Cheesy "pay for review" outreach on behalf of Moz Local

[Tim Colling]

This seems to me like a cheesy "pay for reviewing us" play. Do you disagree? Are you surprised that this is an offer to be paid for a review by an agency acting on behalf of Moz Local?

I generally have a good impression of Moz Local and would probably give them a good review.

This offer is different. My review, my opinion as a consumer, is not for sale.

Maybe that's just me, though. Miriam, do you know anything about this?


Anyway, this what I'm talking about.


This came in my email today:

Hello,

I'm reaching out in the hopes you could contribute a review of Moz Local on G2 Crowd. Moz Local kindly provided your contact information because you are a user of their product. We are reaching out to hear your unbiased opinion on their products.

G2 Crowd is an independent review site where nearly 100,000 professionals like you are sharing their opinions on the software they use. Your review will help your peers make better decisions when purchasing organic search marketing software.

To say thanks for taking the time to share your feedback, we're offering a $25 Amazon.com gift card* to the first 20 Moz Local users who complete a review. The gift card is from G2 Crowd - you will receive the gift card regardless of the content of your review.
​
You can add your review of Moz Local here.
​
If you have any questions about G2 Crowd or the review process, don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks for your help,

Molly
​
Molly O'Hare
Community Manager
G2 Crowd
​

 

[MiriamEllis]

Hey Tim,
We're always looking to get feedback on our products so we can make them better. We partnered with G2 Crowd to hopefully get some tips on how to make our product more useful. We're specifically not stipulating that reviews should be positive and we are really looking for honest feedback.

That being said, I can see how this outreach might be perceived as though we're trying to exchange a gift for a review. Please be assured that is not our intention. We're taking your feedback to heart and will be more mindful of how we approach gathering customer feedback on our products with future outreach efforts. Thanks for being honest about how this struck you. We're grateful for your honest input.

 

[Tim Colling]

Thank, Miriam. I knew you'd understand.

 

[MiriamEllis]

Thanks, Tim (and you, too, Colan - it was so nice getting to chat with you yesterday on the phone!)

And thanks to Linda, as always, for making this forum so welcoming to all of us.