Author: Nancy McCord

Nancy McCord is the President and resident blogger for McCord Web Services LLC. She has been providing global web services since 2001. She is a web designer, search engine marketing professional, and search engine and blog expert. She lives in Maryland just south of the Washington DC metro area.
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Facebook Business Page Confusion Explained

There has been much confusion on moving your business to a Facebook Business Page from clients when they already have been using a Facebook Personal Profile for their business. Let me explain what I consider at this time to be our best practice recommendation for business owners who have had their business tied to their personal Facebook Profile or who have actually set up a Personal Profile for their business.

1. If you have done this (note in the first paragraph), we recommend that you keep your personal profile and then while logged into your personal profile go to this link http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php and create a Business Page for your business. You will then access this new page by logging onto your personal Facebook account, click the account link at the top right, and then in the drop down select manage pages.

2. We then recommend that you announce to all colleagues and business associates that are friends in your personal profile over a two week period, that you are locking down your personal profile and encourage them to “like” your new business page.

3. At the end of the two week period, change your privacy settings in your personal profile to Friends only and then delete from your friend list anyone who you do not want to see personal photos, photos of your own personal friends, and your kids.

4. When you get a friend request sent to your personal profile, click the face of the person requesting to friend you and write them a note stating that you do not connect on your personal page but can fully interact with them and with you on your Facebook Business Page.

If you have created a Personal Profile for your Business you will still want to create a Business Page treed off of your Business’ Personal Profile. Work hard to move your friends to the new page as you will have many more features for interacting with them on a Business Page.

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More on Fake Google Places Reviews – Be Careful

It is illegal to create fake reviews for your business online according to the FTC guidelines released in November 2009, but it is happening big time on Google Hotpot and Google Places. Don’t be caught by being ignorant of the tactics that scummy firms are using that may get you in trouble.

Here are just three “fake” reviews that I found on one  Google Places page. Boy do they look contrived and created by an SEO firm for placement due to the use of keywords, repetition, and bolding.

[Name removed] knows all the tricks I was side swiped by a car in [bolded City Removed] and I did not have health insurance at the time. I called [Name removed] and he told me that my medical bills would be paid by my own car insurance policy. I was shocked to hear that my own auto insurance pays my medical bills, even when I was not driving and my car was not involved in the accident. He knows all the tricks of the trade!

[Name removed] is truly super! When my Dad was fired from his job, we suspected it was because of his age. I knew I needed to call [Name removed]. I wanted the best. I knew [Name removed] had been selected by [bolded City Removed] Magazine as a “Super Lawyer” and has been on TV multiple times. My Dad was thrilled with [Name removed] at the initial hearing with the [State Name Removed] Human Relations Commission. My Dad settled his case and ended up with a nice size check to add to his retirement. [Name removed] is truly super!

[Name removed] tripled my settlement I was involved in an accident in which I injured my hand. Since I was not working, I was worried I would not receive much in compensation. The insurance company offered me a settlement, but I was not sure if I should take it. I wanted an attorney I could trust. I called [Name removed] and he handled everything. I received a settlement that was more than triple what I was offered by the insurance company. Boy, I am glad I called [Name removed]…she tripled my settlement.

What do you think? Sure looks like the same reviewer writing these to me. The page I reviewed had five more just like this. When I see bolding, use of keywords and repetition in a review, the review is flagged for me as a violation of Google’s own spam policy and a possible violation of FTC regulations.

As a business owner you need to be aware of what tactics SEO and Google Places services firms will use to promote your business. Don’t be caught in a FTC violation in a possibly illegal or questionable effort to garner top Google Places placement.

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It is False Advertising To Create Fake Reviews for Google Places

You may not have realized this, but it is illegal to create fake reviews and testimonials about your products, services, or business on Google Places, Google Hotpot, your blog, your website, and even on Amazon.com. As a business owner you should know that there are some serious penalties that can be assessed if you are doing this or even  unknowingly in this.

How so? In November 2009 the FTC, that is the Federal Trade Commission, released advertising guidelines that impact all advertising efforts even including the Web and blogging. In a nutshell the rules state that you can not write as if you have used a product or service when you have not. If you are paid to write a piece about a product you must have used it and you must state in your piece that you are paid to write the piece. You can read all the gory details and gobbledy gook the feds write to spell out a concept from the FTC website.

The bottom line is this, in the FTC’s own words for bloggers and online publishers:

  • Endorsements must be truthful and not misleading.
  • If the advertiser doesn’t have proof that the endorser’s experience represents what consumers will achieve by using the product, the ad must clearly and conspicuously disclose the generally expected results in the depicted circumstances, and
  • If there’s a connection between the endorser and the marketer of the product that would affect how people evaluate the endorsement, it should be disclosed.

There are penalties spelled out for violations and the FTC makes it easy to report a violation with their online complaint site.

The reason for my blog post today is however to mention that creating fake reviews on Google Hotpot and other online review services would also fall into the category as false advertising and could get you and your business in a pickle with the FTC.

I mention this as there are several Google Places firms, based overseas, that are promoting such illegal reviews as part of their business packages. You as a business owner need to know that these review placement and review writing services are illegal and could get YOU in trouble.