Page 51 - My Marketing Sucks Book

Remember, most people are lazy communicators. They rarely scroll down to page

2 on any social media site so make sure page 1 is loaded up with positive reviews.

Did You Hear What They Said About Your Business?

Here is an 8 step plan to proactively control your word of mouth marketing that

was recently shared by Inc. Magazine:

1. Build up good reviews to dilute the bad
This is quite possibly the most important thing you can do to improve your reputation online.
While you may have no control over the feedback that gets left on review sites, you can work to
dilute those bad reviews through building up positive ones.

Be careful though: soliciting reviews is prohibited on most sites. Yelp, for instance, asks
business owners to refrain from asking for reviews outright. Instead, they encourage you to
make comments like "Check us out on Yelp!" or to place a Yelp badge on your website or
marketing materials.

Constantly ask for testimonials and feedback. You can quickly store up a lot.

2. Ask yourself: Do I need to fix something here?
Obvious, right? But if you're hurt or angry it can be easy to immediately go on the defensive

instead. When you get a negative review, ask yourself:

● Is there an air of truth to this?
● Is it possible that the feedback is legit?
● How many reviews has this person left for other businesses? If the person frequently
leaves reviews, their feedback may be worth a second look.
● However, if all of this person's reviews on every site, you'll know this person is just a
hater and you can then take action with this knowledge in mind.
Take a moment to honestly evaluate your business in light of the criticism. Take the attitude of

LeBron James: "I like criticism. It makes you strong."
3. Respond. Always respond.
Good or bad, you should be responding to every review left for your business. Remember that
the impact goes far beyond how that particular customer feels about you (although this is
certainly important too).

While only a handful of customers might leave reviews, dozens or even hundreds are scrolling
through the reviews. Not responding to negative reviews sends 2 possible messages:

1. That you don't care about your reputation and aren't monitoring the reviews, or
2. That you're trying to hide something.
No matter what, always respond. Make sure your voice is heard as an active advocate, not only
for your customers but for your business as well.