I’ve been hearing a lot of business owners griping about review websites like Yelp (you should know my opinion of those jokers) and the slew of others. Foursquare offers the ability to post comments about a place you visit (or don’t visit). Target also offers the ability to rate and comment in fact, I would suggest that most large retailers offer the opportunity to have your say. So business owners see these and if there’s a negative one, will freak out and try everything they can to get rid of it or satisfy that complainer with a coupon or something. I have a feeling though, that’s it’s probably not a good idea to do either (handing out coupons for negative reviews may well generate more negative reviews).

Most savvy Internet users are quite aware of the percentages when it comes to reviews. First of all, they know that there is no way to qualify these individuals (unless they follow them) so taking the opinion of Debbie Downer will probably have you going nowhere. Secondly, many competitors have taken to slamming their competition on these places, again without qualification other than they are competitors. Third, a lot of people are idiots, especially online. Back in the day it was comments on Digg and now it’s YouTube but essentially you get the sense that under the veil of anonymity, people are pretty content blurting out without much thought.

What you should be looking at though are the percentages. If you’re seeing a couple of poor service reviews out of several hundred, chances are these folks were either Debbie’s or just got unlucky. It’s probably not going be a worthwhile exercise criticizing your staff based on those percentages as it will most likely not sway a persons opinion about trying your place. Generally if you get enough reviews, even your competitors won’t be able to keep up posting negative ones on your listings and while I have suggested that ‘a lot’ people are idiots, it actually only feels that way and more often than not, these folks are the minority and most are reasonable, good people. People who read reviews generally get a sense for what’s going on.

Now if you are seeing bad percentages, it is time to take stock. What are people’s issues, where are the problem areas. This can actually be a great opportunity to address it based on a focus group that you don’t even have to pay.

While I don’t really “do” Social Media, I’m a fan of it and see great benefits to it. One thing I keep seeing is the issue of Social Media ROI, or businesses trying to determine if Social Media is “worth it”. To me, and as we’ve mentioned in the past, that doesn’t seem to be the main point here but since we’re in the Internet Marketing business, there needs to be some consideration in this area.

Something I do understand is Search Marketing which has its own set of justification requirements, some of which carry over to measuring Social. Fortunately, to a certain extent, Search is a much easier activity to demonstrate value even though questions still arise and the gap that exists with the data is still problematic. So I understand Social Media to be an even tougher challenge. In thinking about the “proof” that many ask of Social Media Marketing, even if you’re just dipping your toes into this brave new world, I can see a few key areas that you should pay attention to.

Listen – this has to be the primary reason for adopting social media for your business. We’ve spoken about this before, and since it’s not a huge time investment for us its a no-brainer. Set yourself up with a simple company name search in Twitter, get your Google Alerts going and you’re underway.

Analytics – you knew I’d bring this one up. At the very least measure traffic. While not directly able to justify your campaign, it should be one indicator of its effectiveness. I assume you’ve set up your goals and possibly your funnels; if you have you’ll be able to determine who converted and where they came from.

Engagement – definitely a tough one to track. I’ve seen folks set up a basic database system that simply outlines social mentions, comments, feedback, DM’s, whatever. Can also be easily done on an Excel spreadsheet. I imagine it’s got to be pretty painful to keep track of but the conversation is one of the great benefits of participating in a Social Media Marketing campaign.

Brand - While I don’t really want to get into this area due to its poor measurement ability, I can see the benefits of using Social Media to enhance your brand and image. I have to think that the number of social mentions can be a contributor. If you’re a small company and can regularly discuss your activities with the customer service reps to help determine if there has been a reduction in complaint calls or the like, one should probably look to your online activities as possibly being a reason for this.

So while the contents of this post are uneducated and based solely on my own experiences (hey I didn’t even consult with our Social Media expert), the main point here is to think about some form of measurement. I still don’t think that “proof” should be the overall goal here but like most marketing activities an objective or outcome must be part of the strategy.

Here’s a video of a recent trip up to New York to visit a client. Thanks to Drew Hood of Throwing Light for both accompanying us and putting this together.

I’ve been a longtime Yelper, since its inception actually and was happy to be part of a system that grew quickly and demonstrated a new way of thinking for people and businesses. Even taking into account the “masses are asses” and fake reviews, you could always get a sense for a place based on majority. I’d often read a few posts before making a dining choice and then happily post mine once all was said and done. A pleasant little arrangement I thought.

