, your clients might be seeking a stress free experience in which their kids cooperate. A boudoir client might desire to feel confident in their own skin and see the beauty in every part of themselves. A couple getting married may want to stay completely present and in the moment on their big day.  Whether they realize it or not, clients want to see that you can solve their problem, and what better way to show them than for them to see themselves in another’s story. 

 

Reviews Sell Your Services For You

It might be easy to think that you alone can sell your own services, and while your own marketing is also crucial, the words of other clients are so effective because they are an unbiased voice that doesn’t have a stake in the bottom line. Furthermore, if you’re providing your Ride or Dye Clients with a killer Client Experience, they will not be able to help but sing your praises to family, friends, and even strangers on the Internet. 

Summary

Reviews provide powerful Social Proof for your business, establish trust, and can tell thee story of what it’s like to work with you. But now that you understand why Reviews are so important for your business, are you wondering more? Things like:

• How do I ask for reviews?
• When should I ask for reviews?
• What’s the best way for getting the kind of reviews that highlight my experience?

I’ve created a resource that will answer all of these questions for you. My free guide, “5 Simple Steps for Getting Better Client Reviews.” is waiting for you below. Grab it now and be well on your way to getting better client reviews!!