Word of mouth has always been the best form of advertising. People are more likely to use businesses and services when they are recommended by others.
Here in Gainesville, we have a powerful online network that serves the same purpose. With more than 35,000 ears, 17,500 laptops, and a collective brain about all things Gainesville, the Gainesville Word of Mouth Facebook group helps community members share experiences both good and bad about local businesses. It’s kibitzing on steroids.
The rules for being a member of the group can pretty much be boiled down to three things:
- Share your experiences about local businesses.
- Ask for recommendations about local products, businesses and service providers.
- Don’t self-promote.
Group members ask for recommendations for all sorts of things: restaurants, physicians, wedding officiants, mechanics, plumbers, house painters, electricians, car detailers, furniture movers and more. People who have used the various products and services weigh in with their experiences, so instead of getting one recommendation for a product or service, you usually end up with several.
When a business gets a bad review, it’s not unusual to see the business owner jump into the conversation, pledging to make things right. Talk about customer service!
Not surprisingly, when you get nearly 18,000 people together in one place, online or not, there are bound to be issues. A hardy band of volunteers moderates the group, removing posts that have nothing to do with the group’s purpose.
Still, it’s easy enough to wade through the occasional online drama to find what you need.
With almost 18,000 brains to pick for information, the Gainesville Word of Mouth Facebook group is crowd sourcing at its best and is an invaluable community resource.
If you’re interested in joining, visit www.facebook.com/groups/gainesvillewordofmouth/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
COLEEN DEGROFF is a Realtor with RE/MAX and serves the Gainesville suburbs, writing about neighborhoods on her website https://www.haileplantationrealestate.com. She donates 10 percent of her earnings to the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation to support its mission of building a new children’s hospital in Gainesville. She and her family have lived in Haile Plantation for the past seven years. Coleen serves on the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation board of directors and the United Way Small Business Leadership Council. In her previous life, Coleen was a humor columnist and a newspaper freelance writer.