Restaurant reviews: why DIY?
User generated product and service reviews, particularly regarding going out and travel, seem to be a growth area right now in social media. But with a range of communities springing up across niche and general areas like Trip Advisor, TrustedPlaces, and Epinions how do brands get users commit to commit to their community and remain engaged? And what are the opportunities & challenges for these types of sites?
I posed some questions to Rob Hinchcliffe, Community Manager for Qype who position themselves as a ‘local reviews site’. I’ve been spending a bit of time recently attending their sponsored events, drinking their free bar and wondering how it’s all going for them.
Meeting virtual friends IRL
I partook of another Qype bar tab last night. This was their own party and it was fun to meet people who are part of this seemingly tight-knit online community.
There seemed to be a bit of a multi-national turnout with people having joined the site as they were new to London and wanted to find places to go and a way to meet new friends. It was really social and kinda makes a mockery of people who say that ‘this social networking nonsense means people won’t leave the house anymore to meet real friends’.
I met another female in tech blogging/presenting, LJ of Geek Chic and Virgin’s Digital Agony Aunt; I couldn’t believe our paths haven’t crossed before but I’m sure I spotted her one late night on QVC so felt like she was an old friend already.
Thanks for the hospitality Qype.
About:
I'm Darika Ahrens and I help brands develop marketing strategies for Social Media. My background is in Public Relations for companies like Orange, Microsoft, Philips, HTC, Yell.com, and Estee Lauder. I've worked with and trained some of the UK's top agencies.