Esthetician Podcast; Business tips for Beauty professionals

078: Stop Wasting Free Services: Use Google Reviews to Build Your Esthetician Business

• Kari Jo

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Ever wonder why your model treatments aren't filling your appointment book? It might be because you're focusing on the wrong return. While most estheticians chase fleeting Instagram mentions that vanish in 24 hours, the real gold lies in Google reviews—your permanent, trust-building, client-converting asset that works tirelessly while you sleep.

Google reviews serve as your 24/7 marketing billboard. When your dream clients—those skincare-loving women in their 30s and 40s with disposable income—hear about your services, they don't immediately book. Instead, they Google you first, scanning your stars and reading what others have to say. Research shows 93% of consumers read online reviews before making decisions, and 48% trust them as much as personal recommendations from friends or family. That's powerful social proof that can't be matched by social media exposure.

Beyond building credibility, these reviews significantly boost your SEO. Google determines local search rankings based on relevance, distance, and prominence—and reviews directly influence your prominence. A business with 100 thoughtful reviews will consistently outrank competitors with only 10, even if offering identical services. Each new review pushes your business higher in search results, increasing visibility and bringing more clients through your door.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're "losing money" by offering free model treatments. When exchanged for a quality Google review, that single session could generate thousands in revenue over time through new clients who discover and trust you based on that review. It's not just about collecting stars—it's about building a narrative that sells your services even when you're not actively marketing. Start requiring Google reviews from your models, make the process simple, and watch as your business grows through the compounding effect of client trust and search visibility. Remember, you don't need 10,000 Instagram likes—you need 10 raving Google reviews that actually convert to paying clients.

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Jana:

Hi Jana Nantell, owner and licensed esthetician of Unalom Aesthetics in Wisconsin. I have a solo practice that was really struggling when I first started out and I reached out to Kari Jo and did some coaching with her and I cannot begin to express how grateful I am for everything that she taught me. I have a 98% rebook rate now and incredibly busy. I am so grateful for her coaching and her tips.

Kari Jo:

Welcome back, estes. I'm so excited that you're here today. First, I have to tell you, guys, I have this little thing at the bottom of my podcast. I don't know if you've seen it, but it says like send us a text. Well, I didn't know that if you send me a text I can't respond. So I've had people sending me messages and I can't even respond to them. So I'm gonna respond here on the podcast right now.

Kari Jo:

Someone sent me a message and said hey, do you coach other estheticians? Guys? I do coach other estheticians and you just need to schedule a phone call with me. The first one is totally free. You can find me on Instagram at . You can find me in the links below. Any of them should lead to how to book a call with me and we can get to coaching.

Kari Jo:

But today I want to jump into something that I see happening so much in different group chats. And I hear it. I teach it. It's funny, it's models. How do you build your schedule? You build it with models. And then it's funny because you go to all these Facebook groups or you hear all these people and they're like well, I've done models and it doesn't work. I've even coached people that are like well, Kari Jo, I'm trying to do the models and it's not working. And so many times it's because I see that guys, do you want to know why they are not working? It's because you're using the models wrong. You're looking at the wrong things of what you want from them.

Kari Jo:

So here's what I want to tell you If you are offering model treatments and the only thing that you are wanting from them in return is, hey, will you go make a post on social media for me? Then I want you to know right now if that's what you want, then you're using the models wrong, right? Yes, a tag on Instagram having them post about you is so great, right? Yes, a tag on Instagram having them post about you is so great, right? But it literally disappears in 24 hours and it only goes as far as their followers. If you want to build a business and not just this one 24 hour moment of hype, then really what you want from every single one of your models is one stinking thing. Are you ready for it? I need a drum roll. It's a Google review. Yes, pause, guys, I'm going to teach you why. This is the most powerful episode you're going to listen to and it's because a Google review, that is your 24-7 permanent search, boosting trust, building lead converting billboard. It never sleeps right 24-7. It's alive, it's going. So I want to break down for you why this is more valuable than the $75 or $200 treatment that you're just giving away because people are like, well, I don't want to do free services. Well, I believe in the law of reparosity, where you've got to give in order to get right. And that review is getting something really valuable.

