Manipurated: How Business Owners Can Fight Fraudulent Online Ratings and Reviews

Daniel Lemin is a respected authority on the reputation industry. An early Google hire, Lemin was one of the first pioneers to realize the importance, impact, and power of online ratings and reviews on small businesses and the ongoing struggle business owners have with their online reputations. Lemin is an acknowledged expert on digital marketing, public relations, and reputation management and is a consultant for prominent Fortune 500 companies, including Nestlé USA, Procter & Gamble, Hilton Hotels, Sony, Suzuki Motors, Munchkin, and Best Buy. Lemin is also a senior strategist with the consulting firm Convince & Convert, a regular contributor to the Convince & Convert marketing blog, rated the number-one content-marketing blog in the world., and a frequent speaker at industry events and trade shows. Lemin holds an M.A. in communications and leadership from Gonzaga University.

A manifesto for business owners struggling against an online ratings and reviews industry that is holding their businesses hostage through manipulative practices. The book uniquely combines an exposé of the shifty inner workings of this industry with a step-by-step playbook to empower the 30 million American business owners desperately trying to fight back. In todays hyperconnected world, business owners are confronted with the challenge of managing their online reputation right out of the gate. The first weekend for a new deli, salon, café, or boutique store can be make-or-break with online reviews. Few business owners understand that amazing businesses can be permanently damaged with a few bad reviews. Managing a reputation online requires skills and tactics that are not always intuitive to business owners. The book gives business owners an insiders view of how the multibillion-dollar ratings and reviews machine systematically stacks the cards against them -- and more important, empowers business owners to fight back with a six-step playbook to defend, control, and enhance their businesss online reputation. Both a warning and a call to action, this is a must-read for all small business owners who depend on online reviews.

Section One


Chapter 1: Main Street Under Siege



Chapter 2: The Rise of Ratings & Reviews



Chapter 3: Four Pillars of a Healthy Ratings & Reviews Ecosystem



Chapter 4: Manipurated: Where It Went Wrong



Chapter 5: What Do You Do Now?





Section Two



Chapter 6: Business Owner's Playbook: How to Win



Chapter 7: Step One: Know Where To See And Be Seen



Chapter 8: Step Two: Good, Bad or Ugly - Make Every Review Count



Chapter 9: Step Three: Freshness Matters



Chapter 10: Step Four: Be a Peacock



Chapter 11: Step Five: Use Reviews As Free Consultants



Chapter 12: Step Six: Seeking A Higher Power