What are reviews and why do they matter? Let’s look at this from a marketing philosophy perspective. The big picture – not just that marketers and small business owners love to complain about reviews. Google reviews. Reviews on Yelp. Amazon reviews. Pick your poison.

But why the entire review ecosystem feels like a swamp of hypocrisy. Fake reviews. Competitors gaming the system. Review gating. Super annoying pissed off customers slamming your business. Scammy reputation management companies. Meanwhile, the big tech companies threaten to ban you if you ask a customer to share their experience. Continue reading →