Foreign. I'm the best in the business and everyone knows it. My skills and accomplishments are unparalleled. They're simply nobody better.

Ugh Who talks like that? Seriously, who talks like that? Nobody likes somebody who brags about themselves all the time. In fact, there's a proverb that says let others praise you and not your own mouth. Think about that. From the context of a business, you can tell people you're the best all day, every day.

But when customers start to tell others that you're the best, that's when it becomes believable in today's world in today's Business Place Your reviews and your testimonials and what customers say about you speaks volumes. Your reviews are your reputation. And so today we're going to talk about: when to get online reviews, how to get online reviews, and where to get online reviews so that you can have a reputation that precedes you and attracts more buyers, more sellers, more business for you. Welcome to this week in marketing.

My name is Jason Pantana. I'm your host I'm your instructor and today I'm stoked for this conversation because I think it's going to make a massive difference in your business. If you're new to the Channel please tap that big red subscribe button and then hit the Bell right next to it to enable notifications. So whenever we publish new videos just like this one, you're the first to know about it and you can learn.

And Implement all the strategies, All the tactics here in in your business. So without further Ado Let's dive into our topic online reviews. Let's talk first about where to get online reviews and I can recognize it. Must feel sometimes frustrating to say okay, we're going to focus all of our energy on this platform to get reviews.

Go Go Go Get reviews. Ask ask, Ask. and you work so hard getting reviews on said platform and then somebody's like no, that one's done. it's old now.

Focus on this platform. Go Go Go Go Go Get reviews and I can imagine it must be on some level just frustrating or infuriating because you're like. But what about all the reviews over there? I just busted my tailgating and asking for do I ask them again. That's the review race that we all feel.

and it's because things change and you want to go where the opportunity exists. So today, what I want to do is break down the reasons why you would focus on some platforms over other. Platforms in terms of generating online reviews so you can kind of peel back and understand why you should focus on one plus form over another strategically and I'll start first with Google Your Google business profile is probably my top pick in terms of focusing on getting online reviews. I'll be very clear about why.

that is because Google is currently the dominant search engine in the US and Canada For instance, over 90 percent of all searches go down on Google which includes of course Google Maps as part of the search experience where your reviews can rank. so your Google business profile is a spot of where to get online reviews. and that Google business profile feeds all Realms of Google it's Google search It's Google Maps It even feeds Google assistance if somebody conducts a voice search. For instance, focusing on reviews on Google is critical especially and I'll get to this later.

seller side reviews. If you've got buyers and sellers, it is more consistent with the search behavior of a seller to go looking for the best agent in a specific area. Buyers to put it, simply tend to search for houses, homes for sale, waterfront homes for sale in a set location something thing like that, but sellers. It's more characteristic that they'll go searching for agents best realtor in Milwaukee or some spot like that.

And so because they're likely to do that search on Google your Google business profile is highly, highly important and is especially critical to prioritize seller testimonials in those reviews. Now one note to address about Google and just online review collection in general. there is a designated spot in your Google business profile for collecting online reviews. Google gives you an intake form.

Sometimes people think oh, it's the same as if I just record a video and publish the video in my photos section. That's great, but it's not the same thing I Want to be super clear today I'm talking about actual online reviews in the designated spot for Google of online reviews. Why? Because Google recognizes those as reviews and they have a different SEO weight they're worth more so to speak in terms of how Google ranks and prioritizes profiles. So getting like video testimonials or screenshotting a review from some other platform and Publishing it as a post on your profile was great.

but it is not a substitution for actually getting reviews I'm talking about real. They give you the star rating. they include text, the written review and actual Google review. That's Google Now after Google let's talk about Yelp I Can acknowledge first and foremost that getting reviews on any of these platforms is going to come with some painstaking, tedious.

oh my goodness, Why won't this just work? Why aren't they publishing my reviews? I'm skipping over all that and I'm looking at the ultimate benefit of continual effort in terms of generating reviews. I Just want to be clear about acknowledging that I Know Yelp can have some annoyances with it. Notwithstanding, the SEO of Yelp is indisputable if you do a Google search for instance, for the best realtors in a set area. Yes, your Google business profile is in the map pack and all that stuff will outrank it, but some were toward the top of the organic search results.