Then I started noticing things. I didn’t really give it a great deal of concern but I discovered that several of my reviews weren’t showing up. At first I thought it might have been at the request of the establishment I had reviewed but some were negative and some were positive so that didn’t make sense. I had also by this stage, been running a couple of paid client yelp accounts (against my wishes mind you) and I asked to remove some negative reviews which they didn’t do so I figured that wasn’t the case. (FWIW I didn’t really want them to remove them, I was merely probing). So it turns out to be Yelp’s review filter that is responsible for the disappearing reviews. OK well I’m sure they’ll be working on that problem (it still exists).

So earlier I told you that I took over management of a couple of sponsored accounts, the ones that just allow you to do a little more with your account like add a slideshow and special announcements and directly contact reviewers and it didn’t take long for me to realize these were next to useless, especially considering the $300 – $750 they were charging. There’s also the option where your ad will appear on other listings which is ridiculously based on impressions rather than clicks and as such, was a lot more expensive. I also learned that the clients were locked into an annual agreement so we had to wait until it ran out. The results were very ordinary too. One of the accounts averaged 15 visitors to the website from Yelp with 0 conversions, the other did generate a good amount of traffic to their site but about the same as before the “sponsored” account making their $3600 a pretty poor investment.

And now the latest is that I’ve been watching a client listing lose good reviews due to the “review filter” to be told that they didn’t feel the reviews to be genuine and meanwhile a competitor quite obviously has his own review (including his picture and name) on his own listing. It was flagged a while ago but it’s still there. One can only suspect they are paying for the privilege?

So I’ve gone cold on the service. They keep talking about transparency and changing options but I’m pretty much boycotting it and think they’ve screwed the pooch by not listening to the community earlier and creating some pretty ridiculous options for customers and businesses. I’m backing UrbanSpoon right now.

Gary Barbera and his dealerships, Gary Barbera #1 Chryslerland and Gary Barbera Chevyland, have been at the forefront of the industry’s contributions to the Philadelphia area. With over 20 years of charitable endeavors, Gary Barbera has demonstrated time and again their love of the community and commitment to be the best corporate citizen. This devotion is based in the values and principles of their organization: to help and serve their customers beyond the purchase of a vehicle.

Both as a private and corporate citizen, Gary Barbera has worked selflessly for children through support of the Autism Society of America, Northern Home for Children, St. Vincent’s Home for Children and the Principal for a Day Program. In addition, Gary Barbera has served on the board and supported the West Philadelphia High School Automotive Program. They are also proud to have recently completed the record-setting Gary Barbera’s 24^th Annual Archbishop Ryan Golf Outing whose monies, which included a personal donation of $20,000, go towards scholarships for needy youth.

Gary Barbera has been recognized by the Susquehanna Community Festival Board of Directors as a Corporate and Community Champion and was named PhillySport Magazine’s 2007 Dealer of the Year. He has also been recognized by the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for work in the community and integrity in business.

This year’s Chevrolet Showcase has merged Gary Barbera’s corporate and community interests providing much-needed revitalization of the block on Route 1 between Robbins and Levick Streets where the newest dealership resides. Taking General Motor’s national GO GREEN, SAVE GREEN environmental program to task, the Gary Barbera cleaned and renewed the entire area, paving the way for a cleaner Philadelphia.

Gary Barbera was also an active participant in raising and donating monies to the family of slain Philadelphia Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski.

Gary Barbera will strive to set the bar of corporate citizenship by helping the Philadelphia area through their commitment to community responsibility.

About Gary Barbera:

Gary Barbera Auto group provides Philadelphia and the surrounding area with a huge selection of new and used Dodges, Chryslers, Jeeps and Chevys at two Philadelphia locations. Gary Barbera is devoted to helping and serving their customers with friendly and knowledgeable staff and is active in the community. See www.garybarbera.com for more information.

Gary Barbera’s love for the Philadelphia metro area keeps them the best in town.

We all know the motto. Heard it a hundred times in between “40 minute music marathons” and mouthed it a hundred more in the shower, office stairwell, or train, but when it comes to commitment to community, Gary Barbera really is the best (boy I guess).

The Gary Barbera family of dealerships has grown since it first opened in Philadelphia and with each car, SUV and truck sold, has grown closer to the community. With two dealerships, Gary Barbera Chryslerland and Gary Barbera Chevyland, and four brands (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Chevrolet), Barbera has seen consistent growth and have even received recognition from Chrysler LLC for being number one in sales in the Mid-Atlantic region.

