Pokemon Go, But Make It Google Reviews

Kristy: Welcome back, another episode they’re

here again, so we must have done something right.

Anna-Lynn: Welcome

Kristy: Welcome. We’re going to talk about serious things.

Anna-Lynn: Yes. Yeah.

Kristy: Today we have a thing to discuss.

Anna-Lynn: We do, we do.

Kristy: We want to talk about reviews today. Reviews in the business world. What are your thoughts? What are your feelings?

Anna-Lynn: I feel like it’s something that can kind of like drop off our radar we don’t really think about it I think unless we are thinking about Seapoint Digital like the times that we think about it when we’re overhauling our website.

Kristy: Yeah 

Anna-Lynn: Or um, we have a particularly good experience with a client and then we’re like oh hey we should get that in writing to use in our marketing.

Kristy: Testimonials.

Anna-Lynn: Right. Um but it’s one of those things I think we can get caught up in the day-to-day of marketing and just being in, in the middle of things doing the work and that we forget about that part of it.

Kristy: Yeah.

Anna-Lynn: And we’re so busy promoting other people that sometimes they think we forget to promote ourselves. Yeah and um and I think we kind of push it to the background thinking, well we’re so busy with clients, maybe we’re getting a lot of referrals you know it’s not really that important if we are getting these testimonials or not or if we’re not going after these reviews um from our clients and I think it can be so easy to kind of let It go.

Kristy: Yeah. I think about reviews all the time like for products, for businesses. In fact I’m currently on a mission to up my level as a Google reviewer right now I’m level five. Yeah.

Anna-Lynn: I don’t know what mine is.

Kristy: I..do, do you review on Google very often?

Anna-Lynn: I have in the past. I haven’t lately.

Kristy: I like it’s like..

Anna-Lynn: I was a big Amazon reviewer.

Kristy: It’s a little bit my Pokemon Go if you will. It’s my way of like like trying to achieve a new like thing so I’m always looking to like get more points and level up and I’m a local guide level

five right now but I’m so close to getting to level six I’m an expert reviewer I’m a novice photographer but I’m so close to getting up to a next-level photographer um so yeah like I

have a lot of fun doing it and I know it helps businesses I, I tend to lean towards preferring to review positively. I know it helps businesses and there’s only been maybe one or two

times that I’ve ever reviewed negatively cause I know that’s helpful too for you know people to know if they, you know having a bad experience but um yeah so I think about it all the time, and for products I like to it’s weirdly like my downtime destressing like are you normal or do

you review in your de-stressing time.

Anna-Lynn: Are you a Kristy level reviewer or are you the average person?

Kristy: And so because of that I think about getting reviews for myself a lot and

um maybe a couple years ago I didn’t know how to do that until one of my friends who also used to be a photographer told me just ask- just ask people.

Anna-Lynn:  And I think that gets kind of cringy for some people though like when you, I think that’s part of the reason some people don’t go after reviews or testimonials is because it feels kind of icky like hey can you brag about us for a second.

Kristy: But I found.. I found the right words to do it, um when I send my Matterport and drone work I usually just put it very small at the bottom um when I send all of my stuff over to and I forget the exact wording that I use but basically just like hey if you were happy with my ser our

services please consider writing a review it really helps our business and I hyperlink the Google review that sends you straight to the review they do, no it takes no effort all they have to

do is click the link and it brings you right up to Seapoint’s review so it creates no additional work they don’t have to like well I would but like..

Anna-Lynn: I don’t know how to do it. I’m not very tech-savvy.  

Kristy: I’ll do that later. I’ll have to go hunt down your page like it’s just it’s hyperlinked and it sends them yeah and it I feel like it’s written in a way that’s like if you want to it helps us out.

Anna-Lynn: No pressure.

Kristy: No pressure and I have gotten so many good reviews because of it.

Anna-Lynn: Yeah 

Kristy: And otherwise I don’t, I think people don’t think to do it is all it is. I think people have had so many positive experiences with me um.

Anna-Lynn: For your Matterport and your droning.

Kristy: And they and they’ve told me that you know the next time I see them like that’s why

they’ve hired me again or whatever and so I know they would leave a good review people just don’t it’s just not on their mind they don’t think of it until I’m like hey if you would do that it would really help us out and so because of that I mean in the last three years I’ve probably got 10 to 15 reviews because of it and it’s it’s nice it does help us and so now when people go well how do they do it Matterport and droning like people can check because that’s what I do when I’m looking for a service.