You're going to see a link for Yelp and you're gonna get people who look there because they trust you to each their own I suppose or maybe they actually just go to Yelp first to conduct the search or they use the Yelp app. Yelp unto itself is a powerful platform for reviews, but it's also a gateway to other powerful platforms. For example, Yelp if you didn't know, this feeds data to Apple Maps So anything in Apple Maps is actually pulling from Yelp listings and Yelp reviews and Yelp data. By extension, Apple Maps feeds Siri So if anybody does a Siri search or an sir I don't mean to trigger all of your phones to start talking to you right now.

but if you conduct a voice search for the best realtor near me or something to that effect, it's going to be pulling from Yelp if it's Siri that you're using as The Voice Assistant Also, Apple Maps feeds Instagram If you go looking for for instance, in the search section of Instagram a Realtor, you'll find accounts, but in the map section of Instagram which is sort of a new emerging place of finding local businesses and stuff like that. it's also super popular on Snapchat Apple Maps is what feeds Instagram You can fact find a business that does not have an account on Instagram on Instagram through Apple Maps inside of Instagram Okay, now I know that's a lot. Kind of a tangled web of okay Yelp let's zoom out Yelp Powers a lot of other platforms it Powers Siri it Powers Apple Maps and by extension, Instagram through their search map section, it also Powers Alexa So if somebody does a search there with the voice assistant, the data is syndicated over the reviews come from your Yelp profile. Wow, that matters a lot too.

It also feeds Bixby which is Samsung's Voice Assistant The point is Yelp kind of gets a lot of birds with one stone in terms of cross syndicating all your reviews. and then there's Facebook our beloved Facebook reviews if they're not completely littered with crypto, Nft selling stuff and nonsense. Anyways, I Digress: Facebook is also powerful. It's got great SEO People do searches for your business or things like that.

Your Facebook page where those reviews are listed theoretically is going to rank high in the search results. What's more your Google business profile? because Google is always Googling you and kind of getting a broad picture of you across the entire internet. There is a section on your Google business profile in the knowledge panel display of your Google business profile where it's on that right hand sidebar where it will Google you essentially and pull in sort of an aggregated rating on Zillow on Facebook and say hey on Facebook there are 4.7 out of 5 Stars Something like that. It's a small little note.

it's not that big of a deal, but I Want to make the case that Facebook also has some broader impacts and broader reach than just people reading reviews on Facebook Facebook also Powers Bing Now I did a video recently about the announcement of being rolling out their new AI search powered by chat GPT Without getting into detail, this could be big for Bing this could be real big for Bing which means Bing could become more popular in terms of being a search engine or a go-to option in the coming months and years. I'm speculating and predicting that that being true would mean you should focus on your Bing places profile. You're being places profile is the equivalent of Google's Google business profile only it's different in that on your Bing profile, you're being places profile. You don't actually get reviews there.

It actually pulls reviews from your Facebook page. So if you want to get better in Bing placement and Bing ranking, then you're going to want to focus on Facebook reviews as well. So those are sort of the big time platforms uh, Google, Yelp and Facebook and they feed all the other ones. But there's also in our real estate world, there's platforms like Zillow and Realtor.com should you be getting reviews there And the answer is yeah, now it's your business.

it's your strategy. But the argument I typically make with my clients when I'm coaching clients is: look, if you're generating leads off of Zillow or off of Realtor.com or some other platform that allows you to collect reviews, then it is in your best interest to continue focusing on getting reviews there because that's going to increase conversion. It's going to increase the performance you have with the leads coming from that platform. Now here's the thought for you and you don't have to take it, but just let it stew for a moment.

If you're buying leads from for instance Zillow and they're mostly buyer leads, then Focus your buyer reviews on Zello's platform and then Focus your seller testimonials on I would say Google because Google's the number one search engine and it's the most likely place where a seller would search best realtor near me or something to that effect. and I want your Google business profile to rank high in the search results so that you can get found by more prospective sellers who then go read your reviews of other happy sellers heralding your praises and they're like I'm gonna call that agent to list my house. That's your breakdown of all the places where you can generate online reviews. Hey quick sidebar.

If all this talk about Google has you thinking about the potential of your Google business profile and what you should be doing in 2023 to level it up, then make sure to check out our course Google Business Boss! It's part of our training platform Marketing Pro and this course is about three hours of dedicated on-demand video content from me that is all about how to optimize and configure your profile your Google business profile to rank higher on Google enabling you to get found by more buyers and more sellers, more customers to grow your business It talks about. SEO It talks about reviews. It goes from slow to fast from start to finish. All things that you need to know: To optimize your profile to get found by more customers online.

