One element of their brand that business owners often overlook is its reputation. A brand’s reputation is separate from its marketing messages but can have just as large of an impact, if not larger. You can have the best business plan or marketing plan in place, but if you have a poor online reputation, it will all be for naught. So, if you don’t already have a plan for managing your business’s reputation online, now is the time to get started. Below, we’ll explain the importance of your online reputation and some steps you can follow to take control of it.
Why You Need to Manage Your Reputation
Why is it important to manage your business’s reputation online? According to Digital PR, a PR and digital marketing agency, “Today’s consumers are heavily influenced by information presented on Digital Media. More purchase decisions start online now than ever, and employers research potential new hires online before making an important hiring decision.”
Before deciding whether or not to choose your business/product, many consumers will conduct research online. They’ll read reviews of your products and testimonials from your previous customers, then compare these against similar results from other brands. The company that best manages its online reputation often wins this battle and gets the customer. Therefore, if you want to continue bringing in customers, you need to have some control over your online reputation.
Become Active on Social Media
A key way to start managing your business’s online reputation is through social media. Many consumers form their opinion of a brand through its social media use. If you don’t already have accounts on the major social media platforms, now is the time to create them. Once you have your accounts, you’ll want to use your social accounts to promote a positive brand image and to interact with your audience.
Encourage Positive Reviews
Another way to manage your brand’s online reputation is by encouraging customers to leave positive reviews. Many consumers will check sites like Yelp or Google’s Business listings before deciding where to go. Brands that have more positive reviews are more likely to get customers. Whenever possible, you should ask customers to leave reviews on these sites, especially if you’re sure they had a good experience with you. Positive reviews will encourage unsure customers to choose your brand and drown out any negative comments you might have received.
Respond to Online Comments and Reviews
A big part of managing your online reputation is interacting with your audience. Do your best to respond to all messages you receive on your various social accounts, especially those with complaints or issues. This demonstrates to other social media followers that you’re dedicated to correcting problems and attentive to customer needs. Responding to positive comments can also encourage others to leave similar comments.
Create Expert Content
Another essential element to a strong reputation online is appearing as an expert within your niche. Consumers are more likely to choose you if they think you are knowledgeable about the services you provide. One way to promote an expert persona is by creating helpful content.
For example, an auto shop could create video tutorials on performing various vehicle maintenance and repair tasks. These videos would help their audience and demonstrate that they know how to fix cars. Brainstorm some ways that you can demonstrate your level of knowledge within your niche, then create content to go along with it.
Become a Professional Source
A great way to appear as an expert within your industry is by serving as a professional source. Many writers often need sources for their news articles. If you can provide a journalist with helpful information, they’ll quote you in the article. This then tells anyone who reads the article that you’re an expert in the field, raising your brand’s profile and trustworthiness. An easy way to connect with journalists looking for sources is through services like Help a Reporter or by creating a separate spot on your website for inquiries.
Conduct Regular Reputation Analysis
Finally, it’s important to regularly analyze your business’s reputation online. You want to constantly look for negative reviews or news stories that could impact your brand. The sooner you catch these stories, the sooner you can take steps to correct them and limit their impact. A reputation analysis can also help you learn which keywords consumers associate with your brand, allowing you to adjust tactics as necessary. Schedule time each month to analyze your business’s reputation so that you’re always making the strongest impression possible.
