Tuesday Tech Tip: Don’t be tempted to write bogus reviews.

Tuesday Tech Tip: Don’t be tempted to write bogus reviews.

We know that it can be frustrating when you look at your Google Local page or your DemandForce page and see only a handful of reviews; even more frustrating when you’ve been reminding patients to write reviews on your pages to little effect. And we know it can be so tempting to go online and write a few little reviews to pump up your online image, thinking, “We’ve heard our patients say this to us in the office. What’s the harm of putting it online on their behalf?”.

But don’t be tempted to write bogus reviews.

Early last year the FTC fined a company called Legacy Learning Systems $250,000 for hiring affiliate marketers to write glowing reviews about their products without disclosing that the marketers were being paid for their reviews. And this is hardly a new concept; in fact, false reviews have been around nearly as long as the internet. But the FTC has begun taking major legal action against those who falsify testimonials or reviews online.

According to FTC issued guidelines issued in 2009 on reviews/testimonials, writing reviews of your business yourself or paying someone to write reviews online is deemed “unfair or deceptive advertising”. And let’s be honest, that’s exactly what writing false testimonials online is. Paying someone to write a review online, or writing them yourself to promote your practice, is unfair and deceptive advertising because you’re giving the impression that actual patients have taken the time to write kind things. Even if you’ve heard Mrs. Smith say how wonderful you are a 1000 times, if she didn’t write the review and post it herself online then it is false and deceptive advertising. It is black and white. And thanks to the FTC’s enforcement of these rules, it has never been more important to resist the urge to write a review yourself.

So keep in mind the following rule: If the reviewer can be connected back to your office or if the reviewer receives an incentive to write the review, the relationship must be disclosed or you are in violation of the FTC guidelines. This means that spouses, children, and other family members of yourself and your office staff cannot post something online without disclosing the relationship and if you offer any kind of incentive to write a review, this must also be disclosed.

What it all boils down to is this: Just be honest. If you’re 100% transparent online, you will be in the clear.