If you’re in the business of media relations, you’ve heard this request: “Can you get someone (Or can you?) write good reviews for our business on Yelp?”
The answer should always be “No.” Anyone who tries to “manage” reviews by paying for them is missing the point. One “real” review by a happy customer is better than five “fake” reviews. Besides, those who pay for fake reviews are inviting people to call them out.
And not just other people. Yelp has taken a more aggressive approach to ferreting out fake reviews, as this story by ABC News explains. In some cases, it’s easy for them to find (People advertise for reviewers on Craigslist). In most other cases, they use a “filter” to find the fakes. In all cases, the offending parties get slapped with an “Alert,” which ABC calls the “Scarlet Letter of the Internet age.”
The best approach on Yelp? Encourage your best customers to give you a review after they’ve had a good meal when you deliver the check. (Don’t forget to say “please.”) Or ask them via your Facebook page or in your periodic e-mail newsletters (you are collecting e-mail addresses, aren’t you?). And always monitor Yelp (and your other digital storefronts) so you can respond quickly to questions and complaints.
Contact R&R Media today to find out how we can help you with media relations, crisis management, corporate reports, social media and other communication needs.