Location-based services or LBS platforms like Yelp, FourSquare, GoWalla, and Facebook Places are all the rage among marketers these days. Between social, mobile, and local media, there is huge potential for marketers to come up with incredibly precise and measurable marketing campaigns with a minimal amount of effort. Y budget. However, it is essential to develop an approach before launching. Extend yourself too much and you could find yourself overwhelmed with everything. This article will break down Yelp as an online reputation tool that can be used to create a credible and transparent image.
Yelp tends to focus on content curation; content is generated from local Yelpers who share reviews of the local businesses they frequent in their respective cities. These reviews are then curated, organized, and posted by the Yelp Community Manager (an official Yelp employee) on a page within Yelp. These posted reviews can be incredibly powerful when it comes to shaping the online reputation of local merchants. The good news is that you, as the business owner, can be actively involved in the process.
To get started, you’ll need to claim your listing on Yelp. This is fairly painless and should only take a few minutes. Be sure to complete your profile as well; Yelp has strict guidelines when it comes to approving listings. They are not there to intimidate anyone from signing up. It is more a matter of SPAM prevention than anything else. Always use a real photo of the business too, that is very helpful.
Once the listing has been claimed, you will have access to all conversations that have been had about your business. You can see who has been reviewing your products and services and respond to any comments or feedback that has been posted; good or bad. Be sure to be objective and honest when communicating through Yelp. Your voice will be heard but only if it is honest and credible.
Lastly, don’t go into “sell mode” either. Yelp is not a self-promotional site; it is a management tool, much like the mailboxes that most companies have to receive suggestions. Expect these comments to be published on the web.