Anna-Lynn: You want to hear from other people who have already used the service that

you’re looking into yeah to kind of gauge is this really what I’m looking for or you know when you have do I need to keep looking.

Kristy: Yeah, when you have options for services you know you guys can talk

yourselves up all you want.

Anna-Lynn: Right, right.

Kristy: yeah you’re going to say you’re the best but what are other people that have used you

saying so um and that’s why I try to pay it forward by also reviewing people um like I want them so I know other people want them.

Anna-Lynn: I think the timing part of it is important too like you have it set up so that when you right in the initial – when you’re emailing them it’s linked at the bottom very easily for them to find it but it’s it’s right at the beginning of your interactions with them

Kristy: Yeah, yeah.

Anna-Lynn: Which is which is I think really an important point because if it’s too far yeah out like um too far away from when they interacted with you or when they hired you then they’d be less likely to actually go ahead and leave a review because it’s not fresh in their mind they’re like oh well like five months ago I did this with Kristy. So, if you wait too long to be like oh hey do you think you could write a review then a lot of those important like little details or things that really

stood out to them are going to be gone.

Kristy: Exactly. Exactly.

Anna-Lynn: And it’s also going to feel more like oh now I have to go back to that now I have to it feels more like you’re giving them a chore yeah or a task to do whereas if you’re…

Kristy: And if they were really excited about the product that they got like you said that’s the right

moment for them.

Anna-Lynn: Right.

Kristy: To write a really good.. I want to like I kind of want to read you my favorite review maybe just bits of it because I have it saved in my phone because I read it when I’m sad sometimes.

Anna-Lynn: See because it’s like it’s a boost on the days when you really need it 

Kristy: Listen guys here’s what I recommend to everybody you keep a screenshot folder in

your gallery of your phone of times you did something well and then you go to it when you’re feeling like crap about yourself.

Anna-Lynn: Or have impostor syndrome and be like I don’t know what I’m doing.

Kristy: Yeah, and so I’ve got 27 images in my you did so good folder and it’s all like some of them are reviews some of them are just nice emails.

Anna-Lynn: This is so on-brand for you. I love it.

Kristy: It- it’s really really is but it’s also a little pathetic but one of them listen one of them is Sean Kingston retweeting my tweet to him so did I really earn that no does it make me happy? Yes.

Anna-Lynn: you’re basically best friends. 

Kristy: Actually a lot of them are in here just like um screenshots of the work chat like being

like you did amazing at this video Kristie or just something like that anyway that’s off-topic but um I think…

Anna-Lynn: Still valid.

Kristy:  I think everyone should do that.

Anna-Lynn: It’s it’s like an internal review.

Kristy: It is and I think like I don’t know just everyone get gets down on themselves and sometimes I just go back when I’m just like wow I suck at my job or whatever and I’m like not

according to this person. Anyway, little little snippet of of this person’s um because I don’t want

to call them out too much then again they left it publicly on Google so what? I mean this is just a part of it it’s it they named me personally Kristy Billingsley recently did a virtual tour for our business she’s extremely professional to the point and yet very funny and personable.

Anna-Lynn: Nailed it.

Kristy: After the job was complete and the work was done I went home and had a conversation with my fiance about how solid Kristy is as a person and how well she conducted herself when on the job site the follow-up after the work was completed took exactly how long she said it would and was very detailed about the next steps blah blah blah so I’m like wow

that’s a lot to live up to.

Anna-Lynn: That’s a great one.

Kristy: That I’m hilarious when I’m on the job like.

Anna-Lynn: And professional. the total package.

Kristy: Now I have to…

Anna-Lynn: Now you have to be the total package on every job.

Kristy: Now I have to be funny, now I have to be professional like but.

Anna-Lynn: So there could be some small backfires when you ask for reviews true

but it’s all good it’s a growth story you know it’s the opportunity.

Kristy: yeah the point is I’m like I don’t think he would have remembered that I was hilarious if

he had five months later.

Anna-Lynn: So timing is key timing is important asking for the review and when you ask for it.

Kristy: Right

Anna-Lynn: Both are very important.

Kristy: Yeah and we recently, so like I don’t think it’s wrong to ask for it because we recently

had a friend ask us for a review of their business and I was so happy to do it you know and part of what she said is you know they were looking to make changes they’re like they’re revamping

this year and they’re looking to make rechanges and reviews will really go a long way in helping them with some of these changes this year and I’m like there yeah happy to contribute to that totally get that yeah so.

