Reviews are our most powerful magnet for students. The operations support and student support specialist should work hand-in-hand to track all posted reviews in Zoho and track also all correspondence asking for reviews in Zoho.
Yes, it’s tedious, but since reviews are so powerful, it’s worth it.
In general, students who fall under categories are candidate for reviews:
1st group
Any student from previous season who re-enrolled to current/upcoming season regardless if they registered for a repeat program/direct progression program/performance team/different dance type
2nd group
Students in 101 or 102 who were present in all 10 weeks, OR 6+ weeks
3rd group
Students in 101 or 102 who filled out the feedback form and they only had positive words to say about MaS (our support VAs track this)
4th group
103 students and performance team students who are deeply involved in the community (usually Danny asks these people personally)
There are two scenarios when it's almost always the right time to ask for reviews:
SCENARIO A
Who to ask: Paid, new enrollments (level 102 & above) When to ask: During program registration period
Criteria:
They have just paid for level 102 or above in the past couple of weeks
Paid for at least 1 MaS program in the past (means they already know us).
Have left a review on either 1 or 0 platforms (Google & Yelp)
No reason to not ask for a review (Ex. Maybe they complained recently)
Why: If they’re continuing, they like us. Probably they’ll be happy to write a positive review. As always, track the whole process in the proper places in Zoho, so you, or anyone who sees Zoho, always know when and how to follow up.
SCENARIO B
Who to ask: Mid-season students after announced in class:
When to ask: Instructors have asked the students about reviews (Only will do this when we are confident that the instructor is doing an outstanding job and we believe just about any student would be happy to write a review)
Criteria:
Instructor has just asked for reviews in class (usually around weeks 4-6 is perfect. This is late enough that they have a good feel for the program and early enough that they’re still excited)
Have left a review on either 1 or 0 platforms (Google & Yelp)
No reason to not ask for a review (Ex. Maybe they complained recently. Ex. Maybe they’ve attended very few classes)
STEP 1: ASK
----- (Opening paragraph if SCENARIO A) -----
Hi {studentName} - I see that you’re dancing with MaS again this season. Welcome back!
----- (Opening paragraph if SCENARIO B) -----
Hi {studentName} - {instructorName} mentioned in class this week about reviews.
----- (Continue with the rest of the message below) -----
I’m wondering, would you feel good about writing a positive review for Movers & Shakers?
These reviews are SO helpful to strengthen the MaS community and give new dancers the courage to make the call and try out salsa or bachata.
Of course it’s completely up to you.
If so, I will share how/where.
Thank you so much ❤️
{vaName}
STEP 2: IF YES, THEN SHOW HOW (START WITH ONLY GOOGLE)
You ROCK! 💙💚
Ok here's the link for Google: https://g.page/r/CQErzeKsWYQZEBM/review
You're probably automatically already logged in to your Google account. Almost everyone is.
REVIEW TIPS
Including words like "salsa," "bachata," "class" help the algorithm with ranking
Including a photo of you in class is great if you have one (but not mandatory of course)
Good to also mention "Movers and Shakers" and your instructor's name
Your unique story makes a review special
Again thank you SOOOO much 😃
STEP 3: WAIT 1 WEEK, THEN FOLLOW UP IF NO REVIEW OR COMMUNICATION
Hey FIRSTNAME, were you able to post that MaS review yet? I didn’t see anything, but sometimes I miss them.
STEP 4: FOLLOW UP
If no response, drop it for now.
If positive response, continue to follow up as is helpful at a slower, non-demanding pace.
STEP 5: After Google is posted, focus on Yelp
WRITE POSITIVE MESSAGE. EXAMPLE:
Amazing!!! Really, really appreciate you.
ASK RE YELP:
Perhaps I can send instructions for Yelp as well?
STEP 6: Wait 3 weeks to ask again (mark in your calendar) if they don’t respond.
STEP 7: Give Yelp instructions when they respond positively
Alright, here’s how to do it:
Search "Movers and Shakers Dance" on Yelp
Sadly, Yelp often hides reviews a few days after they're posted. They've hidden over half of our reviews, which are 100% from real students. 😣 This especially happens with new or less active Yelp users.
Your review deserves to be shown 🏆!
Below are tips to encourage them to trust it, but please DON'T get caught up on these - they're just bonuses to help. You've already posted the review on Google Maps and that alone is amazing ⭐️.
YELP TIPS TO HELP IT SHOW:
1️⃣. Include a photo in the review
2️⃣. Add a profile photo to your Yelp account
3️⃣. Allow Yelp to connect to your Facebook when they ask (shows them you're a real person)
4️⃣. Review other businesses over time
5️⃣. Any other engagement on Yelp over time shows that you're real
6️⃣. Text on the Yelp and Google review should be at least a bit different
Of course any of these extra items is a bonus - even just simply posting a review is worth a shot.
Again thank you SO much. 🕺💃🙏🌟