Kari Jo:

Why, let's say, you're looking to attract women in their thirties. Do you know what they do? Women in their 30s, they Google everything before you book. So those dream clients, the high-end ticket, the pre-booking skincare, loving women in their 30s and their 40s they are not just scrolling Instagram, seeing your account and then DMing you like I want an appointment. That's not what happens. I know I'm one of them and I just did it the other day. I find you and then I go Google the crap out of you.

Kari Jo:

Yes, 93% of consumers. They are going to go read online reviews about you before making a decision of whether or not they're going to book with you. So when they hear your name, they're not just clicking your Instagram bio and being like, oh perfect, I'll book an appointment. No, they're typing you into Google. They are scanning your stars and reading what other people have said and then they're comparing it against the other people that came up when they Googled you. Right, they want proof. They want proof that you're legit. They want to know that it is worth their hard-earned money and they want to see words from other people saying, hey, she was so professional, her office was so clean, I got incredible results. That was the most relaxing hour in my entire life. Not your words, they want other people's words.

Kari Jo:

Now listen, it's not just that. You want the Google reviews because you want credibility. The other reason why you want these Google reviews and why they're so stinking valuable is it boosts your SEO. Okay, we all know SEO, right, but let's get really nerdy and dive into the SEO for you right now. So Google actually decides who shows up first in a local search based off of three things One, your relevance Do your services match the search that someone just searched right? Two, the distance Are you near that person who is searching? And three, your prominence. So how well known are you online? It's your reviews, yes, so a business with 100 reviews are going to outrank a business with 10, even if they are offering the exact same services, okay.

Kari Jo:

So each new review it gives Google another reason to push your business. Google another reason to push your business, your services, higher on the map and your local listings. When you get more of that, you get more visibility, you're going to get more traffic and, in the end, that's going to equal more clients for you. So you could run an ad, let's say, and get maybe one new lead for $100, right? Or you could give a free model service in exchange for a review and you can build a permanent SEO value for your business.

Kari Jo:

Am I talking you into this? Yet, do you understand that the purpose of a model is actually your Google review? Okay, I hope I have, but I want you to know, like one other thing, it's like I don't think that the Google reviews are just about the stars rated and like the numbers, but what it also is doing is, I believe in storytelling, right, and your reviews, basically, are going to create a story that is ultimately going to sell your services and you don't even have to pitch it. It's going to answer all of the questions that your clients are too nervous to ask, right? So think about what you do.

Kari Jo:

When you Google somebody, what are you really looking for and what are you really asking? Like when I Googled someone recently to see if I should go get a facial from them, I was like, is this girl legit? Like, is her studio clean? Is she just like, is this just willy nilly? Is she using incredible products? Is she just going to push products on me? Like well, does she actually know what she's talking about? See, when a client describes the treatment that they had, the experience that they had with you, it helps clients feel safe booking even if they have never met you.

Kari Jo:

And I did this research and I looked up. It was on Bright Local, if you want to go look it up. It found that 48% of consumers they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. So what does that mean for you? It's huge. It basically means that a stranger's review holds almost the exact same weight as their sister's opinion. Like, how huge is that? It's about the Google reviews, right?

Kari Jo:

One review is good, but think of this a hundred is a power move, right? Think of it If you did a hundred model treatments and asked every single one of those clients to go and leave you a Google review. You just dominated the market. How many other estheticians do you know right now that have like a hundred? Like all these estheticians? They have like 15, you know what I mean. Here's what I go do this. Go do this right now. Go look up your top competitor and see how many reviews they actually have. Is it 10?, is it 15?, is it 30?, 75? Maybe they've even been in business for like 10 years.

Kari Jo:

Most local estheticians I hate to say it, but they haven't cracked a hundred reviews on Google and you want to know why that is. They never built a system in order to ask. But you, you can change that In just a few months. You could quit wasting your model services on exposure and trying to get exposure and become an Instagram influencer or Facebook and you could actually start collecting reviews that are going to stay for the entire life of your company. That is going to tell a story that's going to sell your business right A review.