Anna-Lynn: I know um recently we got one un unexpectedly uh we have a new client um that we’ve been working with and um we were creating a website I created the brunt of the content for them and they sent us this beautiful email it wasn’t even really a review it was more like something that was shared internally um and specifically they called out they loved the content they love the writing and I was just like…

Kristy: It feels so good.

Anna-Lynn: It made my week yeah. I don’t get I- I’m not very client-facing.

Kristy: Yeah.

Anna-Lynn: I am to a degree um I’m in on meetings to but a lot of times what I’m doing is I’m listening I’m absorbing information and then putting something out there for them um and so I don’t have a lot of direct contact sometimes with these clients so when they turn around and directly speak to what you did for them and tell them how much you loved it it’s just it’s such a boost and it gives you it’s just it makes you want to work even harder for them too.

Kristy: yeah it does yep.

Anna-Lynn: So it’s I I feel like so I feel like that’s one reason too why the reviews are so important.

Kristy: It’s reassurance that you’re on the right track.

Anna-Lynn: Yeah yeah like you’re you are putting something out there that is helping other businesses to grow and I mean that’s the whole point of what we’re doing right and when that happens it’s like magic it’s just like the best.

Kristy: Yeah.

Anna-Lynn: The best feeling and I think it’s especially I’ve always been one like I love I personally like leaving reviews when I get really excited about…

Kristy: Mhm 

Anna-Lynn: a company if they’re doing something that nobody else is doing or they’re doing

something in a new way that is like brilliant and very impactful and like I want to tell everybody and I want to see them succeed.

Kristy: Right 

Anna-Lynn: And so then I’m like I will write you the best review like and so it’s turning it back onto your own company and getting that kind of feedback from your clients and asking do we do

something really good like when you know when if you have a client you just had a win with like you worked on something together it was a collaboration and it they just win big from it yeah like let’s document it you know it’s like it’s a moment that needs to be saved and put down in writing because it’s just sometimes it’s it’s sometimes it’s a big thing.

Kristy: It sounds like that one for you you need to put in your you did so good folder.

Anna-Lynn: I do I need to screenshot it I need to start that folder that folder. 

Kristy: I- I’m sure there’s so there’s so many things I’ve said to you that you can screenshot I’m sure go back through.

Anna-Lynn: I’m going to go back through the chat text. Basically all of our…

Kristy: Our Instagram DMS is everything I’ve ever said to you.

Anna-Lynn: It’s true

Kristy: Put it in your…

Anna-Lynn: All the videos.

Kristy: You did so good folder.

Anna-Lynn: It’s basically just a Kristy folder.

Kristy: Yeah!

Anna-Lynn: I think everybody needs you in their life.

Kristy: You know what it.. If you need me…

Anna-Lynn: Find yourself a Kristy.

Kristy: If you need me to hype you up I am so good for that.

Anna-Lynn: You are the best type person ever.

Kristy: and I mean it too it’s like not even patronizing I believe in hyping up the people the businesses the people. Exactly I want everyone to feel hyped.

Anna-Lynn: Exactly.

Kristy: Always, unless you don’t deserve it.

Anna-Lynn: Right but if somebody deserves it, if a business deserves it I will be your biggest cheerleader because I just I want everybody to succeed so just give me a little reason to hype you up and I’m there.

Kristy: Yeah! Yep. 

Anna-Lynn: And- and I think it’s just the turnaround and turning around and asking somebody to do that for us is when I start feeling a little bit like…

Kristy: Scared. 

Anna-Lynn: It feels like you’re being braggy you know what I mean it feels a little bit icky it does it does but you have to do it but it’s so important and also I think that comes from validating your own work if you know you did a great job on something and you know the client was happy.

Kristy: Mhm.

Anna-Lynn: Go for it just ask.

Kristy: They want reviews too so I think they understand the value in it.

Anna-Lynn: Right yep I mean any kind of feedback is important and valid but getting those

reviews those Google reviews so that other people can have a better understanding of what your agency does and how your agency can help them so.

Kristy: So you’re your copywriter lady, let’s help the people script out how they would ask for reviews um what could they say?

Anna-Lynn: Well um just simply saying we have really enjoyed our collaboration um we love what you know what came out of that collaboration um and just asking like on the spot.

Kristy: Like what do you think about what I’ve asked what I said?

Anna-Lynn:  I like how you asked it because it was like Hey if you have a second.

Kristy: If you were happy.

