Yelp is a local business review and social networking platform that allows individuals to search for businesses, read reviews, and write their own reviews. It also allows businesses to advertise and respond to reviews. The document provides steps for individuals to create a Yelp profile, connect to other social media, search for businesses, and write reviews. It also explains how businesses can use Yelp to advertise and interact with customer reviews. The document aims to give individuals and businesses an overview of how to use Yelp's key features.

1. By: Michelle Uchtman-Coulter
Public Relations in Agriculture
March 30, 2013
1

2. Introduction

The purpose of this guide is to provide a simple
overview of and how to use the social media platform
Yelp. This guide is directed towards individuals and
businesses, so it will be divided into two distinct
sections to serve these entities. This guide is part of a
graded assignment for Missouri State University’s
Public Relations in Agriculture course.
2

3. Agenda

 Overview of Yelp
 Yelp for individuals
 Establishing a Yelp profile
 Connecting to Facebook and other social
medias
 Yelp App for iPhones
 Searching for places
 Posting a review
 Yelp for businesses
 Yelp for businesses video overview
 Summary
3

4. Yelp Overview

Yelp is a local business directory service with
networking features that was founded in 2004 to help
people find great local businesses like dentists, hair
stylists, restaurants, bars and mechanics.
 Yelp had an average of approximately 86 million
monthly unique visitors in Q4 2012
 Yelpers have written over 36 million local reviews
 In addition to reviews, you can use Yelp to find
events, lists and to talk with other Yelpers
 Every business owner (or manager) can setup a free
account to post photos and message customers
 Yelp makes money by selling ads to local businesses
 Paying advertisers can never change or reorder their
reviews
 Yelp has an automated filter that suppresses a small
portion of reviews, targeting suspicious ones
 You can access Yelp via iPhone, Android, BlackBerry,
and more
 The Weekly Yelp brings locals updates on the latest
and greatest business openings & other happenings 4
http://www.yelp.com/about

5. Yelp for Individuals

Yelp is a combination of local reviews and social
networking that creates a local online community for
potential and experienced patrons of local
establishments. Yelp also has a forum for collaboration
and socialization about local businesses and events.
Yelp provides individuals the opportunity to read
reviews of local establishments posted by patrons with
or without a profile. In order to post a review, an
individual must register with Yelp—something easily
accomplished with the internet and an email address as
seen on the next slide.
5

6. Establishing a
Profile

1) Go to
https://www.yelp.com/signu
p?return_url=%2Fmail
2) Fill in all required
information and “Sign Up”!
6
https://www.yelp.com/signup?return_url=%2Fmail

7. Connecting to Other
Social Medias

1) Go to
https://www.yelp.com/profile
3) Connect to your Facebook or 2) Click External Applications
Twitter account to share
reviews and ideas!
7

8. Yelp App for
iPhones

The Yelp app for iPhones allows users to:
 Search for businesses and browse reviews
near you
 Narrow searches by neighborhood, distance,
price and what’s open now
 Add tips, photos, and draft reviews
 Check-in and share on social media
 Look up addresses and phone numbers
8
https://itunes.apple.com/ru/app/yelp/id284910350?l=en&mt=8

9. Searching for
Businesses

9

10. Writing Reviews

The chicken enchiladas were awesome!! Best Mexican restaurant in
Springfield!
10

11. Yelp for Businesses

Yelp provides local businesses the opportunity to
advertise—for free or pay an advertising fee for an
upgraded account—on one of the largest and most
influential online review companies that exists today.
Local businesses can add comments to local reviewer
posts, allowing them to respond to negative reviews and
appreciation for positive reviews. However, businesses
cannot add to or delete reviews. Businesses can update
their own listing information.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/sep/02/ratings-boost-restaurants 11

12. ‹#›

13. Summary

In summary, I covered a brief overview of Yelp
for individuals and businesses by providing
additional information for each entity. For
individuals, I offered steps to establishing a
Yelp profile, how to connect to other social
medias, searching for businesses and posting
reviews. I also gave an overview of the Yelp
iPhone app. Lastly, I provided an informative
video presentation on how businesses can
utilize and benefit from Yelp.
I hope you learned from and enjoyed this
presentation!
13