Yelp Sues Business For Faking Its Own Reviews

Yelp filed suit against a business (a law firm no less!) over what it claims are fake reviews the business created for itself.  While there have been stories before of companies “outed” for being behind fake review efforts, and even FTC complaints, Yelp filing a lawsuit is new.

Yelp claims that the McMillan Law Group, of San Diego, had employees create fake accounts to leave positive reviews.

Mike Masnick at TechDirt observes they allegedly were not very good at covering their tracks. He writes:

The filing details, rather comprehensively, how over a period of a few months, it appears that employees at the firm created accounts and immediately posted positive reviews of the firm, sometimes claiming things that are unlikely to be true. For example, certain users claim to be clients of the firm, which focuses on bankruptcy law, and then point out that the individuals in question have never filed for bankruptcy. There’s also an amusing bit in which four accounts are created, one after the other, from a McMillan IP address, each leaving very positive reviews within minutes of creation, then logging out right before another account is created. … Oh, and two of the accounts created one after the other started their posts with the identical sentence, including a typo:  They promissed [sic] me a fresh start through a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and I got it.

Yelp also alleges that the McMillan law firm participated with a group of other San Diego law firms, to ‘trade” favorable reviews.

The basis for the lawsuit is that faking Yelp reviews violated Yelp’s terms of service document.  Such documents are typically written as if they are a contract you agree to by using the site.  Yelp says that it was a breach of contract to write reviews about one’s own business, write fake Yelp reviews and to trade reviews with other businesses. Yelp also claims that under California law it was false advertising - although the standing to claim that seems tenuous.

Quite likely, Yelp deals with thousands of fake reviews on its site monthly - probably weekly. So you might wonder why it chose to file a lawsuit in this instance.

Well, it turns out that the McMillan law firm beat Yelp in small claims court in May of 2013, winning a $2700 judgment and a write-up in the Wall Street Journal.

The law firm had sued to get a refund of advertising money paid to Yelp.  The judge in that case used strong words, likening the advertising contract written by Yelp, to a Mafia protection racket.   The law firm even has a page up on its website about the judgment it won, asking small businesses that have had issues with Yelp to contact them.

Yelp is appealing.

And apparently playing hardball.

Fake image via Shutterstock

4 Content Curation Tools To Consider for Marketing

Content marketing - creating and sharing your own blog entries, videos, infographics and more to attract customer attention and drive sales - is a great strategy to promote your small business. However, great doesn’t mean easy.

Many small business owners have discovered that consistently creating, sharing and promoting original, high quality content is a difficult, time-consuming task. Things become more complicated when you realize that to be an effective content marketer, you don’t just need good content, you need a lot of good content.

What Is Content Curation?

That’s where content curation comes in. Content curation involves gathering, organizing and sharing online content that you think your customers will really appreciate. This content doesn’t have to be directly tied to your products or services, but instead speak to topics you know your customers are interested in.

For example, a wedding planner could collect all kinds of content about wedding dresses, fresh flower arrangements, cake design, etiquette and more. Even though the wedding planner doesn’t provide any of these services, they’re obviously topics of interest to their clients.

Today’s customers are perpetually hungry for information. You don’t have to do the work of creating this information yourself - but by providing organized access to it, you enjoy the benefit of having a reason for your customers to engage with your brand, often directly on your website.

Content Curation sites such as paper.li, Rebel Mouse, and Storify automate the content curation process to some extent. These sites make it easier to find content that will be interesting to your customers by searching websites and social media for the keywords and topics you indicate are most relevant. Some sites also offer the ability to include content recommended by other users.

Paper.li

Create a daily, weekly or monthly customizable newspaper delivered directly to your subscribers’ inbox. Easy to use newsroom allows you to automatically draw content from the sites and social media platforms more relevant to your customers. Make sure to take advantage of the editor’s note feature that allows you to speak directly to your readership.

Rebel Mouse

Organize and display all of the content from your social media presence in one central, visually compelling location. If you’re like the typical small business owner, a significant amount of the content on your social media site is not material you created yourself, and is instead items you shared from other sources.

Rebel Mouse allows you to make the most of your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and LinkedIn content.  RebelMouse can be embedded in your company’s website, adding a valuable element of dynamic content for SEO (search engine optimization) purposes.  Strategic use of the Event functionality can help you maximize the return from any events your business attends, participates in or hosts.

Scoop.it

Combine your own content with content you’ve found online or had recommended to you by other Scoop.it users on Topic Pages. Slightly more labor-intensive than Paper.li, Scoop.it allows business owners to send out a monthly newsletter at the free level; weekly newsletter functionality becomes available at the paid level.

Storify

Collect content from across the Web and publish what you’ve found on Storify’s platform, which can be embedded in your own website.  Easily shared content is a great way to connect with your customers. At the paid level, Storify offers privacy settings which make it an ideal tool for internal communications regarding market research and other online inquiries.

