How to Use Yelp to Promote Your Business

Do you want to learn how to promote your business on Yelp? This crowd-sourced local business review site has been around since 2004. Now, it’s even a popular social networking site that focuses on reviewing businesses.

Businesses rely on what customers say about them. It’s even becoming a marketing tactic to incite positive talk among consumers about a business. That is “word-of-mouth” marketing for you.

Yelp took this marketing element and focused on it. Below, we’ll show you how to use Yelp to promote your business. Also, if you haven’t put your business profile up on Yelp yet, now’s your chance.

1. Why Promote on Yelp for Your Business?

Before you learn how to use Yelp to promote your business, it’s good to know how it can help. Not all business owners feel that Yelp is for them. Some hate it since Yelp Ads are expensive and bad reviews have a big impact on them.

Yet, the pros of Yelp overpower the cons. It doesn’t hurt that Yelp is free to use; it helps increase exposure, and it provides social proof. It offers tools that help bring more customers to you and it functions much like a social media account.

Did you know that close to 90% of consumers read reviews for local businesses? It’s why some businesses take risks only to get great reviews online and in real life. It’s an online version of Word of Mouth marketing.

2. Start by Claiming Your Yelp Listing

The first step is to get on Yelp and claim your business page. This may only be the first step but it’s also one of the most vital steps in promoting your business. You can upload photos, add your website link, and do more once you claim it.

To take hold of your business listing, go to the Yelp for Business Owners page. Use the search function to find your business. Click on “Claim this business” when you find your business on the list.

If your business isn’t on the list yet, click on “Add your business to Yelp”. It will bring you to a different page where you fill in a form. Complete this form to add your business to the Yelp business listing.

Once you claim your listing, Yelp will ask you to fill another form. Complete this form, and you’ll go to a page where Yelp will ask for your phone number. Via a phone call is how Yelp authenticates your business so make sure you’re near the phone listed on the form.

When Yelp verifies that you’re claiming your business, it will unlock your account. Now, you have full access to your business page. From here, you can offer exclusive deals, respond to reviews, and update your business information.

3. Complete Your Yelp Profile

Before you promote your business, make sure that your business information is accurate. It’s smart to put down as much information as possible. If possible, don’t leave any detail out.

Are you a pet-friendly business? Do you accept Apple Pay or have bike parking? Put it all down on your profile and let customers know you better.

In the business description, place your specialties, business history, and other relevant information. This will help people who are looking for businesses like yours. Plus, it helps search engines find your page when people look it up.

4. Encourage Reviews from Clients

Learning how to use Yelp is learning how to optimize your skill in this department. Positive customer feedback is the lifeblood of businesses in Yelp. Collect as much of it as possible and your business will flourish.

Start by asking your existing customers to leave a rating on your Yelp page. If you want, ask your family and friends to leave positive reviews too. Ask businesses you often partner with to leave ratings and do the same for them.

You can buy online reviews as well. If you take advantage of all those people, your Yelp journey is off to a great start. Get ready to accommodate new customers.

Offer incentives to new clients who leave reviews on your Yelp page. Think discount coupons, freebies, and such offers. Make sure the incentives you offer them are attractive enough to encourage them to rate and review.

Don’t forget to reply to customer reviews too. It’s ideal to get positive reviews however the reality isn’t like that. You also need to learn how to handle and deal with negative reviews.

Don’t ignore your customers, even when they’re leaving cutting reviews. Be tactful and patient when responding to negative customer feedback. Remember that other clients can read what you respond with.

5. Learn How to Use Yelp Metrics

Like we mentioned earlier, Yelp has business tools that help attract customers to you. These tools include metrics for business owners to get a better insight into their target audience. This will help you understand how your target audience behaves.

When you understand your audience, you’ll see what they want, when they’re most active, and what they’re saying. You’ll even notice if they post certain types of photos or follow certain trends. The metrics are most useful in future marketing campaigns and strategies.

For example, a café owner might find that customers often visit the profile during the day and late at night. In response, he can advertise a special breakfast offer for the first 100 customers.

While these stats are integral to creating marketing campaigns, they may err. Remember that an autonomous algorithm compiles these numbers. There’s always a possibility that the algorithm is wrong about some things.

Boost Your Yelp Game

We understand that it’s not easy to manage another online platform. If you can get through Yelp, it’s good enough to bring decent exposure to your business. Now that you know how to go about promoting a business on Yelp, there’s no need to yell for help.

Remember that Yelp can also become a bane. If you get enough negative reviews, you might find that it’s doing more harm than good. Take care of your customers and it shouldn’t be a problem.

That’s it for our guide on how to use Yelp to promote your business online. If you want to read some more useful guides to help your online business, check out our other guides.