Paid Reviews on Amazon - NOLA Pubcon 2014 Dwight Zahringer

Undercover reviewerGamming the review space

whoAMI?• Founder of TM Productions

• Co-founder of LinkXL (SEO Link Tool)

• Founder of TruReview

• Co-founder of FishingCharters.com

tmprod.com / dwightz.com 309B s main st royal oak mi 48067 248.582.9210

http://www.twitter.com/dwightz

https://www.facebook.com/TrademarkProductions

Canlargereviewsitesbegammed?

• We’ll show proof

• The process

• How to combat, or participate




lookslegit




nicemessaging




Writing opportunity on craigslist!!!




simpleapplication




quickreply




fastcallback• Got a call in 15 minutes

• One long review for Amazon

• One short review for Barnes & Noble

• Get $25 per review & reimbursement

• Get emailed instructions

• Need to create accounts, show screenshots

• PayPal is preferred method




Yourjobdetails• Buy specific book, get download

• Write two reviews

• Post to own Amazon, BnN and iTunes accounts

• 2 business days deadline




Wedidntreadit

• Emailed for approval

• Stated we didn’t like the writing

• Left this out of review

• Never encouraged us to write the truth




howtoposttoamazon• Green light!

• Specific instructions onhow to post to Amazon

• Said we’d be paid on posting




postingcompleted




aspromised




Customerservice#1




payday




Whoarethey?

• GoldSealReviews.com

• WhiteNileReviews.com

• Callisto Media is located in Berkeley, CA- coincidentally the same location of The Thyroid Diet Plan’s publisher, Healdsburg Press. Connected?




amazonsays


“Reviews written for any form of compensation other than a free copy of the product. This includes reviews that are part of a paid publicity package”



amazonLegalconcludes


“It can be interpreted as a grey area but Amazon’s policy is clear. We do not allow for the purchase of ones’ review other than for the cost of the said item. We encourage our

customers to review purchased products as reviews as they are a staple in the foundation of what has made Amazon the commerce store that it is.”

• Amazon likes reviews• Amazon likes / plays off of grey areas• Don’t be too Black Hat, just be Grey• Telecommunications Act of 1996 is everyone’s friend for now…..but wait



Whatstolearn• You can be gammed

• Don’t believe all reviews

• Pay to Play

• Many are extortion

• Many are controlled




thesummary• Reviews can be bought

• Reviews are signals, if not for SERPS then to influence customer decision

• Read all site TOS; look for loop-holes or “grey areas”

• Consider ROI of reviews purchased

• Some sites you will have to “pay to play”




monitor&manage• Hootsuite – Twitter & FB

• Ping.fm – Posts to multiple SM

• Disqus.com – Track comment threads

• Sprout Social

• Radian6 – large powerful monitoring &engagement tool

• Be accessible to customers

• Own negative comments

• Respond to criticism

• Build your credibility

• Have a crisis plan ready with team

• Have resources




15. knowproblems• Squatters on usernames & domains

• Negative comments

• Incorrect / false info

• Fake profiles

• Negative news, complaint sites, hate sites

• Competitor attacks

• Review sites

• Legal documents, Copyright / Trademark

• Industry perceptions

• Inappropriate photos

• Directory listings

• Company / personal profiles

• Shared names with celebs / politicians

• Job changes

• Slanderous statements

• Poor past decisions

• Past relationships




Business

Paid Reviews on Amazon - NOLA Pubcon 2014 Dwight Zahringer