After experiencing 20 exciting years within the Digital Marketing industry, a new trend is forming (collecting online reviews). This trend has proven to be the most cost effective and fastest return on investment. Within the last 4 years, the way we must market has changed, and now EVERY small business owner can take advantage of this change. The two major factors that have caused this change are:
1. The rapid growth of people using Smart Phones to surf the Internet.
2. The growing trend in how social media is used to communicate.
60% of our internet traffic is now mobile and in the last 3 years alone, 25% of that growth comes from people using reviews to make their decisions. This is a MUST HAVE business item. Reputation Management is no longer something to postpone. A recent Harvard Business School study shows that a 1 STAR rating change in YELP can cause business revenue to flux up to 9%. That brings up a question. “HOW do you get reviews on-line?”
There are multiple ways to do this but only a few are CORRECT. “Keep in Mind Digital Marketing” done WRONG can cost big. In the last 90 days there are multiple cases of the F.T.C and State Governments fining businesses over half a million (TripAdvisor) for “fake” reviews. So in starting this process you need to know WHAT NOT TO DO first.
#1 DO NOT collect reviews Off-Line and post them “for” your client on review sites. This is called “posting by proxy”, and review sites do not allow this. So if you do it, you have to break the terms of the review site and post it as a fake person, which makes the authorities raise an eyebrow and possibly fine you.
#2 DO NOT post reviews about your own business. This also includes getting employees to post reviews.
#3 DO NOT pay a 3rd party company to post fake reviews. This one should be obvious now that you know it will possibly lead to fines that could potentially end your business.
So what can you do? How do you manage your reputation on-line? The first step is to make sure you have claimed your listings on the review sites. The top ones you must check today.
• Google +
• Yelp
• CitySearch
Once you have your account review listings claimed, you must start using them. The easiest way to use them is to start collecting names and email addresses of your customers, and ASK for a review. It’s simple to do when you have their name and email address. Send them an email ASKING them to post a review. Their personal review is totally yours to use at that point. Add a link to one of your local directory listings. Most of you do not have review because you haven’t asked for them in the correct way.
In closing I just want to say. GO DO THIS! By adding reputation management to your daily business life, you will grow your business.
Also a friend of yours, “DJ Harrington”, the CarDiologist has asked me to go above and beyond for all his Tow Industry friends. Because of my long friendship with DJ, I have put together a resource for all of his friends. A complete section about reputation management is already available with user-friendly details so you can start TODAY. Go on-line NOW and get started. HTTP://DJ.RepSafeGuard.com