Your Google business profile is one of the most important assets of all your marketing. Don't neglect it. Click the link in the description to learn more. Now next up, let's talk about wind.

Ask for reviews because ultimately, you've got to figure out how to ask customers to leave you a review unless you're intending on reviewing yourself and that's going to be awkward. So let's not do that. I Would argue that most agents ask for the review at precisely the wrong time. They typically ask for the review at closing.

Why is this the wrong time? It's the wrong time. Because at closing, your buyer or seller is presumably very, very busy with the idea of taking on a mortgage or selling the house they live in to go move somewhere else. They're preoccupied and so their receptivity to leaving your review. It's like okay, I got it.

Okay, Okay, they're not really focused on it at closing. so when should you ask for the review? Well, I would say that the actual asking for the review begins from the very beginning of you doing business with that buyer or that seller. It begins with seating, laying the expectation or layering in the idea of I'll deliver you five star service, preparing the way for you to receive a five-star review on some respective platform, whatever you choose based upon our last segment. So when should you be asking for reviews? Well, I would argue that it begins at the beginning.

At the start of working with a buyer or a seller, you should be seating, laying out the expectation, preparing the way for generating that review at some point down the road. Throughout the transaction, it begins with seating and that's just a simple thing of maybe making some statements like I'm super excited to work with you all and finding your dream home here I'm going to deliver to the best of my abilities. Five star service and I hope you'll tell all your friends and family and the entire internet about that experience assuming I live up to the expectation just I just made that up off the cuff. but something to the idea of setting an expectation.

When I first got into real estate, my principal broker said something I never forgot She said expectations can only be met when they're understood. Meaning, if you don't make an expectation with somebody, you can't expect them to do the thing you want them to do. And so the time to start laying the groundwork for getting that online review is in the very beginning. You should be seeding it.

You should be putting in some assumptive language. You should be laying the groundwork for the review How else can I say it? Do it from the very beginning now. I Know that's a bit of a caveat. I didn't actually tell you to ask for the review I Told you to see the idea of the review.

So when should you ask for the review? And here's my answer: Whenever something good happens now: I Know there are some platforms like Zillow where you cannot ask for the review until the transaction has been marked as closed. I Recognize that and this is going to be a level of your discernment and you making the decision about what you feel comfortable with. And I'm curious. Tell us in the comments: when do you ask for the review, Do you ask for it at the end of the transaction? Or do you have multiple stops and waypoints on the path toward that closing where you would ask for the review.

Some platforms have different rules than others, but my thinking is, whenever something good happens, it's an opportune moment to ask for the review. Okay, so what's an example of that? Well, it could be a ratified purchase contract. Congratulations, we're under contract. Is there an opportunity to ask for the review? If you don't get the review, then maybe we ask again later on when we clear all the contingencies.

Now, use your discernment once more. If the deal is hanging on by a thread because inspection was a little terrifying, then maybe don't ask at that moment because we qualify it with our statement our heading of whenever something good happens. So maybe then it's at the clear to close. or maybe it's at a final walk through Again, most agents ask for the review at closing I would argue that's not an ideal moment, that's my own opinion.

You may disagree with me. and then I would say post occupancy is a fantastic opportunity to ask for the review, sending them a handwritten note or a closing gift, or checking in a week or two or three weeks after closing when the dust is settled. To ask for the review would be a reasonable moment where hey, checking in to make sure you're happy and settled and then leading into the ask. I'll talk about how to ask in a second, but that would be another opportunity for asking for the review.

and it could even be that you do a 90-day sweep. Anybody who's closed in the past 90 days and hasn't left a review which try again. so when should you ask for the review? Well A From the very get-go you should be seeding the idea of expecting a review, preparing the way for the review and then you officially ask along the transaction. Waypoint Whenever something good happens and don't be prepared to only ask once persistence pays off, build into your transaction to close process to ask multiple times to generate that review because by doing it again and again and again, you increase your odds tremendously of capturing what is a highly important piece of marketing, collateral and online review.

Next up, let's talk about how to ask for the review. So first, let's talk about the mechanistic sort of technical way of asking for reviews. In a word: multi-channel A lot of agents make the mistake: I Think it's a mistake of only using one Communication channel when asking for the review. For example, if it's a Google business profile, Google gives you a custom intake link for collecting reviews.