Smart Digital Marketing: Clarity and Commitment Count

Content curation can be a valuable tool to add to your marketing mix. Before you move forward, however, take the time to think through what you’re going to accomplish with your content curation efforts.

It helps to think of a content curation platform as a custom newspaper or magazine that you’re creating for your customers.  You want to be very clear about what type of content you want to feature. What topics are you going to discuss? What type of tone do you want your publication to have?

Creating parameters for the content you want to feature will make the selection process easier. It’s much better to be organized and systematic than it is to try to fly by the seat of your pants.

Commitment is the other consideration to take into account. Content curation platforms allow you to connect with your customers often - sometimes even daily. However, you need to objectively analyze whether that level of engagement is sustainable for your business.  Just because content curation is less work than creating original content, it doesn’t mean it’s no work at all.

Focus on quality. It’s much better to create a good newsletter or magazine that’s updated weekly or even monthly than it is to put something of lesser quality out more frequently. Smart integration of content curation platforms into your digital marketing toolbox can make the process relatively easy - and even a little fun.

Content Curation Concept Photo via Shutterstock

5 Similarities Between Content Marketing and Face-to-Face Networking

I’m one of those guys who regularly attends networking events. I also happen to be a content marketing specialist. After years of doing both, it finally occurred to me that there’s an enormous amount in common between the two, which are discussed below.

1. Content Marketing and Networking Both Involve Storytelling

Content Marketing: Content marketing is all about storytelling. The stories brands tell are aimed at bringing real value to their audiences. They are about finding a need or problem and then satisfying that need or solving the problem. Hopefully, the stories are told with clarity, logic and maybe even in an entertaining or amusing way. Brands that craft compelling and engaging content win over their audiences, create loyalty and boost sales.

Networking: When you are at a business networking event, you should be in full storytelling mode. You tell stories about yourself, your business, your experiences. Those who tell their stories well are far more likely to make meaningful business contacts than those who have lousy stories to tell and/or deliver their stories in a boring or jumbled way.

2. Content Marketing and Networking Both Require Listening Skills

Content Marketing: Any content marketer worth his/her salt knows how important it is to be a good listener. Listen to what people are saying about you in the media. Listen to what’s been said in social media. Engage your audiences in conversation. Listen to their stories. See what they like, what they want and, perhaps most importantly, what they don’t like. Not only will it be appreciated, it will help forge a better relationship.

Networking: Attend a few networking events and you’ll find there are precious few good listeners out there. There are so many people at networking events who are just there to hit you with their elevator pitch or regale you with their views of what’s happening in business in the world. They clearly couldn’t care about what you think or what you’re about.

Listening accomplishes a few key things. For one, it shows the other person you’re not a complete narcissist. Secondly, you may actually learn something. Third, it makes you a whole lot more human.

3. Content Marketing and Networking Are all About Being in the Right Venues

Content marketing: The best content in the world is worthless if it is delivered to the wrong audience. If you’ve written a brilliant article on opera, it won’t do you a lot of good if it’s published in a sports magazine. If your brand sells luxury goods, then the content should be delivered to the appropriate demographic and should be designed and presented in a way that appeals to that specific demographic.

A great example of this is the Ralph Lauren Magazine:

Networking: There are millions of events out there that are are just for socializing. While those can be a lot of fun, they’re the places to be if you are looking to make business connections. You need to do your homework. Research events where the attendees dovetail with your business goals,  whether they be potential clients, vendors or partners. If you are an entrepreneur or startup, that means being at events where you are likely to find VCs (venture capitalists).

Meetup and Eventbrite both offer excellent, searchable calendars for upcoming networking events. Similarly, virtually every industry has its networking events and conferences. Sure, they’re fun to attend and socialize, but always keep in mind you’re there to make contacts that can further your business interests.

4. Content Marketing and Networking Both Require an Engaging “User Interface”

Content Marketing: The best content is also worthless if it is presented in a bland, unappealing way. Some of the best content marketing is presented in a way that more than just presents a boring block of text. It’s ugly. It’s boring. It’s not going to be read.

Content marketing is so much more effective when it is presented with compelling design, video, animation, fonts, etc.  Would you rather download a white paper that looks like a doctoral dissertation or would you rather interact with a content piece that’s beautifully designed, interactive, engaging and entertaining?

Networking: I’ve been to dozens if not hundreds of networking events and it amazes me how many people present themselves as the human equivalents of “boring blocks of text.” They show no personality, no animation, no nothing. I’m not talking about physical attractiveness here. It’s all about how you present yourself, how you look someone in the eye, how you show real interest in the people with whom you are networking, how you can show confidence without crossing the line to arrogance.