This success is equaled only by their charitable contributions to the Philadelphia area. Gary Barbera has been supporting local charities for over 10 years and this support is the cornerstone of the dealership’s values, principles and devotion to help and serve their customers beyond the purchase of a vehicle. Both as a private and corporate citizen, Gary Barbera has contributed to a host of child support organizations such as the Autism Society of America, Northern Home for Children, and St. Vincent’s Home for Children. Barbera himself has also served on the board and supported the West Philadelphia High School Automotive Program. Gary Barbera Autogroup was also a title sponsor for the 24th Annual Archbishop Ryan Golf Outing. Barbera (class of 1982) also personally donated $20,000 to the event whose proceeds go towards scholarships for needy youth.

But the Barbera family has provided support beyond the small hands of children. This year, Gary Barbera reached out to Philadelphia’s finest and helped to raise money for the family of slain police officer, Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski. He also contributed to the reward for information that ultimately led to the capture of the final suspect.

These contributions have not gone unnoticed and this year Gary Barbera was recognized by the Susquehanna Community Festival Board of Directors as a Corporate and Community Champion, named PhillySport Magazine’s 2007 Dealer of the Year, and has received commendations from the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for his work in the community and integrity in business.

It seems as if Gary Barbera’s commitment to his customers has spilled into his community. Is Barbera the best? Emphatically, Yes!

For Gary Barbera, his dedication to being the best isn’t just found at his dealerships, Gary Barbera #1 Chryslerland and Gary Barbera Chevyland, it is also a part of his civic duty as Chairman of The Pennsylvania State Board of Vehicle Manufacturers, Dealers and Salespersons. The Board’s mission is to protect the consumer through Governor Rendell’s directive to make the Vehicle Board more accessible, responsible and accountable to licensees and the public.

In 2007, under Gary Barbera’s direction, the Board refined the Sales License Applications to include criminal background checks, simplified the non-permanent signage and temporary certificate of occupancy processes, and increased the fees for dealers, sales and manufacturer licenses.

In the same year, Gary Barbera’s Chryslerland led the entire Chrysler Mid-Atlantic Business Center in product sales edging out over 520 dealers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The Barbera group’s commitment to excellence and their “customer first” approach once again led them to Chrysler’s top sales spot.

So whether it be on the sales floor or the boardroom, Gary Barbera means results.

About Gary Barbera:
Gary Barbera Auto group provides Philadelphia and the surrounding area with a huge selection of new and used Dodges, Chryslers, Jeeps and Chevys at two Philadelphia locations. Gary Barbera is devoted to helping and serving their customers with friendly and knowledgeable staff and is active in the community. See www.garybarbera.com for more information.

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We probably all receive a lot of spam, something I refer to as spam-a-lot (bit lame, I know) but occasionally I get some very poetic ones and thought I should share it with you.

“That neither the motionless farm couple trudging
It is as though I were at a second threshold.
What can we know of whatever picture-plane
The winged winds, captives of that age-old foe
Grateful, I know, for just such compensations,
Your red cheeks radiant against the wind,
II. List of Franklin Search Parties
Choces, Mère and Père, undreaming even of fields
It is as though I were at a second threshold.
With its lament, it often sounds, instead,
Against which we have been projected? What . . .
Figures of light and dark, these two are walking
III. Chronology of Northern Exploration
Coextensive with everything? How could they know?
I know,
As distant memories, through the fog-dimmed light,
That patch of white at the very end of the road
Reshaping magnified, each risen flake
With a hand freed from weight”

I get a lot of spam and don’t really read it but some come along that may be worth speaking out about just in case you are ready to sign up for their services. A colleague of mine received this email and thought I should sign up for it, especially if it guarantees page 1 results. Mind you, we already have a lot of page 1 results for that client but still received the email:

“I had stopped by the site and took a look at your ranking and just wondered if you’d be at all interested in having your site appear on page 1 of Google, Yahoo, MSN and a few other major engines – Guaranteed page 1 within 7-14 days 100%. Yes, I’m a real person, Yes, I actually just came back from viewing your site. I already know you get a ton of offers day to day. This is obviously different, I have plenty of references. Call me at home if you want to, I work at home all day long building sites, optimizing adword campaigns, doing press releases, doing graphic design, basic freelance work for multiple people. My number is below, please let me know either way as I’m not going to pester you again if all you have to say is no.

Winston
312-275-8558

I might think about doing a similar campaign to see if people actually go for it. I’m sure they do. I did a little checking into Winston and discovered that he has a website www.ideservepage1.com which is a child of the parent company MyTrafficButler who did the same sort of thing (albeit with a different angle) and got slammed and deservedly so. Looks like he’s at it again. Ignore him and try a reputable firm who don’t contribute to the degradation of genuine email marketing campaigns. Or the Internet in general.