I wish this wasn’t even a question that I get asked, but it is. ⁠ ⁠

My short answer: No!⁠ ⁠

My long answer: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates that anyone receiving a gift or incentive in exchange for a review MUST disclose it. This law doesn’t differentiate between a $1 gift or a $1,000 gift. If you give someone free treatments, gift cards, or monetary compensation, the incentive must be clear and conspicuous to whoever is reading the review.⁠ ⁠

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I read reviews that have been incentivized I tend to assume they are biased. When I see a business service or product, with a lot of compensated reviews, I tend to think “tacky” or “cheap”. I believe it’s fair to state that clients leaving genuine & accurate reviews are not generally compensated. Not that this never happens – just hardly ever.⁠ ⁠

To stay compliant with FTC regulations, ensure the clients endorsing your practice have received a service or product from you. Don’t ask someone who hasn’t received a service or product to leave a review. Make sure that anyone sharing a review in exchange for a gift discloses the agreement. Also, ensure that clients reviewing your products know they are expected to provide an unbiased review and that a negative review won’t impact their compensation. ⁠ ⁠

To sum it up, incentivized reviews do not really help your online reputation, and if they aren’t disclosed it’s illegal. It’s best to stick with a traditional client review system. The best way to get genuine & positive reviews from your clients is to have an automated system send a text or email shortly after your clients’ check out. ⁠ ⁠

I understand the struggle that many aesthetic business owners face trying to accelerate their growth and strengthen their reputation, I am here to help! Contact me with any questions that you have about providing a client experience so excellent, your client can’t help but leave a review!