As featured in TEQ Magazine:
If you run a business in this social media world, you ignore the social conversation at your peril. What our peers tell us is five times more convincing than what you tell us. (Who measures this stuff?)
I don’t know if anyone knows who coined the term “word of mouth” but we’ve always understood its power. In this social media revolution, author Erik Qualman says we’re now in a “world of mouth”.
Last night, when my wife and I arrived at the Hilton in downtown Miami, we were completely unfamiliar with the neighborhood and we were hungry.
In the past, we might have consulted the AAA Guidebook, Zagat Reviews, or the hotel concierge for a recommendation. Instead, I grabbed my iPhone and clicked on one of my favorite social media apps: Yelp.
Yelp allows you to find and explore the restaurants around you. More importantly, you can 
see what other Yelpers are saying about these restaurants. Yes, it’s handy to see their individual and aggregate ratings on a one- to five-star basis. More interesting is reading these amateurs’ reviews. It’s the ultimate in local knowledge; almost like having ESP.
On the plus side, we found myriad restaurants within walking distance of us. But many of them rated “meh” comments (loosely meaning indifference) or contained specific complaints that resonated.
One option was clearly different, a place called “Bin 18”. At “$$” it promised to be more reasonable than the mostly “$$$$” choices. The 55 reviews averaged four stars. But what really got my attention was the passion of the reviewers. They described the place as “like a quaint New York bistro… dark and sexy.”
Upon arriving, there was no need to guess at what might be best on the menu; just read the Yelpers’ recommendations. Based on several mentions, we ordered the crispy bruschetta (tasty), the warm, stuffed fig salad (amazing) and the Bacalao sliders (I can’t even describe them; like nothing I’ve had before but in the same family as crabcakes). We were not disappointed.
Yelp is not just about restaurants. Business people: If you run a bar, coffee shop, bank, gas station, or drug store, the Yelpers are comparing notes. Doctors and service professionals, plumbers and contractors, they’re talking about you on Angie’s List. Employers, your former employees are providing an inside look at your jobs and policies on GlassDoor.com.
Many of us in business are uncomfortable with joining a conversation where we’re not in total control. News flash: It’s already happening. By ignoring it, you’re simply maintaining the illusion that you’re in control of your message.. your image… your brand…
It’s time to start listening. And it’s time to join the conversation. Learn from your customers. Be more responsive to them. Acknowledge mistakes and apologize. Evolve your products and services based on their best ideas. And treat your employees with respect, especially if they’re on the way out the door. These folks have far more power than they had in the past.
It’s a world of mouth where everybody has a voice… and a megaphone.