You’ve probably perused reviews written by others on trusted review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor, but have you ever thought about joining the fray and sharing your own thoughts about that fantastic french restaurant … or that not-so-hot hotel? Your opinion can go a long way to influence fellow travelers and members of your community, and it’s easier than you think to get started.

In just a few simple steps, you’ll be able to post about your picks and pans for the whole world to see.

1. Create an Account

First things first: sign up! It only takes a few minutes to establish a presence on both sites. Just head to yelp.com and tripadvisor.com, pick a user name for each site, and provide the required basics like your location and email address. You’re well on your way to sharing your dining, travel, and attraction experiences!

2. Write a Couple of Reviews

One great way to start building a reputable presence on review sites is to contribute at least two or three reviews to start. Not only will it get you in the swing of things, but your reviews will be more trusted when other readers see that you didn’t just sign up to post one review — a characteristic that can often be the sign of a fake or “planted” review. The more you post, the better!

3. Be Thoughtful

You can keep your reviews short and sweet, but it helps to keep your readers in mind. When you’re planning a trip or trying to choose a restaurant, think about what opinions you value the most, and how the reviewer expresses them. As long as you’re genuine and avoid whining, ranting, or name-calling, you can bet that your posts will be appreciated and even recommended by others.

4. Get Social

Both TripAdvisor and Yelp have the capability to connect to your profiles on the sites to Facebook, so you can link up with friends and family to find out about their recommendations, and offer your own tips and suggestions. TripAdvisor also offers a map feature that allows you to see who among your connections has been to a destination you’re thinking about.