KomodoPR.com

A while ago, I wrote a blog post about User Reviews after an article appeared on Mobile Crunch about a PR firm who had apparently got a bunch of interns to write five-star user reviews to promote their client’s iPhone games on Apple’s App Store.

Now, the advent of Google Sidewiki has propelled the issue of User Reviews once again into the spotlight. And now seems a good time to touch on the dos and don’ts of user reviews.

Do:

• Before you launch something, it’s a good idea to get it beta tested by an independent third party. That way you can listen to the feedback and make adjustments and prepare for any potential perceived weak-points in your products or services. The more people who test it the better. If you’re not sure who to ask, we have contacts with friendly journalists who would be happy to road test something behind closed doors.
• Monitor user reviews carefully. All social media, whether it be Google Sidewiki, Twitter or the reviews sections of online stores are useful as radar for any issues. Often, problems are raised on social media before they hit the spotlight, so they act as a useful early-warning tool.
• If you receive positive feedback, be shameless and ask if that person minds posting their positive feedback somewhere public.
  Listen to negative feedback, accept where things can be better and show your roadmap for making improvements. This in particular is a great opportunity to build trust around a brand.

The don’ts are simple. In fact, there’s only really one don’t, but it’s a big one:

• Don’t pretend to be someone else. Ever.
• Don’t lie. Ever. You will get caught out.
• Lose the trust of the public and all of that hard work that’s done in building a brand goes down the drain. It’s never, ever worth the risk.

For further information about this, visit WOMMA – an organisation that we’re proud to be members of.