For a photographer, a review is the closest thing to a referral from a stranger. Families, couples and businesses read them before they read your about page. More recent reviews also help you show up in the Google map results. The good news: most happy clients are glad to write one. They just need to be asked at the right time, in the right way.
When to ask
The best moment is right after the client sees their photos, not right after the session. On the day of the shoot they are tired and have not seen anything yet. When the gallery arrives and they are excited, a review is easy to write.
- Portraits and families: the day you deliver the gallery
- Headshots: when the retouched images are sent
- Weddings: when the sneak peek arrives, then again with the full gallery if they did not write one
- Minis: with the delivery email
On LensPilot, a review request goes out automatically after each session is marked done. Many photographers mark it done on delivery day so the request lands while the client is looking at their photos.
How to ask
Make it short and personal, and give a direct link:
"Hi Megan, your gallery is ready! It was a joy to photograph your family at Pullen Park. If you have a minute, a Google review helps other families find me: [link]. Thank you!"
Things that help:
- Use their name and mention the session
- One direct link that opens the review box
- Ask once, remind once a week later, then stop
What to ask them to mention
You can suggest topics, not words. "If you mention what kind of session it was and where, it helps other families find me" leads to reviews like "family session at Pullen Park in Raleigh", which is useful for both readers and search.
A message for each situation
After a family session: "Hi Megan, your gallery is ready. Thank you for trusting me with your family's photos. A short Google review helps other families find me: [link]."
After headshots: "Hi Daniel, your retouched headshots are attached. If the session was easy for your team, a quick Google review would mean a lot: [link]."
After a wedding: "Priya and Sam, your sneak peek is here! When you have a quiet moment after the honeymoon, a review about your day helps other couples find me: [link]."
The reminder, a week later: "Hi Megan, a quick reminder about the review link in case it got buried. No pressure at all, and thank you again."
Short, warm and specific beats long and formal.
Reply to every review
- Thank them by name and mention something specific about the session
- Keep it to two or three sentences
- For a negative review, stay calm, take it offline, and say what you will do. Future clients judge you by the reply more than by the complaint
What not to do
- Do not offer discounts or gifts for reviews. Google's policies prohibit incentivized reviews and can remove them. Your referral credit is for friends who book, never for reviews
- Do not write reviews for yourself or ask friends who were never clients
- Do not ask only the happy ones through a filter. Ask everyone; deal with problems directly
- Do not buy reviews. They get removed, and the profile can be penalized
Turn reviews into bookings
- Put three or four short reviews on your website, near your session prices
- Share a review with the session photo on social media, with permission
- Mention your rating in your inquiry reply
Make it a system
The photographers with 100 reviews did not get them with one big push. They asked every single client, every time, for years. Automate the ask so it never depends on your memory during busy season.
How many reviews do you need?
There is no magic number. What matters is that you have more recent reviews than the photographers you compete with on the map, and that new ones keep coming. Ten new reviews a year from real clients beats fifty from three years ago.
A note on wedding directories
Wedding clients also read reviews on wedding sites. If you get most of your weddings from one directory, ask there too, but make Google your first ask: it is where your local profile lives.
Reviews are the cheapest marketing you have. Ask everyone, reply to everyone, and give them a reason to be glad they did. See how to get photography clients for the rest of the plan.
Frequently asked questions
When should a photographer ask for a review?
When the client receives their photos, not on the day of the session. That is when they are most excited and most likely to write one.
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google prohibits incentivized reviews and can remove them. Ask every client, make it easy with a direct link, and keep referral credits for friends who book.