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Social Advertising: The Double-Edged Social Review Sword

Social media advertising modernises word-of-mouth marketing excellently.ย This is largely in part to the review systems that platforms like Facebook offer.

Because of this, it has become such an integral part of digital marketing.

But it can be a bit of a double-edged sword, with positive reviews improving the reputation of your business and brand, while negative ones can damage it.

The trouble is, these review features are often used to smear brands that don’t deserve it.

And in a time where consumers are looking to the opinions of other for an honest accounts of business experiences, this can end up being a game where no one wins.

Social Advertising Review Cautions

Reviews are there to help consumers make informed choices about which brand, product or service to use. This is great since itย  allows existing customers of a company to use Google or Facebook business reviews (to name a few) to share their experiences with others.

But offering excellent services and products is no guarantee that you will be given good reviews. In fact, businesses are sometimes slated by competitors who intend on taking clientele away from them.

This is worse for consumers, because it undermines the trustworthiness of the review system. Because they act on fake reviews they may opt for substandard services. The kind of services which could only reach their audience by upsetting the reputation of their competitors.

This Doesnโ€™t Mean that Only Consumers Should Review Companies

There are many instances where a reliable review might not come from a customer:

Reviews may come from a companyโ€™s employees, since they have daily interactions with the concerned institution.

They may come from customers who have had a positive, or negative experience with a brand, and want to tell others about it.

Also, reviews can come from business partners who want to pass on their impression of a company, because they too have daily interactions with them.

Unfortunately, while these are the sects that make up an important part of a social media marketing campaign, they are not the only people who are likely to leave reviews on a page, and those not mentioned in the list are more than likely to leave a negative one.

Do Professional Fake Reviewers Exist in Social Advertising?

The unfortunate answer is yes, which is why consumers need to know how to spot them. Let me give you an account of one reviewer who worked to damage a friendโ€™s coffee shopโ€™s reputation, which sparked us to investigate a little further.

Hereโ€™s what we found:

Monday:

The reviewer attended a coffee shop in Seattle where the mugs were chipped, and the coffee was sub-standard.

Tuesday:

The reviewer attended a bridal shop in Portugal where all the dresses were disproportionate and over-priced.

Thursday:

With just a dayโ€™s break in between, the reviewer found themselves in Singapore, struggling to eat their way through a dry, tasteless sandwich that they paid over $15 for.

Saturday:

On Saturday, the reviewer attended a baby shower in Canada where they had an argument with a photo-booth operator, who arrived without the proper equipment and was rude to the mother to be.

Sunday:

On Sunday, the reviewer took part in a group meditation session in Oman, claiming that the instructor was a hack and just in it for the money.

So How Do I Spot Authentic Reviews?

These points will help you spot which reviews you can trust:

  • The review provides information on:
    • The type of service that was offered to the reviewer.
    • The exact nature of what went wrong or right.
    • Who they are and who they work for, or which business they own?
    • Any correspondence given to them by the reviewed company.
  • The review has no evidence of generic language and is in depth and detailed enough to seem real.
  • The review mentions actual names of people in the business.
  • The company being reviewed has responded to the grievance.
  • There is no mention of competing companies, brands, services or products.

Right Click Media Only Supports Healthy Competitive Practices

At Right Click Media we understand the competitive nature of business, and we know how tough it can be to stay ahead of your competitors.

However, we only support those digital and social media marketing practices which add value to a business without having to take it from their competitors.

Contact us today or visit our website to learn more about our offers on SEO, web and app development, as well as social advertising and selling.

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