5. With Both Content Marketing and Networking Once is Never Enough

Content Marketing: Content marketing is not a one-night stand. You can’t just produce one piece of content and then rest on your laurels. The last person to get away with that was Harper Lee. If you’ll recall, her first novel was the brilliant “To Kill a Mockingbird” and never again published another novel.

That may have worked out okay for her, but it certainly won’t work for brands. To properly execute an effective content marketing strategy you need to be able to create quality content on a consistent basis. In this way you not only create an expectation in your target audiences - you satisfy it.

Networking: The same thing applies. Going to a handful of events a year isn’t networking, it’s party crashing. Networking on a consistent basis will accomplish a number of things for you. Obviously, the more you network, the more you hone your networking skills. But the real results of regularly networking include:

• Meeting a greater volume of the right people who can help your business.
• Make deeper connections with the people you meet.
• Learning more from other’s knowledge bases and experiences.
• Finding quality people to hire (if your business is looking).
• Finding quality businesses to hire you (because you never know).
• Landing new business.

Ultimately, it shouldn’t come as any shock that there are so many similarities between content marketing an face-to-face networking. Relationships are built on effective communications and success is built on a foundation of strong relationships.

Networking Concept Photo via Shutterstock

5 Similarities Between Content Marketing and Face-to-Face Networking

I’m one of those guys who regularly attends networking events. I also happen to be a content marketing specialist. After years of doing both, it finally occurred to me that there’s an enormous amount in common between the two, which are discussed below.

1. Content Marketing and Networking Both Involve Storytelling

Content Marketing: Content marketing is all about storytelling. The stories brands tell are aimed at bringing real value to their audiences. They are about finding a need or problem and then satisfying that need or solving the problem. Hopefully, the stories are told with clarity, logic and maybe even in an entertaining or amusing way. Brands that craft compelling and engaging content win over their audiences, create loyalty and boost sales.

Networking: When you are at a business networking event, you should be in full storytelling mode. You tell stories about yourself, your business, your experiences. Those who tell their stories well are far more likely to make meaningful business contacts than those who have lousy stories to tell and/or deliver their stories in a boring or jumbled way.

2. Content Marketing and Networking Both Require Listening Skills

Content Marketing: Any content marketer worth his/her salt knows how important it is to be a good listener. Listen to what people are saying about you in the media. Listen to what’s been said in social media. Engage your audiences in conversation. Listen to their stories. See what they like, what they want and, perhaps most importantly, what they don’t like. Not only will it be appreciated, it will help forge a better relationship.

Networking: Attend a few networking events and you’ll find there are precious few good listeners out there. There are so many people at networking events who are just there to hit you with their elevator pitch or regale you with their views of what’s happening in business in the world. They clearly couldn’t care about what you think or what you’re about.

Listening accomplishes a few key things. For one, it shows the other person you’re not a complete narcissist. Secondly, you may actually learn something. Third, it makes you a whole lot more human.

3. Content Marketing and Networking Are all About Being in the Right Venues

Content marketing: The best content in the world is worthless if it is delivered to the wrong audience. If you’ve written a brilliant article on opera, it won’t do you a lot of good if it’s published in a sports magazine. If your brand sells luxury goods, then the content should be delivered to the appropriate demographic and should be designed and presented in a way that appeals to that specific demographic.

A great example of this is the Ralph Lauren Magazine:

Networking: There are millions of events out there that are are just for socializing. While those can be a lot of fun, they’re the places to be if you are looking to make business connections. You need to do your homework. Research events where the attendees dovetail with your business goals,  whether they be potential clients, vendors or partners. If you are an entrepreneur or startup, that means being at events where you are likely to find VCs (venture capitalists).

Meetup and Eventbrite both offer excellent, searchable calendars for upcoming networking events. Similarly, virtually every industry has its networking events and conferences. Sure, they’re fun to attend and socialize, but always keep in mind you’re there to make contacts that can further your business interests.

4. Content Marketing and Networking Both Require an Engaging “User Interface”

Content Marketing: The best content is also worthless if it is presented in a bland, unappealing way. Some of the best content marketing is presented in a way that more than just presents a boring block of text. It’s ugly. It’s boring. It’s not going to be read.

Content marketing is so much more effective when it is presented with compelling design, video, animation, fonts, etc.  Would you rather download a white paper that looks like a doctoral dissertation or would you rather interact with a content piece that’s beautifully designed, interactive, engaging and entertaining?

Networking: I’ve been to dozens if not hundreds of networking events and it amazes me how many people present themselves as the human equivalents of “boring blocks of text.” They show no personality, no animation, no nothing. I’m not talking about physical attractiveness here. It’s all about how you present yourself, how you look someone in the eye, how you show real interest in the people with whom you are networking, how you can show confidence without crossing the line to arrogance.

