In my 8+ years of experience as a copywriter who specializes in building and maintaining web presences for small business, startups, entrepreneurs, and non profit organizations, I know that the competitive world of internet marketing includes various perspectives on different strategies.
For example, there are 3 ways to approach search engine optimization (SEO):
- White hat follows the strict guidelines set forth by Google. It takes longer, but it’s safer and more reliable.
- Black hat focuses on ways to “game the system” and looks for shortcuts to rank on the front page of search results quicker. This is often used for “get rich quick” efforts such as affiliate marketing and results in spam.
- Grey hat, or silver hat, combines white hat strategies with black hat shortcuts.
Another element of internet marketing that is especially important for small businesses (or brands in the services or entertainment industries) is online brand reputation management and it can be very tricky. For most businesses, online brand reputation only becomes an issue when their brand has been smeared online by negative reviews.
Bearing in mind that negative experiences are 10 times more likely to be shared than a positive experience, and 100 times more likely than a mediocre experience, it is quite common for a business to lose money due to one upset customer. With more consumers turning to review sites (such as Yelp.com) to research their options, online reputation can make or break a business.
So, some business owners have taken to buying reviews. (Note- this is not news at all, this has been going on for years.)
That leads to mistrust in online reviews, because it can sometimes be difficult to tell if a business is really that wonderful or if they paid several freelancers to post positive reviews.
Yelp has recently launched a solution. (Note- this is news.) In October of 2012, a sting operation busted several businesses in New York City for attempting to buy fake reviews and a notice was posted on the Yelp listing for those businesses calling them out for their unethical approach. Read more about that here.
How’s that for online brand reputation management?!
The Ethical Way to Manage a Positive Online Reputation for Your Brand
One of the best benefits to using ethical marketing strategies (online and offline) is that there is lower risk of backfiring against you. If your business has been affected by an angry or upset customer, the best course of action is to professionally respond to the review(s) with an apology, explanation, and an offer to set things right.
One man responded to a negative review by driving to the customers home and offered a genuine solution. Call it crazy, but it worked! The complainer updated his negative review to a 5 star positive rating. (More about that here.)
More than anything, the best way to keep a positive light on the reputation of your brand is by offering above-and-beyond customer service. Some businesses never realize how important customer satisfaction is until it destroys them.
On the other hand, a great experience- the kind that really stands out- will almost always lead to new referrals. So if you find yourself in a situation where you are considering buying fake reviews… know that the risk heavily outweighs the benefits. (Technically, there are no benefits. Paying for reviews can be a total waste of money.) Instead, focus your energy on making customers happy, and you’ll never have to worry about negative reviews!
