How to Remove Reviews from Facebook

Review us on FacebookIn June 2017, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the world’s favorite social network had reached 2 billion users. Given the platform’s enormous reach, it has become one of the most important digital marketing resources of all. Consequently, knowing what people are saying about your brand on Facebook is crucial for maintaining a degree of control over your company’s reputation.

Studies have consistently proven that consumers put more weight into online reviews than anything else when it comes to making purchase decisions. This fact, combined with the high visibility of Facebook reviews, means you have every reason to be concerned if you have bad reviews appearing on your business page. You owe it to your brand image to take every possible step to manage negative reviews.

No company can expect to please every customer every time, and even the brands with the best reputations will never be immune from criticism. However, before you think you can simply pick and choose which reviews you can display on Facebook, think again. When it comes to online reviews, the key to a sustainable reputation management strategy involves three core areas:

  • Removing defamatory reviews or those that violate the rules of the platform
  • Responding to constructive criticism to address customers’ concerns
  • Encouraging customers to leave positive reviews

Before you can begin managing reviews on Facebook and other platforms, you’ll first need to implement a reputation monitoring solution. This will help keep you informed about what people are saying about you on social networks and other websites, thus giving you the opportunity to mitigate any damage before it has a chance to spiral out of control.

How to Remove Reviews from Your Facebook Page

While you can’t expect to simply handpick which reviews you want the public to see, you have every right to take steps to remove fake reviews, defamatory content or anything else that breaks the rules outlined by Facebook’s community standards. If you feel that a review doesn’t follow the rules or is even applicable to the business whose page it appears on, then you can flag it for assessment.

How to remove reviews from FacebookTo flag a Facebook review for assessment, click on the downward-pointing arrow in the top-right of the review and click ‘Report post’. When you report a post, its removal is entirely at Facebook’s discretion. In other words, if it does not violate Facebook’s policies, then it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to remove the review, and you should be wary of any reputation management company that claims otherwise.

Another alternative is to remove the reviews section from your company’s Facebook page. This should always be considered a last resort, however, since it also involves removing all other reviews. You can disable reviews by going to your business page and navigating to Settings – Page Info – Address – Edit and unchecking the box beside ‘Show map, check-ins and star ratings on the Page’.

If you disable reviews, you’ll also prevent the map from appearing on your business page, which could present a problem if you’re a local business. Nonetheless, disabling reviews only need be a temporary step while you get your reputation back under control. However, Facebook does keep a complete history of your reviews, so any negative ones will also return if you re-enable the feature.

How to Improve Your Reputation by Responding to Reviews.

Social media is all about building relationships, though many businesses still approach it as they would more traditional methods of advertising. Instead of advertising to people, improving your reputation on social media is about getting involved in the conversation. That means responding to as many reviews as you can, including both good and bad reviews. After all, people hate to feel ignored, and responding to reviews tends to make customers feel appreciated.

Even if you’ve already asked Facebook to remove a review, it’s still a good idea to respond to it nonetheless. Transparency is particularly important now that your brand image is largely shaped by your customers rather than your own direct interventions. Many people will take the time to read responses to bad reviews, and your potential customers will appreciate the fact that you made the effort.

When responding to reviews, always take a professional approach, and never take constructive criticism personally, even if you vehemently disagree with the points the reviewer makes. Try to make every effort to address the reviewer’s concerns, and consider taking steps to encourage them to speak to you in person rather than risk getting dragged into an argument on social media.

How to Build a Strong Reputation by Encouraging People to Leave Reviews

Many businesses aren’t too keen on the fact that they no longer have nearly as much control over their reputations as they used to. Nonetheless, online reviews are both unavoidable and here to stay. By leveraging their potential in the right way, you’ll have the opportunity to create brand ambassadors who will be more than happy to spread the good word about your company.

Today’s consumers love to have a voice, and social media is all about sharing opinions and enjoying that moment in the limelight. When you’re confident that a customer has had a good experience with your company, you should always ask them to rate your business and leave a review on Facebook if you get the opportunity.

When you get the chance, be sure to provide a direct link to your Facebook review page. Nonetheless, it’s important to remember that not all your customers are likely to have a Facebook account, in which case you might want to provide an alternative, such as your Google My Business or Yelp listing. Proactively encouraging people to leave reviews in the first place will give you the chance to bury the negative with the positive, which is largely what online reputation management is all about.

Here at Reputation Resolutions, we understand the challenges involved in building and maintaining a great online reputation. We have helped hundreds of companies remove negative Facebook reviews and build a strong, positive review profile. That’s why we offer the tools and experience you need to monitor, build and protect an excellent reputation. To learn more about how we can help, fill out the form below or call (855)239-5322.