5. With Both Content Marketing and Networking Once is Never Enough

Content Marketing: Content marketing is not a one-night stand. You can’t just produce one piece of content and then rest on your laurels. The last person to get away with that was Harper Lee. If you’ll recall, her first novel was the brilliant “To Kill a Mockingbird” and never again published another novel.

That may have worked out okay for her, but it certainly won’t work for brands. To properly execute an effective content marketing strategy you need to be able to create quality content on a consistent basis. In this way you not only create an expectation in your target audiences - you satisfy it.

Networking: The same thing applies. Going to a handful of events a year isn’t networking, it’s party crashing. Networking on a consistent basis will accomplish a number of things for you. Obviously, the more you network, the more you hone your networking skills. But the real results of regularly networking include:

• Meeting a greater volume of the right people who can help your business.
• Make deeper connections with the people you meet.
• Learning more from other’s knowledge bases and experiences.
• Finding quality people to hire (if your business is looking).
• Finding quality businesses to hire you (because you never know).
• Landing new business.

Ultimately, it shouldn’t come as any shock that there are so many similarities between content marketing an face-to-face networking. Relationships are built on effective communications and success is built on a foundation of strong relationships.

Networking Concept Photo via Shutterstock

“Quick Start Guide to Affiliate Marketing” Is Realistic, Not Hype

If you’ve ever thought about earning money from a website by including affiliate offers on it, but have been confused or have had limited results, you will want to read “Quick Start Guide to Affiliate Marketing.”

This compact Kindle electronic book is just 93 pages.  It packs a lot into those pages.

Easy to Scan

The book is organized as a long series of FAQs.  This is a great format because it lets you skip over the questions you already know the answer to, and jump ahead to those you’re just dying to know.

For example, it starts from a basic first question:  ”What is affiliate marketing?”  Now, if you’re reading the book, chances are you already have some idea what that phrase means.  I’ll bet you’re going to want to jump ahead a question or two.

If you’re like most of us, you will probably be salivating to read the section “How much do affiliates earn?”   And that section is indeed very interesting.

There’s a comprehensive section listing affiliate networks. These networks are where you can find multiple affiliate programs to apply to be part of.  Once approved, you can pick  and choose from among hundreds of merchants and start placing affiliate offers in your website, to start earnings commissions.  The list is not limited to the United States.  Included are many country-specific networks.

And there are a lot of other excellent questions answered in very helpful ways:

• You will find a section on “What are the most profitable niches?”  What you’ll learn is that common wisdom on this question may overlook one important fact: reversal rates on affiliate commissions.  What looks like a profitable niche, with high payouts, may not be once you factor in high rates of reversals (i.e., backing out of commissions for various reasons).
• There’s a section, “Can I forecast my future affiliate earnings?”  The author gives a formula for calculating what you “could” earn on your website.  Your mileage may vary, of course.  Nonetheless, the calculation gets you thinking about the potential of your website, and the elements that could make the biggest difference if you improved them.
• Included are several questions that help you evaluate whether a merchant’s affiliate program is worth applying to in the first place.  The author gives very good insights into what you should look for â€" and what you should avoid.
• You will learn about such things as recommended affiliate marketing plugins for WordPress.
• There’s an interesting section on the 10 types of affiliate sites (coupon, data feed, display ad-based, and more).
• You will discover what “link cloaking” for affiliate links is.
• The author advises against paying a fee to enter an affiliate program â€" if you’re approached to pay just to join, you’ve just met a con artist.
• And â€" this was illuminating to me â€" some affiliates actually ask for and get upfront payment from merchants to place their links.  Of course, you have to be an experienced affiliate marketer with a track record to get these types of payments.

These are just some of the things covered in this book.

About the Author

The book is written by Geno Prussakov (@ePrussakov on Twitter).  He is the founder of the Affiliate Marketing Days conference. Prussakov is an expert in affiliate management.  What that means is, he usually works for the merchants who set up affiliate programs, not the Web publishers who run affiliate ads on their websites.

And that’s actually a good thing.  His background and experience gives him a bird’s eye view into thousands upon thousands of affiliates and their websites.  He knows, also, what makes a great merchant and how to choose one if you are an affiliate.

Realistic Expectations, No Hype

There’s a lot of sales hype out on the Web â€" the get rich quick type of hype.  You see it quite a bit around affiliate marketing.

You won’t find any of that in Quick Start Guide to Affiliate Marketing.  Prussakov goes to great lengths to point out that education and effort are critical to affiliate success.  Every so-called “super affiliate” gets to that exalted state after a lot of hard work, and trying, failing, and improving.

You get solid, informed advice.

This book doesn’t give you a step 1, step 2 etc. approach to getting started in affiliate marketing.  Rather, it gives you “insider” tips and resources that will be crucial to your monetization strategies and success.

The book is ideal for Web publishers who already know a bit about affiliate marketing, but are determined to do better at it.