You might send that link over to a customer via email and say hey, please leave me a review Click here. I Know those aren't the words you would use, just work with me. We're talking about the technical logistics for a second here. that's okay, but easy to ignore.

However, if you were to accompany that email with a text message that said hey, by the way, I just sent you an email with this link asking for the review, would you please look at it and fill it out ASAP Or something to that effect. Not those words, but that idea, the simple idea of attaching the text message to a company. the email is going to greatly increase the odds of that customer saying okay, I'm gonna do it because you went multi-channel There is Magic in going multi-channel So think about all the communication channels at your disposal for asking for the review. DMS Text messages, video messages, emails.

Uh, you could show up unannounced at their house with a Popeye Just kidding I wouldn't do that one. You could send a handwritten note with a QR code they can scan to go leave the online review. You could send a voicemail drop. You could call them.

You could do lots of things to ask for the review. There are all these different communication channels at your fingertips. My advice is one Go multi. Channel Don't just use one at a time.

Use two or three at a time. To really not be ridiculous, but make sure that you're cutting through the noise of their busy, hurried lives to be heard so that there's a greater chance of them actually taking action on your request for generating an online review. And I would build these steps. Whatever you decide are going to be your communication channels build into your process.

that is part of your transaction to close process. So whenever something good happens, we ask for the review. How do we ask for the review through a variety of communication channels? Now, how do we ask for the review? In terms of the words we use: I'm going to recommend you consider Phil Jones two Question questionnaire. So this is not designed inherently for reviews.

However, it can be retooled and adapted for the use of collecting online reviews. One of the main objectives that a consumer has, whether they voice this or not. One of their main reasons for not leaving the review is I don't know what to say I don't have the words to say and so what? Phil Jones Teaches in his two question questionnaire is at the end of a transaction for instance, or at the end of a working experience with client. you would send them a two-question questionnaire I would go multi-channel nudge them with a text for instance saying hey, I just sent this to you by the way, but you might email them a two-question questionnaire.

And here are the two questions. First, What three things did you enjoy best about working with us again? What three things did you enjoy best about working with us? Now the interesting thing about asking for three points of what they enjoyed best. This is what Phil Teaches is the variety of responses you're going to get. So Phil would tell you that the first answer is whatever they grabbed for and reached for first.

I just I need an answer? It was. that second answer is the real answer. It's where they've had time to reflect and think you know what really made a difference for us. What we really enjoyed was this, and then traditionally the third answer is something extra.

Oh, and and that too, It's an extra little bit of delight or something to that effect. So when you look at these, you have to kind of look at the lenses of Okay, the first answer is probably just what they reached for first. the second answer is the thing that really really resonated with this particular client. and the third thing is the thing that was just extra.

Oh, and this too, it was extra now. Phil's second question in the two question questionnaire is if there were one thing you could change, what would that be Now, most likely this two question questionnaire is being delivered via just an email. So once you get the email reply from the recipient, your customer, and again, you might have to follow up a couple of times to get them to reply. But this is really important Intel for your business.

Once you get their email back, you're going to reply using another one of Phil Jones magic phrases dubbed a favor. So your reply back might look something like this or or be worded something like this hey name. Thanks so much for this information. This is invaluable I Really appreciate it.

You might acknowledge some of the specific points just to you know, they gave you great data. great Intel And then you might slip in the magic phrase just a small favor to ask dot dot dot or just a favor to ask dot dot the second thing you listed and then maybe State what it was The things they enjoyed best about working with you really I Think would resonate with a lot of people who are looking for an agent who can do that kind of work for them. Would you be willing to leave an online review on Google on Yelp on whatever platform you choose? If so, here's the link to go leave that all in review if you take the time to ask customers what they really think about an experience which is why I love Phil's two question questionnaire and then you use that to kind of LeapFrog into the request for the review. In the end, you're going to get way higher quality reviews and your reviews are your reputation, not what you say about yourself, but what others say about you.

It matters in the context of getting found by your next prospective customer. So there you have it. where, when and how to ask for online reviews I Talked about why it matters too, because reviews are your reputation I'm curious when where and how are you asking for reviews. Let us know in the comments and my advice to everybody who's watching right now is go check that comments thread because I'm willing to bet I'm counting on everybody.

There's going to be a lot of great ideas in that comments thread. Thank you so much for watching Until next week. this is this week and Marketing Foreign.