Social Media - Just ask

Do you receive reviews regularly from the families that attend your setting? If you don’t, then this statistic might just make you want to prioritise it – 93 per cent of consumers say online reviews influence their decision to buy.

Often, people don’t even think to leave a testimonial, so it’s always a good idea to ask. You can do this in the form of a post on your social media that links parents directly to the reviews section of your Facebook page. Instagram and Twitter don’t offer a reviews option, but you could always signpost to Facebook from these platforms. You can also utilise Google for reviews too if you are registered.

Share your reviews by quoting the text and including it in a new social media post, or screenshot the review and use it as the image. This works well because it’s seen as authentic social proof – people can actually see who wrote the review and when. Also, show how valued your setting is by sharing photographs of cards, flowers or gifts your team receive.

Your Ofsted report is another key piece of material. Pick out the specific areas where the inspector found strengths and quote them on your social media. For example, ‘We’re very proud of our GOOD grading. Here’s just a snippet of what Ofsted said about us…’

Reviews and recommendations strengthen the credibility of your setting. They have the power to influence buying decisions and help build trust. Parents want to hear from other families and what their experience was – it helps them to imagine their children benefiting from similar experiences.

So ask away – when people are happy, they are often willing to endorse your business; they want to see you succeed and to have played a part in that.

• Nicola Read is owner of social media management company Babbl, www.babbl.co.uk