Did you know that the vast majority of people now trust reviews as much or more than a personal recommendation? That’s how important reviews have become.
It’s well known that entities use not-so-scrupulous tactics to dupe the public, among which are fake reviews, fake video views and fake followers. They either pay for them or use AI to generate them. This is quite widespread in the digital world.
Imagine you’re going to buy a costly item, like a TV, on an online platform. Of course you read the reviews. As a matter of fact, the ability to see reviews is a major driver of online shopping. You don’t see the reviews in a brick-and-mortar store.
How would you feel if those reviews are fake, and you just bought yourself an inferior quality product?
This is why the move by the FTC is a winner.
Here’s what the ban entails:
- No more paid fake reviews or testimonials
- You can’t abuse social media, that is, no more fake followers and fake views
- AI generated reviews are outlawed
- Misrepresentation of customer experiences is not permitted
- You can’t suppress negative reviews
- Intimidation tactics to force positive reviews are not permitted
Violations carry a hefty fine for both sellers and buyers.
What is also fantastic about this ban is that it prohibits fake negative reviews from competitors or customers who have never had an experience with a company.
I have countless incidents of clients getting bad reviews from people that just didn’t get their way when they made an unreasonable request. And not only do they leave a bad review, but they get a bunch of people to leave bad reviews in a span of just hours.
Google and other review platforms tend to be very slow or even seemingly uncaring in cleaning up those fake reviews. This ban may be the push they needed to get on the ball.
This is all being done in the spirit of making online shopping safer.
And that’s the bottom line.
If you’d like to learn about how to get more real reviews for your business, contact me at carlos@nextmediadigital.com, 305-607-7300 or visit nextmediadigital.com.
Carlos Ribero, is the president of nextMEDIA Marketing Alchemy. He is a nationally recognized marketer having been twice honored with the prestigious Ogilvy Advertising Research Award. He now focuses on helping small businesses reach their full potential with digital marketing.
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