I received this email from the ranking YouTube team. Seeing as how this is family friendly and all, I covered the U.
Be sure to check your wording before sending our and email to all your customers or potential customers.
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I tell our team this all the time…
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There’s always a chance it was a “mistake” to get you to open the email.
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Yep, that’s what a second email claims today. It then goes on to explain it was clickbait on purpose and how you should sign up for their course so they can show you how to make your own clickbait marketing.
If it was a mistake, then that’s embarrassing. If it was done on purpose, then he’s admitting to being less that honest in order to trick people into giving him money. That’s one way to set yourself apart from other businesses.
It’s not the way I would want to differentiate myself, but it depends on what your goals are and what kind of customer you are looking for.
They also sent me a link to a video where they offer to sell “Google review packs” that they will place on your Google business listing. One of the benefits they advertise of joining their club is them sending you before and after photos for you to use in your marketing. This kind of thing could become a problem if you represent it as your own work and may be against the terms of service of sites you rely on for leads.
I’ve gotten those from several different marketing agencies as well. They’re usually a little more tasteful than that one (one was some sort of Harry Potter invite to Hogwarts thing or something)…they do generate attention, you just have to be sure to make it fun so people aren’t offended that you tricked them if you’re going to try it I would guess…
Be careful about saying anything bad about someone’s perceived shadiness. Those seem to be getting deleted.
Marketing strategy about on par with putting business cards in baggies with rocks and littering in people’s yards.
Thanks. I edited my post.
Don’t change it because of me. I’m 100 percent for calling them out. Just saying don’t be surprised if the mods delete it.
Well I didn’t change it because of you exactly. I took your experience and wisdom with how moderation operates around here and reframed my words in a way that is more of a constructive warning about potential pitfalls.
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They recently created a new app for pressure washing businesses, but really it could be used for most service businesses. In order to promote it and get reviews, they are running a giveaway that requires a review. I tried out all the free features, which are reasonably well done, but then found a number of big issues. My review went from mostly positive 4 
to pretty bleak 1 . I offered to give them more detailed feedback and even to help them fix things, but they haven’t decided to take me up on my offer.
I hope I win the giveaway, but assume that’s not going to happen for any number of reasons.
Yeah, less than stellar marketing tactics are very different from straight up shady too… We have had a local guy on the lights side that was hawking another competitor’s FB ads, and anytime someone commented “I’d like a quote”, this 3rd guy was DMing them and stealing the client. When the guy that ran the ad reached out, they always said “I already signed your proposal”…so was even letting the people think he was the guy with the ad. Same guy is using a “certification” on his website that the certifying group says they have no record of him having… Those sort of folks are fun, lol 
Oh wow, that’s super special! It’s those times that you wonder where karma is hiding.
So, someone took content that he didn’t come up with, but used the forum, I’m sorry, Facebook site, to draw customers in and made money off of the unsuspecting?
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Thats part of the reason I started my company. I noticed an absence of people who wash houses that actually care about doing a good job and being honest. A lady called me last week for a house wash and said she fired the last company halfway through after they were stepping on her brand new landscaping. They left and she noticed they ripped the paint off a windowsill. Half of the battle for me is talking to the customer explaining the steps I take to ensure the job is done right after the last guy that washed their house killed their plants or damaged something
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Not sure if you watch the videos they make but apparently the guy in the middle of the picture, pretty sure his name is Mike, is apparently a big company, some of his marketing tactics seems a bit… outgoing, pushy, and sometimes straight up rude. I get the concept as he probably makes more money from selling the courses he has but still does not seem like he is representing his business well. Oh well maybe one day it’ll bite him.
I watch some of his videos and he does have some decent ideas in there. He does have some gruff responses to comments, but I’m sure he also fields a bunch of unreasonable comments. I have a feeling that the target market for his business is quite different than the target audience for his YouTube channel and that he treats them accordingly.
Oh yeah I definitely agree with you on that, I just feel like when one of his real customers starts to see his videos it may turn them off. But hey as long as his marketing for the actually business is different from his youtube marketing, all power to him.
In your terms, it would be more like he spoofed your phone number and stole all the clients that were trying to call you… 
Yes, that must have been what I meant lol
