Study first
Review the ideas behind the questions
Review the trust checks that sit around organic advocacy and community proof. Focus on who is speaking, what they received, how reviews were requested, and whether any vendor is making the proof look stronger than it is.
Show Relevant Relationships
People need relationship context when employees, agencies, relatives, or rewarded participants endorse a brand.
- Employees who endorse company products should disclose the employment relationship.
- A profile mention is not enough if readers may only see the post.
- Personal, family, employment, and financial relationships can all be material connections.
In Practice
Profile Copy Is Weak Disclosure
A reader may see one post without checking the person's bio, employer, or past posts.
Advocacy Needs Instructions
If a company encourages employee posts, it needs reminders and review habits for disclosure and claim accuracy.
Common mistakes
Assuming everyone knows who works for the brand.
Put the relationship where readers of the post can notice and understand it.
Q&A
When does an employee share need disclosure?
When the share could be viewed as promoting the company's product or service.
Is a relationship disclosure only about money?
No. Employment, family, personal, and financial relationships can all matter.
Ask For Reviews Fairly
Review requests can distort community proof when they filter for praise or hide incentives.
- Do not ask only customers who are likely to leave positive reviews.
- Do not ask people who have not used or experienced the product or service.
- If a review incentive is allowed, it should not depend on a positive review and should be disclosed.
In Practice
Do Not Filter For Praise
Asking only happy customers can make the public review picture look cleaner than the real customer experience.
Check The Review Site Rules
Some review sites do not allow incentivized or connected reviews even with disclosure.
Common mistakes
Offering a reward only for positive reviews.
If incentives are allowed, ask for honest reviews and require disclosure of the incentive.
Q&A
Can a brand ask only likely fans for reviews?
No. That filters the review request toward expected praise.
Do Not Inflate The Proof
Community proof loses value when contests, vendors, fake accounts, or review handling make it look stronger than it is.
- Contest entries need wording that makes the incentive clear to readers.
- Fake social indicators are not the same as real people choosing to follow or engage.
- Review vendors can create risk when they use fake positive reviews or fake negative competitor reviews.
In Practice
Contest Hashtags Need Context
A slogan can look like ordinary enthusiasm unless the contest or sweepstakes incentive is clear.
Red Flags Matter
If a growth vendor hints that accounts are not real, investigate before buying the numbers.
Common mistakes
Treating follower count as harmless even when accounts may be fake.
Check whether the growth reflects real people and reject fake indicators that misrepresent influence.
Q&A
Can a brand threaten unsupported legal action to remove a negative review?
No. It needs a legitimate basis for legal action and should not use groundless threats to suppress reviews.