How do you ask for reviews on Facebook examples?

Getting more reviews on your Facebook business page can be a great way to build credibility and trust with potential customers. However, many business owners struggle with how to appropriately and effectively ask customers for reviews without coming across as spammy or salesy. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore some of the best practices and examples for requesting Facebook reviews.

Why Facebook Reviews Matter

Here are some of the key reasons why getting more Facebook reviews should be a priority:

Reviews build trust – Numerous studies have shown that consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. The more positive reviews you have, the more that new visitors will trust your business.

Social proof – Reviews are a form of social proof that your business delivers on its promises and satisfies customers. This gives people more confidence to become customers.
Higher rankings – Facebook’s algorithm factors review volume into search rankings. More reviews can help drive more organic traffic.
Sales lift – According to a BrightLocal study, 73% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a business with excellent customer reviews.

Simply put, reviews are one of the best ways to convert more visitors into paying customers. But you have to get those reviews first before you can start capitalizing on these benefits.

Asking for Reviews: Dos and Don’ts

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when asking existing customers for Facebook reviews:

DO:

Ask customers who you know had a positive experience and are likely to leave a favorable review. For example, repeat customers, big spenders, etc.

Personalize your request with the customer’s name and details about their purchase, project, visit, etc.
Provide clear instructions for leaving a review, including a direct link to your Facebook page.
Follow up any verbal request with an email or Facebook Messenger request as well.

Offer an incentive (discount, gift card, entry into a giveaway) in exchange for leaving a review.
Ask at the optimal time, such as right after a purchase, project completion, appointment, etc. when the experience is fresh.

DON’T:

Ask every single customer for a review. Focus just on the happiest ones.

Send a generic review request. Personalize each one with customer details.
Ask customers who had a negative experience or are unlikely to leave a positive review.
Offer incentives in exchange for a GUARANTEED positive review. Let the review reflect their honest experience.

Ask too frequently. Space out review requests over time.
Send review requests too long after a purchase or interaction when details may be forgotten.

Review Request Examples

Here are some templates and examples you can use, customize, or take inspiration from for requesting Facebook reviews from customers:

During a Visit

“Before you leave, would you mind taking a quick minute to leave us a review on Facebook about your experience today? Here’s a tablet you can use to leave a review on our business page. Reviews from customers like yourself really help us grow our business and reach new customers!”

After an Appointment/Service

“Hi [name], I’m reaching out because you had [an appointment, consultation, massage, etc] with us on [date]. I hope you were fully satisfied with your experience! If you have a couple minutes, would you mind leaving us a quick review on Facebook about your time with us? Your feedback helps our small business tremendously. Just click here [insert link to Facebook page] to leave a review. Thank you in advance!

Following Up After a Purchase

“Hi [name], this is [your name] from [business name]. I wanted to thank you again for your purchase of [product] from us last week. We hope you’re fully enjoying [product]! If you have a spare minute, would you mind leaving us a review on Facebook about your purchase? We really appreciate reviews from customers like you, as it helps us grow and reach new audiences. Just click here [insert link to FB page] to leave a review. Please let me know if you have any other questions in the meantime. Thanks!”

After Project Completion

“Hi [name], I hope you’re loving the new [kitchen, website, car wrap, etc] that we recently completed for you! If you’re fully satisfied with our work, I’d greatly appreciate if you could leave us a review on our Facebook page so we can continue to grow our business and help more customers like you. Feel free to describe your experience working with us and what you think of the finished product. Thanks in advance for taking a minute to share your feedback here [insert link to FB page]!”

Existing Customers

“Hi [name], I wanted to reach out to say thanks for being such a loyal and valued customer over the years here at [business name]. I’d love to get your feedback on our service by having you leave us a review on Facebook. Your reviews help other potential customers learn what sets us apart. Please click here [insert link to FB page] to share your experience. As a small token of appreciation, I’d like to offer you [10% off, free gift, entry into giveaway] for taking the time to leave a review. Thank you in advance for your help!”

When to Send Review Requests

Timing is important when asking for reviews. Here are some of the best times to reach out:

Right after a positive experience – Ask in person or send the review request within a day or two so it’s still fresh in the customer’s mind.
After appointments – Follow up within a day of appointments, consultations, services, etc. while the details are still clear.
Following up after a purchase – Reach out within a week of a purchase to get feedback on the product and buying experience.

Upon project completion – Request a review within a few days of finishing a project while satisfaction is high.
With existing customers – Check in periodically (every few months) with loyal customers to get up-to-date reviews.

