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Facebook Reviews

VVAuto1

Hat Trick
May 18, 2012
92
22
First Name
Victor
Hey guys any thoughts on facebook reviews specifically vs google/cars.com reviews?

Facebook Reviews

Pro's
- Quick and Easy can be done from the consumers mobile phone/tablet
- I'm assuming potential SEO Value ( not sure how it weights compared to google/cars
- Social sharing of a great experience


Cons
- Not targeted for someone who is looking to buy
- JD Powers ranked Cars.com as #1 most impactful review spot for consumers

Is anyone leveraging facebook reviews, any dealerships or vendors /services have any thoughts or experience on facebook reviews specifically.
 
Only potential SEO value would be for your Facebook page, and not your own website. Since Google and Facebook don't have a data agreement, and that Facebook intentionally makes it difficult for Google to index, there would be little motivation for Google to change that. Bing does have a data agreement with Facebook, though, but I can't see any signs of the review data being pulled into their local profiles.

Pros
- If you are getting a lot of engagement on Facebook, or plan to create a strategy to get engagement, positive reviews could potentially be seen by people.

Cons
- The problem being that many people interact with pages in the feed, and not at the actual page. This could leave many people not seeing your reviews.

I'd personally rather get reviews on sites like My Own, Google, Cars.com, Dealer Rater and Sure Critic.
 
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We focus entirely on Google and DealerRater.
Google handles the SERP and DealerRater has great SEO for "reviews" based terms, plus we use their API to put the reviews on our own site while still maintaining a sense of legitimacy.
 
As a Technology person, and having done several interactive studies/observation sets with the 18-25 year old, they often think of Facebook as Google. Not that they are interchangeable, but they search the top banner in Facebook. A lot of studies talk about the millennial departure from Facebook to a more 'anonymous' digital existence. The funny thing, is that during interviews/surveys, they don't have any idea 'outside of not posting on facebook' how to go about leaving as little of a digital footprint as possible. Their use of Facebook is becoming more of a Search/Bitch/Creep perspective. They use it as a research tool when meeting someone, or looking up a business. Or to complain...
If your page is open, then reviews are the first thing they see.
As well, for anyone who does leave a review, 'their' network can see they have left a review. And if one considers that someone leaving a review, is probably within your market region, the 'word of mouth impact' of a negative-review to other potential customers is significant.
Further, there is no cost to managing Facebook reviews. And the likelihood of a 'fake' negative review is much lower with Facebook than other options.
That said, you need to be searching your Dealership on a Monthly (if not weekly) basis. You need to be aware of negative reviews that are out there, even if you aren't or can't do anything about them. (I.e. Because they are fake, or you aren't going to pay Yelp to reply).
By being aware of them, you are able to respond to a Customer who brings them up during the Sales process.
If you are simply looking at reviews, and their impact Search, Facebook isn't likely to be the 1st concern, at least not today.
Not only that, but in todays world, people are less 'insulted' when they receive unrequested Facebook 'friend' requests from Sales/Dealership people than most people think...It does provide an intimate view of a Customers going on, if they accept the friend request. (but I would advise that Dealers do NOT implement their typical 24h, 72h, 5day, weekly, 3month communication plan when they communicate on FB like they do with other mediums...

Thx.
JP.
Whoo-hoo, 1st post. Long time reader, recently enrolled...