Buying a Reputation: The Pitfalls of Black Hat Review Marketing

[Garrett Sussman]

Buying a Reputation: The Pitfalls of Black Hat Review Marketing

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Buying a Reputation: The Pitfalls of Black Hat Review Marketing

Let’s face facts: running a business is far from easy. Local business owners could use all the help they can get. Managing employees, keeping customers happy all while trying to stay profitable…the day-to-day tasks that keep a business afloat can be draining (to put it mildly).

Damage control matters, but there are plenty of local business owners that understand how important it is to focus on the future as well. Surviving is nice, but thriving is just about every local business owner​’s endgame. Understanding that the average business owner appreciates tangible advice, you might give them some tactics they can use to get more online reviews.

For example:

• Requesting a review promptly after a sale
  
• Following up requests via email
• Being transparent on digital/social media and ask for constructive feedback

At the end of the day, discussing online marketing with local business owners typically comes down to setting realistic expectations. Growth is absolutely going to happen, but it’s unlikely that it’ll be at breakneck speeds. So, when a firm that specializes in ‘Reputation Management’ claims that they can help them become an online authority overnight, it’s no surprise that some of your potential clients might be tempted to take advantage of that offer.

Read the full post here.

Do clients ever ask you to perform Black Hat Review Marketing techniques like buying fake reviews? How do you respond?

Have any of your clients ever been the victim of another company flooding their review listings with negative reviews? How did you handle that?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Another awesome Grade.us post Garrett. Thanks for sharing with our readers.

I like the way the author, after covering the downfalls of blackhat reviews, covers
The Future of Review Management and offers some positive solutions!

Hey guys... thoughts? Anything to add?

 

[Garrett Sussman]

Thank you for the comment, Linda!