Building local authenticity into Yelp.com through grassroots community relations

By Alli Williams

With an extensive background in marketing, public relations was not something that was in Michael Tragash’s toolbox when he began working for Yelp.com in 2013. As a self-taught communication specialist, Michael has built Yelp.com into the community that it is today, which earned him the Mark Twain Community Service recognition at the 2021 PRSA Silver Spikes Awards. 

As the Reno Community Manager for Yelp.com, Michael connects people with amazing local businesses in the Reno-Sparks area through events, local media, personal connections, a website and a powerful mobile app. When he started at Yelp.com, he did not have much experience with media relations, coming from a B2B marketing background. 

Fast forward to 2021 when Michael was honored with the Mark Twain Community Service Award, which is for a non-public relations professional who uses communications to make their community a better place. Michael was recognized for his dedication to amplifying local businesses and integrating Yelp.com as a social tool to connect the community. His mission is to bring together Reno locals with the people behind the businesses and show the humanity of the businesses and what they represent. 

This community connection was especially difficult to manage in March 2020, when the pandemic lockdowns hit the region. Michael was left with a challenge: how can he keep the community connected — and more importantly, keep them safe— while businesses are closed down and the community is asked to stay at home. 

During the lockdown, Michael went to work. He developed Yelp Collections, which were content collections featuring local businesses sorted by category. The collections displayed who was open for delivery, pick up, or outside dining. Michael also worked closely with the local media to keep an updated list of restaurants offering delivery and takeout services and changes to hours of operations. But that simply was not enough to keep the region’s heartbeat pumping. To further support local businesses, Michael started pushing out content about purchasing gift cards and promoting gift cards as micro-investments to the future of the small business they are supporting. 

For users who were unable to gather during the pandemic, Michael began expanding virtual events for Yelp.com. These events kept morale high and built excitement for the future. On the business side, he kept in contact with government officials so that he could provide the most up-to-date information for business owners about what rules and regulations were in place. 

So what is ahead for Michael? He shares his excitement to see events come back and he is working with local businesses to re-energize the spirit of small business post-pandemic. 

Michael described his calling as a connector - a connector of people and business. He will continue to bring innovation and humanity to the core of our region through the creativity of local small businesses.