Your class has ended. You’ve said your goodbyes and now it’s time for those 5-star reviews to start rolling in. But what do you do if they’re not?
Well, if you’ve ever wondered how to get or increase reviews, you’re in the right spot. Recent usability research on our site highlighted the importance of the volume of 5-star reviews when choosing a class. Many participants in our test said they were drawn to the classes in search results that were taught by whoever had the most reviews and to some, this mattered about as much as things like price and schedule.
In this article, we’re looking at how to reach out to families to get those positive reviews without seeming pushy or rude. How do you help families go to/through the review process? We’re walking you through the process (and even giving you a template) so that you can start requesting those positive reviews today!
Don’t be afraid to ask
As an educator at Outschool, you’re more than just a teacher. You’re also a business person, which means you need to be just as good at working with families as with learners in the classroom. While balancing your roles as an entrepreneur and educator can be a delicate art, you should never be afraid to ask for a review. Most families know the value of a great review—in fact, they probably read your reviews before enrolling in your classes in the first place!
Asking for a review after a class has ended is a mutual relationship. Doing so allows you to get feedback from families while increasing the number of reviews on your profile page. Win-win!
It’s okay to let parents know how helpful reviews are in building up your teacher presence on Outschool. We prompt all parents to leave a review at the end of a class, but some will forget. A nice message from you would go a long way in convincing parents to add a review to your class.
Let’s look at how you can do this in a way that is positive for the family.
Focus on the learner
The best time to ask is right after you’ve completed a class or course. Message the adult contact of each learner, and keep 99% of your message content focused on that learner. Highlight what they’ve done in class, areas of growth, proud moments, funny things they’ve said, etc. It should be a genuine and person-specific message.
At the very end of the message, write something along the lines of: “I’ve really enjoyed having NAME in my class over the past # of weeks. If you’d like to provide feedback to me, here’s a link to do so: https://outschool.com/account/transcripts.”
The link will automatically bring any user to their transcripts page, and there they’ll see the words “leave feedback” if they’re eligible to leave a review. Technically, it is still asking for a review, but it is doing it in a learner-centered way and not focusing on the educator at all. Plus, by filling your message with amazing notes and memories about what happened in class, you’re giving them a great jumping-off point for putting those benefits into their own words!
TIP: This is also a great time to funnel learners into your next class or offer them a coupon for re-enrollment into another class.
Make it easy for the reviewer
We get it! You’ve got a lot going on and finding the time to write to every learner may feel overwhelming.
We’ve created an example of a direct parent message as inspiration to get you started:
Hi Kate,
It’s been a pleasure getting to have Harper in my Animals in Art class this week. He did an amazing job contributing ideas during class, practicing his shading techniques, and had us all laughing with his animal sounds. (The clucking sounds are still my favorite!) I will miss seeing him in class now that it’s over.
I always appreciate hearing what families thought of my classes, and reviews are also an important part of how I’m able to keep my teaching business thriving on Outschool. If you’d like to leave a review, just head over to this page: https://outschool.com/account/transcripts.
I hope to see Harper in class again soon!
Abby
Did you notice that the template is specific for this family and is not a general note that is simply copied/pasted? It’s important to put yourself in the family’s shoes. When sending a message to a parent, you want to think to yourself: “What would I do if I received this message? Would I appreciate it? Or would it be intrusive?”
If you’re taking a moment out of your day to celebrate a learner’s successes in class, many parents will be at the very least happy to receive the message—and hopefully motivated to go express their thanks with a public review!
Give thanks
When a parent or guardian does leave a review, be sure to acknowledge it. You can either respond directly to the feedback or message the learner’s adult directly and say “thank you.” It does not have to be a long note, but letting them know that you appreciate their time is good customer service.
Want even more tips and strategies to help you increase your reviews? Be sure to ask what other educators are doing in the Outschool’s Educator Hub or read more about how educators are finding success in our Educator Stories.
