Do Online Reviews Matter for Beauty Pros?
They Do Matter–Here's Why
As a beauty pro doing the dang thing, you probably put a lot of energy into your marketing efforts. You know what we mean, right?
You’re crushing it on Instagram, you’re killing the customer experience game, and you’re probably rockin’ email marketing, too. If there’s a way to improve your beauty business, you’re probably on it ASAP.
But–and here’s a little curveball we’re throwin’ at you, don’t be mad–if you’re not prioritizing winning 5-star reviews and optimizing them, you’re not giving your business the chance it deserves.
We’re gonna start this blog off with a huge spoiler–your reviews do matter as a beauty pro. More than you might have imagined.
But why do your reviews matter, and further, what do you need to be doing to prioritize and optimize getting those reviews? This blog is here to provide you with the insight and advice you need to take your review game to whole new heights.
The Top 3 Reasons Your Online Reviews Matter
We established your online reviews matter as a beauty pro–that’s step one. What’s step two? Helping you better understand why they matter. Because you don’t just need to blindly take our word for it.
You’re More Than Just a Pretty Instagram
Don’t get us wrong; you need an Instagram presence–especially in your niche. But you also need your customers to know that you’re not just a one-trick pony.
By that, we mean your customers need to know that you’re not just good at giving them killer nails–you’re good at providing a phenomenal customer experience, too.
Images are great social proof for your skills as a beauty pro–that whole “picture is worth a thousand words” thing exists for a reason. But your potential customers care about their entire experience–and they want social proof of that. Your images can’t often do that, so that’s where your reviews come in.
Online Reviews Mean Better SEO
We preach search engine optimization all the time. And while it might get tiresome to hear about, that doesn’t change that your SEO matters.
When you have a ton of online reviews (Google reviews, especially), you’ll be much more discoverable and visible online. When a potential client takes to the internet to find a new stylist, the ones with a ton of reviews (and good interviews at that) are going to take search engine priority.
Listen, we don’t make the rules–but we are happy to help you figure them out. And this is definitely one of the SEO ones you need to know.
People Need Proof
Maybe it’s just our nature, maybe it’s the way consumer habits have evolved–whatever it is, people need proof before they invest in a product or a service. Your industry is no different.
According to a report, “95% of consumers read reviews before they buy a product, while 67% say they wouldn't trust a high rating unless it comes with many reviews.”
The numbers don’t lie–people need reassurance and proof before they invest in something. And they expect to see those reviews, too. If you don’t have them, you’re alienating potential customers.
How to Optimize Your Online Reviews
Getting reviews is the key to success–but optimizing them helps you take that success steps further. Yes, it’s always better to have reviews online (even if you’re doing nothing extra with them) than to have none at all. But if you can optimize those reviews, you can make them do a little extra work for you.
- Put your reviews on your website, too
- Use your reviews as feedback to guide how you shape your customers’ experience
- Add them as your Instagram captions
- Include them in your email marketing campaigns for other social proof
- Add your reviews on any platform where it makes sense–your Instagram, your Facebook page, your website, etc.
Do you have more advice on why your reviews matter?
Have you come up with a great way to optimize those reviews for your site, business, and customer experience?
Whatever your experience with reviews from your customers, we want to hear them–so drop your guidance in the comments below!
And remember, if you’re looking for more advice on the reg, you’ll want to subscribe to Elite Beauty Society’s blog right here, right now! We’re always dropping the hottest tips, tricks, advice, and insight dedicated to helping you grow your beauty career.
