Why reviews matter more than your showreel
You have poured hundreds of hours into your showreel. The colour grading is spot on, the transitions are seamless, the music sits perfectly. And it barely moves the needle when it comes to booking new clients.
Here is the uncomfortable truth: most potential clients cannot tell the difference between a good showreel and a great one. They are not filmmakers. They do not know what Log footage is. They cannot spot the difference between 8-bit and 10-bit colour. What they can evaluate — instantly and instinctively — is whether other people had a good experience working with you.
Reviews are the single most powerful trust signal in your business. When a bride-to-be is choosing between three videographers who all charge around £1,500 and all have decent-looking work, she is going to pick the one with 47 five-star Google reviews over the one with three. Every time.
The numbers back this up. The vast majority of consumers read reviews before making a purchasing decision, and for services where the client is inviting someone into a personal or high-stakes situation — which describes nearly every videography job — reviews carry even more weight than price.
Yet most videographers never ask. They deliver the final film, the client says "this is amazing," and that is where the conversation ends. The enthusiasm fades, the client moves on with their life, and the review never gets written.
It does not have to be awkward. It does not have to feel pushy. You just need a system.
The best time to ask
Timing is everything. Ask too early and the client has not seen the final work yet. Ask too late and the emotional peak has passed. There is a narrow window where the request feels completely natural, and missing it is the number one reason videographers struggle with reviews.
The golden window: immediately after delivery
The absolute best time to ask for a review is within 24 to 48 hours of delivering the final edit. This is when the client is at their most emotionally engaged with your work. They have just watched their wedding highlights for the first time and cried. They have just shown their boss the brand film and received enthusiastic approval. They are buzzing.
Do not wait a week. Do not wait until you "find the right moment." The right moment is now, while the feeling is fresh.
The second-best window: after revisions are complete
If you deliver a first draft and the client requests changes, wait until the final version is approved. You do not want to ask for a review while there are still outstanding issues. Once they confirm they are happy with the final cut, that is your moment.
When not to ask
- During the project. The client is still in "working with you" mode, not "reflecting on the experience" mode.
- When there has been any friction. If the project had delays, miscommunications, or budget discussions, let the dust settle completely before asking.
- Months after delivery. The longer you wait, the lower the response rate. After three months, you have essentially lost the opportunity for a detailed, emotionally rich review.
How to actually ask (templates)
The reason asking for reviews feels awkward is that most people do it wrong. They send a vague, apologetic request that makes the client feel burdened rather than appreciated. The fix is to be specific, make it easy, and frame it as a favour that genuinely helps your business.
Template 1: The delivery follow-up (email)
Hi [Name],
I am so glad you love the final film — it was a genuinely brilliant project to work on.
I have a small favour to ask. If you have two minutes, would you mind leaving a quick review on Google? It makes a huge difference for a small business like mine, and it helps other couples (or businesses) find someone they can trust.
Here is the direct link: [Your Google review link]
No pressure at all — and if you would rather not, absolutely no hard feelings. Either way, it has been a pleasure working with you.
All the best,
[Your name]
Notice the key elements: it acknowledges the positive outcome, frames the review as a small favour, explains why it matters, provides the direct link, and gives the client an explicit way out so they do not feel pressured.
Template 2: The casual text or WhatsApp message
Hey [Name], so glad you are happy with the film! If you get a spare minute, a quick Google review would mean the world to me. Here is the link: [link]. No worries if not — just happy we nailed it!
This works brilliantly for clients you have built a friendly, informal rapport with. It is short, warm, and zero pressure.
Template 3: The follow-up nudge (if they did not respond)
Hi [Name],
Hope you are well! I know life gets busy, so no worries at all — but I wanted to pop this back in case my earlier message got buried. If you have a moment, a Google review would genuinely make my week: [link]
Thanks again for being such a great client.
[Your name]
Send this about seven to ten days after the first request. One follow-up is fine. Two is the maximum. Beyond that, let it go.
Making it even easier
Some clients want to leave a review but do not know what to write. You can help by giving them optional prompts:
- What was the experience of working with me like?
- Was there anything that stood out about the process?
- Would you recommend me to a friend? Why?
These prompts remove the blank-page paralysis that stops people from writing anything at all. Include them as a gentle suggestion, not a requirement.
Where to send them (Google vs others)
If you could only collect reviews on one platform, make it Google. For UK videographers, Google Business Profile reviews are the most visible and the most trusted. They appear directly in search results, they influence your local SEO ranking, and they are the first thing most potential clients will see when they search your name.
How to get your Google review link
- Go to your Google Business Profile dashboard
- Click "Get more reviews" or find the shareable review link in the settings
- Copy the short URL and save it somewhere you can grab it quickly
That link should be saved in your phone, your email templates, and anywhere else you might need it at a moment's notice.
Other platforms worth considering
- Facebook. If you run a Facebook business page, reviews here add social proof that potential clients can see alongside your portfolio posts. They are especially valuable for wedding videographers, where word-of-mouth through social media is a major referral channel.
