I'm Remon Verburg. I founded Social Counters to help local businesses get more reviews and followers without the awkward asking. Here I write about what actually works.
You’ve probably seen those screens in shops showing a live instagram follower count. Numbers ticking up. Instagram logo glowing. Looks kind of cool, but does it actually do anything? Short answer: yeah, it does. I was skeptical too. A screen with a number feels gimmicky. But there’s actual psychology behind why it works, and local…
Facebook isn’t cool anymore. Everyone knows that. The kids are on TikTok, the millennials moved to Instagram, and Facebook became the place where your aunt shares minion memes. So why am I writing about Facebook for hospitality businesses? Because your customers are on Facebook. Maybe not the 22-year-olds. But the 35-year-old booking a birthday dinner?…
Guest checks out. Smiles at the front desk. “Loved our stay, we’ll definitely be back!” And then? Nothing. No review. They vanish. But that other guest, the one who complained about the air conditioning (which you fixed in ten minutes, by the way), somehow finds time to write four paragraphs about it on Google. Every…
You’ve got a sign on the counter. “Follow us on Instagram!” with your handle underneath. Maybe a little Instagram logo. How’s that working out? If you’re like most store owners, the answer is: not great. People glance at it, maybe. Nobody actually pulls out their phone to search for your handle and hit follow. The…
Friday night. 11 PM. Groups of friends standing on the sidewalk, phones out, trying to decide where to go. This moment happens thousands of times every weekend in every city. And it determines which clubs thrive and which ones struggle with half-empty floors. What influences that decision? Word of mouth, sure. But increasingly, it’s what…
Fashion retail has a frustrating pattern. Someone walks in, falls in love with a jacket, tells you they’ll definitely be back. And then… nothing. You never see them again. It’s not that they lied. They meant it. But life happens. They forgot. Some other store caught their eye. Your boutique just faded. TikTok can fix…
You have limited time. Your customers have limited patience. Asking for reviews on three different platforms isn’t realistic. So which one matters? The honest answer: Google wins for almost every local business. But “almost” is doing real work in that sentence. Your specific industry, location, and customer base might be the exception. This guide breaks…
You printed the QR code. You stuck it on the counter. You waited. Nothing happened. Maybe one person scanned it. Your mom, probably. The rest of your customers walked right past it like it wasn’t there. Which, psychologically speaking, it wasn’t. QR codes can be incredibly effective for growing followers and collecting reviews. Scan rates…
People don’t trust businesses. They trust other people. That’s the core of social proof. When a potential customer sees that hundreds of others have already chosen you, rated you, followed you, the mental calculation shifts. You go from “unknown risk” to “validated choice.” For local businesses, this matters more than most realize. You’re not competing…
A lunchroom lives and dies by the lunch rush. You have maybe two hours to fill seats, move plates, and make the day’s numbers work. Every empty table during peak time is money gone. What brings people through your door at 12:15 on a Tuesday? Habit, sometimes. Convenience, often. But increasingly, it’s the thing they…
