Meetup hosted by a business

I’m a little bit confused,

One of the recently opened venues asked me to host one of our Local Guides meetups. They also would like to provide some drinks and snacks for us. Of course, they are interested in improving their visibility on Google Maps and a Local Guides can help a lot with it. Do we allowed to post anything (tips, photos) in such a case? I think we can strongly agree with a venue that no flattering tips will be posted, only the general ones, is it okay to be fair enough?

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Hi @EugeneKostylev

According to me, it would be okay to post their content on Google Maps. Yes, you should definitely post non-biased and honest reviews of the place and please refrain yourself and other local guides to post biased reviews. Also, please click as much pictures as you can and post appropriate pictures on Maps.

Do post about the things you did and discussed in meetup. I’m sure it’ll be a great read.

Hope you have a great meetup :slight_smile:

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MMhhh @EugeneKostylev i think that this kind of collaborations should be started LG side, not business side. This looks too much closer to an hiring of LGs to have reviews.

In Yelp, we use to create some “blind meetups”, where the business owner didn’t know we were from Yelp, and then we could release true reviews without having influenced by anything.

I think you should refuse.

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You got a valid point @LucioV

And yes, these kind of collaborations should be started from LG side and not from our side or business side.

Hey @LucioV , I got your point.

Actually, it was started from my side, they never know about Local Guides before :slight_smile:

I’m also sure they don’t want to “hire” or have any influence on LG’s , because here in Russia you can simply (and cheaper) buy any reviews you want from a “social marketing” agencies.

But what I’m care about is exactly how does it looks like. Generally, is it allowed to invite a Local Guides to a business? Will it be better to only post a photos, not a reviews? In case a review not saying something good or bad, just neutral — can it be acceptable? I mean, we can setup a rules for such a “sponsored” events: 1. While attending, post only neutral reviews 2. More images — less appraisal :slight_smile: 3. Be honest.

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I think that the number 3 will fit! Be honest!

Don’t accept any free good from the business owner, and let the reviews be true. :wink:

It’s ok to being hosted by a business, if you are managing to do so :wink:

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@LucioV I agree :-)))

But what if otherwise Local Guides will never come to this business? Can we use this opportunity, but avoid any influence by setting our own rules for these who’s accepted invitation? And surely, business representative will clearly notified: no appraisal reviews will be published.

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Thank you everyone,

I’ve talked this out with a business representative and they were pretty comfortable with our condition that no appraisal reviews will be published.

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Hi @EugeneKostylev - I’d advise you (and the business owner) to take a look at our review content policy, specifically the “Conflict of interest” section which states:

Reviews are most valuable when they’re honest and unbiased. If you own or work at a place, please don’t review your own business or employer. Don’t offer or accept money, products or services to write reviews for a business or to write negative reviews about a competitor. If you’re a business owner, don’t set up review stations or kiosks at your place of business just to ask for reviews written at your place of business.

If they’re simply inviting you to check out the business and write your own, unbiased review, then that’s great. If they’re offering you some sort of compensation in exchange for writing a positive review, then you should decline the offer and explain that it violates the Local Guides policy.

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Thank you for a link, @HelloJess

Of course, no one offers anything for writing a positive reviews, but I do want additionally avoid any possible doubts about this by totally excluding appraisal reviews.

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