- Your own website. A dedicated testimonials page with named, specific quotes is enormously powerful. You can curate these yourself — just ask clients for permission to feature their words.
- Bark, Hitched, Bridebook, or other directory sites. If you get a significant portion of your enquiries through these platforms, reviews there carry real weight for incoming leads.
The important rule is: ask for one platform at a time. Do not overwhelm the client with links to Google, Facebook, Trustpilot, and your website all at once. Pick the one that matters most (usually Google) and direct them there. If they are particularly enthusiastic, you can ask about a second platform a few weeks later.
What to do with negative feedback
Not every review will be five stars. Not every client will be delighted. And the way you handle negative feedback says more about your business than a hundred perfect reviews.
If the feedback is private (email or message)
This is actually a gift. The client has given you a chance to resolve the issue before it becomes public. Respond promptly, acknowledge their concern without being defensive, and offer a concrete solution. Most issues can be resolved with a conversation and, if necessary, an additional revision or a partial refund.
Hi [Name],
Thank you for being honest with me — I really appreciate that. I am sorry the final edit did not quite hit the mark, and I completely understand your frustration.
I would love the chance to make this right. Could we schedule a quick call this week to go through your feedback? I want to make sure you end up with a film you are genuinely proud of.
Best,
[Your name]
If the feedback is public (Google, Facebook)
Do not panic. Do not fire off a defensive response. Take 24 hours to process the emotion, then respond publicly with grace. A calm, professional response to a negative review actually builds trust with everyone else who reads it.
Your public response should:
- Thank them for the feedback
- Acknowledge their experience without making excuses
- Offer to resolve it offline (provide an email or phone number)
- Keep it brief and dignified
Never argue with a reviewer publicly. Even if they are being unreasonable, future clients will judge you on how you responded, not on who was right.
Displaying reviews effectively
Collecting reviews is only half the job. You also need to put them where potential clients will actually see them. A review buried on page four of your Google listing is not doing much work for you.
On your website
Create a dedicated testimonials section on your homepage or a standalone testimonials page. Include the client's first name, the type of project, and the location. Specificity builds credibility. "Sarah and James, wedding at Oxfordshire barn, June 2025" is far more convincing than "Happy Customer."
Pull out the best one or two sentences from each review rather than displaying the full text. People skim websites — a punchy quote with a name underneath is more effective than a wall of text.
On social media
Turn your best reviews into visual content. A simple graphic with the quote, the client's name, and a still from their project makes a compelling Instagram post or story. You can batch-create these once a month and schedule them throughout the week.
In your enquiry responses
When a potential client reaches out, include a line in your reply like: "You can see what previous clients have said about working with me here: [link to your Google reviews]." This is not pushy — it is helpful. It answers a question they were going to ask anyway.
In your proposals and quotes
If you send formal proposals or PDF quotes, include two or three short testimonials on the final page. These act as a quiet endorsement that reinforces the client's decision to choose you, especially when they are comparing quotes from multiple videographers.
Building a review engine
The difference between videographers who have five reviews and those who have fifty is not the quality of their work. It is whether they have a system. A review engine is simply a repeatable process that ensures every satisfied client gets asked at the right time, in the right way, with as little friction as possible.
The components of a review engine
- A trigger. Define the exact moment you send the review request. For most videographers, this is "within 24 hours of final delivery confirmation."
- A template. Have your review request email or message pre-written and saved. Personalise the first line for each client, but keep the structure consistent.
- A direct link. Always include the one-click link to your Google review page. Every extra step you add reduces the completion rate dramatically.
- A follow-up. Set a reminder for 7 to 10 days later. If the client has not left a review, send one polite nudge. Then stop.
- A tracker. Keep a simple record of which clients you have asked, who responded, and who did not. This prevents you from accidentally asking twice or forgetting someone entirely.
This entire process can be managed with a spreadsheet and calendar reminders. If you want to automate it further, tools like Clients Cut can trigger review requests automatically after delivery confirmation, track responses, and handle the follow-up nudges for you — but the manual version works perfectly well if you are disciplined about it.
Setting a target
Give yourself a realistic goal. If you complete 30 projects a year and ask every client for a review, you can reasonably expect 15 to 20 reviews annually, assuming a 50% to 65% response rate. That means within two years you will have 30 to 40 Google reviews, which is enough to dominate your local search results for videography-related queries.
The compound effect
Reviews compound over time. The more you have, the more enquiries you receive. The more enquiries you receive, the more clients you serve. The more clients you serve, the more reviews you collect. It is a virtuous cycle, and it starts with a single email sent at the right moment.
The videographers who are fully booked six months in advance are not always the most talented. They are not always the cheapest. They are the ones who made it easy for happy clients to tell the world about their experience. That is the engine you are building — one review at a time.
Pick one client you delivered to recently. Write the email. Send it today. That is the only action step you need right now. The system builds from there.