How to Handle a Negative Google Places Review


November 14, 2013

social-brand-chat

This week on Social Brand Chat presented by KXIC we discussed a question via email: “We found a few negative Google Places reviews of our business and many co-workers want them taken down. I’ve tried explaining that isn’t how it works by saying Google wants honest reviews both positive and negative, and unless it’s profane, they won’t take it down. Help!”

What a great question — and one that I’m frequently asked when speaking to business crowds. And it’s not one with a black-and-white answer either. As noted in the question, unless the post is profane or threatening, it’s highly unlikely that Google will get involved. The best course of action is to remember that digital media is more of a multi-directional conversation than traditional “spray and pray” media. That means the audience can talk back.

We always recommend claiming your business’ Google Places/Plus page (they’re integrated now) as this provides you with more moderation tools and allows you to engage and provide some good old-fashioned customer service. Remember, your upset customers have always been the ones who tell 10 more people. Social media only magnifies that. Don’t forget to focus on those happy customers and encourage them to share their stories too.

Our social media news item took a look at Twitter’s recent IPO which out-performed expectations. We also discussed what this means for your business.

Do you have a question about social media you’d like answered? Ask in the comments below, on our Facebook page, or on Twitter using #SocialBrandChat. Check out previous episodes of the Social Brand Chat podcast here.

Remember to subscribe to the show on iTunes — and don’t be shy about giving us a rating and review to help others find us. You can also listen to the show via Stitcher Radio.

Until next week, see you on the Internet!

This entry was posted in Podcast and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Email Brand Driven Digital

is a strategist, speaker, educator, and author of Brand Now: How to Stand Out in a Crowded, Distracted World and Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Businesses Big and Small. He is the Chief Brand Strategist at Brand Driven Digital, an educator at the University of Iowa, and host of the On Brand podcast. More about Nick.