Kari Jo:

The other thing that I get is, when I talk about this is, people are like well, I don't want to give away $100 service or whatever it is. Guys, I hate that more than anything. I feel like most estheticians think that they lose money by giving away a free service, but I just want you to know right now a Google review from that model that one model could potentially generate dozens of new clients for your business. Over time, you are compounding credibility. It is working for you while you are sleeping. One review literally could be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the long term. You could get so many booked appointments from that, and so I want you to think of your model program as, basically, are you going to get benefits from it? Right then? Not unless they rebook, which that's ultimately. That's your goal. That's what you want them to do is to rebook. But I want you to think of it as planting seeds. Right, the model is the seed, the review is the sunlight that is going to water or help that seed grow. So let's get into how you can implement this in your business, and this is like what I teach my estheticians, and I also have a course where you can actually go through and learn the whole entire thing. But right now, what I want you to do is I want you to immediately start adding a Google review to your model terms. It needs to clearly state that in order to get this free service, your Google review is required in exchange, right?

Kari Jo:

The second part of this is you have to make it really easy for them to leave a review. You either need to be like here scan this before they leave, right? Or you send them a follow-up text that's literally like here's the link Thanks for coming in. Make sure to leave the review. Make it easy for your clients, right? Don't tell them to go, do it Go. Help them. Easy for your clients, right? Don't tell them to go, do it Go, help them. I also like to say don't make it really hard, but you can also coach. You don't want to write it for them, but you can coach them on what to say. You can tell them what you're looking for. Tell me about this. Coach them on that. And then what I like to say is thank them publicly.

Kari Jo:

When someone leaves a Google review, like go and post that, because you being like oh my gosh, thank you so much, this meant so much to me, and you post it and you show off that people are leaving Google reviews, other people will want to do the same thing too. Guys, this is going to help you build your business. This is going to help you build your business. This is going to help you build your legacy. It is so easy to just go and chase followers, but you don't need to get 10,000 likes from Instagram. You need 10 raving Google reviews this week. They will work harder than any post, they will last longer than any trend on Instagram and they will bring you real clients who trust, who book and who actually will pay full price. So the next time that you want to take a model, I don't ask them Like I don't care if they post Sure, if they want to, I like that right. But what I do care about is leave me that Google review right. Trust is everything in a business and nothing builds trust like voices sharing real results.

Kari Jo:

Guys, thank you so much for tuning in on today's episode of the Esthetician Podcast. I want to know what resonated with you on this message. So send me a text, like I started in my earlier episode, and tell me what you're like. Oh, I learned this. I got this. This was valuable. I love learning from you guys and hearing from you guys. It helps me. If you have a question and you actually want me to make an episode on it and you want to remain incognito or whatever. Send me a text.

Kari Jo:

If not, guys, I'm starting this new thing where I'm going to start bringing on an esthetician and here's my model call. I'm model calling right now to all of you guys. What I'm going to start doing is I am going to do I want to start doing these episodes where I bring on an esthetician and I do a live coaching on the podcast. We don't have to post your video, you know what I mean. But, like, if you want real advice, you want to know what to do, you want some real coaching and you don't want to pay for it. Sometimes you just want things for free. That's okay Then I want to invite you to come on to this podcast, the Esthetician Podcast. Come be a guest with me and let's get you some coaching. It's like 30 minutes. So how I would apply for that is send us a text, write down your name and include your number or email, because it does not give me any of that information when you send a text. That's how I can contact you back and then we'll reach out to you.

Kari Jo:

Brandi Well, she is my assistant and we'll get you on for some free coaching. Let's get you some free coaching and, like always you guys, I do have a course about how to get models. It's not just about the Google review. I actually say there's three main things that you want to concentrate on and if you want that, you will definitely want to take my course on how to build your clientele. I don't even remember what it's called. I'm going to have to go look it up. How to build your clientele, or something. Shoot, isn't that bad. I don't even know. I a clientele or something. Shoot, isn't that bad. I don't even know. I've made too many courses. But what I will do is I will leave the link in the show notes below. So, okay, I want you guys to have a good rest of your week and I will see you next week on the Esthetician Podcast. Bye, guys.

Kari Jo:

Thank you for listening to the Esthetician Podcast with Kari Jo Patterson. Each week, Kari brings you real-world lessons on how to grow your empire. To learn more about Kari Jo Fearless Prosperity Mastermind Group, one-on-one VIP coaching opportunities and more visit Kari Jo. That's www. kar ijopatterson. com. See you next week for more insights and strategies on the Esthetician Podcast.

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