Back when the World Wide Web was still in its infancy, reputation management used to be a simple, easy, and straightforward task. But now that there are nearly 2.77 billion social media users, every bit of frustration and dissatisfaction from customers—whether in the form of a tweet or a Facebook post—can cause years of built-up trust and credibility to come plummeting down, leading to lost customers and revenue.
Reputation management has become the top global concern for businesses executives. Companies are investing large portions of their budget into creating a positive brand image and positioning themselves as reliable service providers.
In this blog, we take a look at 3 effective tips to manage your brand’s online reputation.
What is Online Reputation Management?
Before we begin, it’s important to understand what Online Reputation Management (ORM) is and isn’t. ORM can be defined as a vital aspect of branding that seeks to shape public perception of an organization through publishing material online. Without it, a business will allow others to define its brand and inevitably sink into a PR crisis.
Engage Your Customers
If customers are looking for guidance online regarding your products and services, they are bound to come across negative reviews. Whether it’s Google Reviews, Twitter, Facebook, or Quora, your company needs to adopt a pro-active approach when it comes to responding to queries and misinformed opinions.
Some brands feel shy in engaging with their customers out of fear of what they might say or think, but such an approach leaves the door open for competitors to mar your brand’s image. With 89% of customers reading a business’s reply to their comments, your words are sure to leave an impact.
Regularly engaging with customers will enable you to project a “humane” image of the brand and increase customer loyalty by building strong and lasting relationships. Also, you will get a good idea about any weaknesses in your marketing campaigns and that will allow you to take preventive measures before a criticism-filled online post scares away potential customers.
Reinforce SEO Strategies
By leveraging strategic keywords and creative content, you can increase the flow of traffic to your website. Customers have their eyes fixed on the top of search engine results, and if your brand name doesn’t show up there, your competitors will gain the upper hand.
Website Development
A website with an enjoyable and creative user interface is sure to improve your brand’s reputation. This, coupled with easy access to information and fast website speeds, increases visitor retention. In fact, 40% of people are likely to abandon a website that doesn’t load in 2 seconds or less.
As more and more online users gain access to online platforms and voice their opinions, the issue of brand reputation management begins to take center stage. Our big data consulting services equip businesses with the tools necessary to make difficult decisions much easier and gain increased control over how customers view their brand. Contact us for more information today.