Anna-Lynn: Um we right if you were happy with what we did or don’t even make it a question like tell us about what worked for you tell us about like don’t create this question that maybe there’s some parts of it that weren’t right it’s possible I mean nothing is ever perfect unless it’s a job you did um unless it’s a Kristy job.

Kristy: Right.

Anna-Lynn: But um but just framing it as we’d love to hear um a few words from you if you have the time of what um some big…

Kristy: Feedback?

Anna-Lynn: Yeah if you have some feedback for us like uh what worked really well with our partnership um things that you were really happy about that we did was there anything we implemented that was especially impactful for your business or.

Kristy: And then I think it’s important to highlight that really helps our business you do that.

Anna-Lynn: Right right and saying you know this is a win-win yeah for both sides yeah so yeah I think you you just have to not be afraid to ask for it um not create any pressure when you are asking for it.

Kristy: Yeah, they don’t have to do it.

Anna-Lynn:  And think about the timing of when you’re asking for it and if you keep all of those in mind then you can slowly start building up this Bank of reviews that can be used to promote your own, your own business.

Kristy: I guess it depends on what business you’re into yeah on how you would ask but yeah yeah it’s a long…

Anna-Lynn: But making it easy for them to leave a review too like the way you do it you hyperlink it and um make it so they just have to click and then do it.

Kristy: Yeah so if anyone doesn’t know how to do that if you go to your own Google profile there is a place somewhere in there that says to how to share your if you go to your reviews it’s like share link somewhere in there and then you just copy your own Google review link and then you can just hyperlink it into emails or whatever it’s super easy and again it makes it very easy for them to just click on in and they can do it and they do it.

Anna-Lynn: And it shows you’re being mindful of their time too everybody’s busy and this is like an extra it’s like an extra thing but it’s also very necessary so you have to make it feel like it’s not extra.

Kristy: Well yeah you think about the psychology of how people work like people are right if if

things are easier to do people are more likely to do them it’s just how it is.

Anna-Lynn: Just be nice and ask nice and make it easy. Simple.

Kristy: yeah simple,  what about product reviews are you a big product reviewer?

Anna-Lynn: I am I really like to leave if it’s like praise for a business it’s a public review. If it’s

something not so great I will privately message or contact the business and if they are really horrible about it and just defiant about like they’re just going to die on that hill we’re terrible and we’re embracing it. 

Kristy: Yeah.

Anna-Lynn: We don’t care what your experience was that’s when I’ll be like okay I’m just going to share this with everybody then so they know what to expect..

Kristy: Right.

Anna-Lynn: But I don’t automatically take it to the public forum you know right off if I have a bad experience a lot of times I’ll reach out to the company privately first yeah but positive reviews yeah I’m all about it I love it I was actually a big Amazon reviewer like I was big about leaving reviews on Amazon but I try not to buy much from them anymore that’s another conversation.

Kristy: I usually go through my product reviews in batches like I’ll just like spend like an hour like I said it’s my like de-stressing time and I’ll just like go through and review a bunch of things at  once rather than like I just bought something so I review it and I just bought something I review it I’ll go back in history.

Anna-Lynn: And I’m a huge fan of leaving reviews for small businesses.

Kristy: Yes,definitely.

Anna-Lynn: Huge. Especially if they because you know small business people are working twice as hard they just do because they have to and if they are just providing exceptional service great service great uh product then I am just like I go try to go above and beyond.

Kristy: Yeah

Anna-Lynn: And leave happy mail everywhere for them.

Kristy: Yeah, we are almost out of time. 

Anna-Lynn: Okay.

Kristy: So we’re going to have to wrap this up which is sad I feel like we could

just talk forever.

Anna-Lynn: We should like can this just be what we do every day.

Kristy: Probably. We need topics if you have topics give us your topics otherwise we’re just going to come up with it and you’re going to have to listen

Anna-Lynn: You’re going to have to deal with it.

Kristy: That can get scary. Oh Bill’s going to listen to this and just oh boy just axe it.

Anna-Lynn: We’re going to lose our funding.

Kristy: We’re going to we are going to… that’s what it is funding.. no one can stop us no one can stop us but we will lose our funding I mean don’t make us lose our funding.

Anna-Lynn: Yeah keep the topics coming and Bill will keep the Starbucks flowing.

Kristy: That’s right 

Anna-Lynn: And then we can just keep doing this.

Kristy: That’s right. Well, thank you for being here.

Anna-Lynn: Thank you for being you.

Kristy: And thank you all for being here we’ll see you next time.