So I Became a Yelp Elite
Vindication, validation, and victory within sight, now that I wear this badge of honor.
For those of you who are new around here, Review Party Dot Com (the podcast) once had a Yelp account: Review Party Dot Com (the Yelp account, hereafter referred to as “The Account”). The intent was to write reviews in our whimsical style and maybe pick up a few fans along the way. We knew this account would never gain Elite status (you need to use a real name for that), but our enthusiasm didn’t flag.
What did flag, however, was the readiness of things to go out and review. A pandemic has that effect. And so The Account sat mostly dormant, aside from our communications with the illustrious Melon Soda Bandit, Yelp Elite Craig S.
Then, out of the blue, The Account was gone, just as quickly as it had been established, and an email burned through our inbox, informing us that it had been removed for breaking the rules, for being a promotional account. You can read our fresh outrage on this totally legitimate application of their rules here.
But we weren’t done. If they wanted to fight clean, then we would fight clean!
Don’t Quit, Go Legit
That’s right, if something can’t be yours by cheating, well, just try getting it the right way. It may be easier than you think.
What I won’t be doing here is writing a prescriptive list for how you too can be a Yelp Elite, nor will I be regaling you with stories of fantastical foods and exceptional events; again, still a pandemic, there hasn’t been much in events, plus I’ve only been Elite for a little over a month.
But okay, I hear you, you want to know the journey. I’ll try to keep it succinct.
How I Did It
(I admit, that is a juicy line to type, I can only imagine how it is to read)
First, I got myself a personal Yelp account. Having set up The Account previously, I knew the steps necessary. This time, however, I used my own information (real first name, real profile pic) and presented myself not as an entity, just as a dork, as I am. Then, I got down to research.
Having already talked to Craig about his path, I went a bit more into a handful of blogs to get a sense for what would really be required of me to make the grade.
Key Takeaways:
Write some reviews, duh! Craig wrote “between 40-60” but I had 32
Try to make those reviews good (Useful, Funny, Cool)
Making friends helps, especially if they’re Elite (they can nominate you, but you can nominate yourself)
Friends may not be everything (I’ve seen local Elites whose only friends are their Community Managers)
Check In (It’s easy, it’s on the app, it’s just you letting them know you are AT a place, and you might get some questions about the place)
Pics or it didn’t happen (not a rule to live by, but it doesn’t hurt)
Try to be active in any way that comes naturally (voting for other reviews, asking or answering questions, checking in, reviewing, whatever it is)
You need to apply for Elite every year (but that doesn’t seem so difficult; when you’re good, you’re good)
So that’s what I did. I started getting out as restrictions relaxed, checked in when I got there, and wrote reviews after the fact. Reviews written my way, tongue firmly in cheek.
After I’d amassed those 30-some reviews and a handful of friends, I nominated myself, giving them a full taste of my writing chops in the application.
Not long after, I got the message you’ve seen above. And now my profile is decked out
Ain’t that a beauty, huh?
YES, I am a member of the Yelp Elite Squad, which means my reviews now float to the top of the review pages of the businesses I’ve reviewed. As an Elite, my reviews have proven valuable and now people will look to my reviews to get the scoop. And thanks to this podcast, I know the power of a good review.
And as for perks and events, well, like I said, there hasn’t been much yet (pandemic). I plan on getting to a local adventure park soon, where I’ll get a discount for being a Yelp Elite. I also signed up to get some free cookies at a new bakery next month. So that’s something! Something exciting!
If you want to read these wacky reviews, well I’ll leave you to it here.
Until next time, See You on Yelp!