The sooner you can request reviews after positive interactions, the better response you’ll get.

How to Send Review Requests

You can send review requests through multiple channels for the best results:

In person – Verbally ask for reviews during appointments, checkout, services, etc.
Email – Send a personalized follow up email within a few days.

Facebook Messenger – Use Messenger to request reviews from customers who message your page.
Text message – Collect customer phone numbers to request reviews via text.
Social media – Post general review requests on your Facebook page or in Facebook groups.

Following up any in-person requests with digital messages can improve response rates. Automating some of your review outreach through email or SMS will save time.

Motivating Customers to Leave Reviews

Getting customers to actually take action and leave reviews often requires some extra motivation. Here are some ideas:

Offer a discount code or percentage off their next purchase for leaving a review.

Enter reviewers into a monthly giveaway for prizes.
Provide an extra month free for subscription services in exchange for reviews.
Appeal to their desire to help your small business grow and succeed.

Make it super quick and easy by sending a direct review link.
Follow up multiple times with non-responders to encourage reviews.
Gamify it by tracking review goals and offering rewards at milestones.

The easier you make the review process and the greater incentive you provide, the higher your response rate will be.

Handling Negative Reviews

Even with the best customer service, negative reviews are inevitable. Here’s how to handle them:

Never delete or hide negative reviews. This will destroy customer trust.

Respond professionally and offer to make amends or resolve the issue.
Follow up privately via email or phone to resolve, not publicly in the review.
Have a clear customer service policy for managing complaints and issues.

Apologize for the bad experience and thank them for the feedback.
Learn from any valid criticism to improve your business.

The goal is to kill the complaint, not the customer. Handled properly, negative reviews can actually build trust and loyalty.

Measuring and Monitoring Reviews

To optimize your review strategy, you need to actively measure and monitor your reviews, including:

Track total review volume week-over-week and month-over-month.
Calculate your average star rating.

Monitor sentiment – are reviews more positive or negative?
Look at what customers are specifically saying in reviews.
Set goals for the number of reviews and average rating to hit.

Compare review volume to competitors.

Use this data to fine-tune your review outreach and customer service. Customer feedback analytics tools can automate much of this tracking.

Replying to Reviews

You should always reply to your Facebook reviews, both positive and negative. Here are some best practices:

Thank customers for taking the time to leave feedback.
For positive reviews, reinforce what the customer liked about their experience.
On negative reviews, apologize and offer to make it right.

Reply promptly, ideally within a day or two of the review being left.
Craft custom replies based on what the review actually says.
Maintain a consistent brand voice when replying.

Avoid getting into debates or lengthy exchanges.

Replying shows customers that you actively listen, care about their feedback, and are committed to continuous improvement.

Review Display Options

Facebook offers businesses several options to control how reviews are displayed:

Set a minimum star rating cutoff so only 4 or 5 star reviews show.
Disable reviews completely so none are visible.
Allow all reviews regardless of rating to be shown.

Select up to 5 of your best recent reviews to showcase.
Randomly rotate a selection of approved reviews.

In most cases, full transparency by showing all reviews is ideal. But you can test different configurations to optimize results.

Rules and Guidelines for Reviews

There are rules and guidelines businesses must follow when collecting Facebook reviews:

Don’t offer rewards explicitly in exchange for positive reviews.
Don’t ask customers to edit or delete negative reviews.

Reviews can’t contain promotional content, spam, or links.
You must disclose if you provide incentives for reviews.
Reviews shouldn’t violate Facebook’s Community Standards.

Violating Facebook’s rules around reviews can result in penalties or banned review features.

Facebook Review Tools

There are tools available to simplify and automate managing Facebook reviews:

Facebook has a built-in system for requesting and responding to reviews.

Yotpo, Podium, and PowerReviews help track, display, and analyze reviews.
Mailshake, Lemlist, and other email tools can automate personalized review requests.
SMS software like OpenMarket or Postscript can send review prompts via text.

Hootsuite and Sprout Social allow scheduling social media review asks.

Leveraging the right tools saves time, surfaces key insights, and helps scale up your efforts.

Conclusion

Collecting Facebook reviews takes effort, but pays huge dividends. The most successful strategy involves:

Only asking your happiest customers for reviews.
Personalizing each request to the customer’s experience.
Providing incentives and follow-up reminders.

Monitoring reviews closely.
Replying promptly to all reviews.
Continuously optimizing your process.

With the right approach, you can build up a strong base of credible reviews that build trust, drive sales, and help your business stand out.