The online reputation of your brand is one of the most crucial factors. It fosters trust among clients, staff members, and investors. You may grow your company more successfully and provide a better ROI as a result. Online reputation management is the most effective technique to preserve the reputation of your brand.
Sadly, far too many businesses put off investing in their online reputation until after a PR disaster. Because we’ve done a bad job of defining reputation management and when to invest in it, the industry is mostly to blame for this.
What is online reputation management (ORM)?
Online information about a person, business, or brand is managed through the process known as online reputation management, or ORM. The main objective of ORM is to create a precise, long-lasting, and manageable search landscape that accurately depicts the whole career of a CEO or firm.
Online content must be published and optimized in order to dominate Google’s first page for branded search queries. A typical ORM plan can incorporate customer service techniques, social media marketing, public relations, and search engine optimization.
However, search engine optimization widely includes digital reputation management (SEO).
Why? Because managing what people discover when they search for your brand should be your top concern, regardless of whether you’re concentrating on brand health, aggressive damage management, or reputation recovery.
Why is reputation management important?
A bad encounter can quickly go viral on social media due to its speed and reach, harming the brand of your company. Someone captured the incident of a United Airlines flight staff dragging a passenger off the aircraft in 2017. The video received more than 100 million views on social media within a short period of time.
The outcome? Market value of United Airlines fell by more than one billion dollars. This and similar examples demonstrate the harm that unfavourable press can do to your brand.
6 Online reputation management techniques for brands
Use a Humane Tone (when speaking online)
According to Steven Holmes, a senior investment advisor, at iCash, “Encourage customer testimonials and reviews because they are essentially the modern equivalent of word of mouth. Then, rather than attempting to disguise your tracks, make sure to reply to them—even the negative ones. Remember that developing a reliable internet reputation requires authenticity and transparency.”
“Assure them that you are concerned for their happiness and think of ways you may make up for the negative experience. Try to at least answer any queries provided, even if there are too many reviews and comments to reply to. Even a brief exchange demonstrates your attention to detail and concern for both existing and new clients.”
Encourage customer reviews
Encourage customers to submit reviews on websites like Google, Yelp, Trustpilot, Capterra, and other popular review sites. This is one of the greatest ways to maintain your internet reputation. This is due to the fact that favourable reviews can occupy high ranking positions in Google’s search results and influence customer behaviors.
Monitor Search Results For Your Brand
Eyal Pasternak, the founder of Liberty House Buying Group, recommends doing a simple google search.
“The easiest action you can take right now to protect your reputation is to look yourself up on Google. You must do this frequently, ideally once a month.
Contact the website directly to get the content deleted if one of the search results is bad for your reputation. By going on their privacy or contact page, you can typically get in touch with the right people. Although there is no assurance that a site will remove the content, you must attempt.”
Alex Alexakis, the Founder of a Digital Marketing Agency, Pixel Chefs advises, “Set up notifications for your brand name and associated keywords, and then take prompt action whenever you come across any mention—whether favourable or unfavourable.”
Be careful what you share
Remember anything that you post or share on the internet, will always remain there. As Jason Moss, the founder of Moss Technologies says, “Consider whether your activity is consistent with your brand before clicking the “share” or “comment” buttons.
As a general guideline, don’t post on social media when you’re upset, and regardless of your privacy settings, avoid criticizing coworkers, business partners, or clients. Always spell-check your comments and posts to maintain the strength of your brand. Finally, remember that whatever you share online represents you to the world.”
Respond to negative reviews
Negative online reviews could entice you to ignore them and wait for them to disappear, but that’s a mistake. Negative reviews provide your company the chance to address issues head-on, show that you care about your clients, and establish a more sincere bond with them.
Regardless of whether a review is positive or bad, reply to it. Even negative consumer feedback should be acknowledged. And always present workable solutions to issues.
Customers don’t want a voucher for 20% off their subsequent purchase if they had a negative experience. That strategy prevents a subsequent purchase. Show customers you stand behind your brand and that they can rely on you to set things right by going above and above in this regard.
Do you need to hire an online reputation management company?
When selecting online reputation management services, there are many factors to take into account. Before selecting a choice, consider the following crucial inquiries:
● Do you have any experience dealing with large brands like ours?
● Can you describe your data management, privacy, and security systems?
● Can you provide evidence of consistently positive outcomes, not just fleeting successes?
● Do you have clients who you can refer?
● How long has your company been around?
For Fortune 1000 brands, the stakes are very high. A bad reputation affects investor confidence, sales, hiring, and retention. Working with a corporation that fully comprehends how Google functions is therefore crucial.
