Online Reputation Management – Your Only Guide

By: Dennis Paul | November 25, 2021

Online Reputation Management – Your Only Guide

Yes, the title says it all. This is your only guide towards online reputation management.

We understand that there are also other online reputation management guides out there. The only difference with this guide is that we are going to be as direct as we can with what needs to be done in improving your online reputation. It’s just that important.

First of all, you need to understand what online reputation is and what it can do for your business. Ever since the dawn of the Internet and social media, brand reputation is becoming an important barometer when choosing which product or service to get.

For example, would you ever buy products from a company that is known to have defective products? Of course, you won’t. You’d immediately back away and choose a different brand. You want to buy from a company or brand that is trusted and worth your time and money.

However, the trick question here is that are the rumors behind companies really true? Because sometimes, competition can certainly make anyone do anything that is underhanded and downright nasty in order to get a sale or two. Stories of small companies getting sudden negative reviews from unknown customers or past employees should make you feel the importance of caring for your company’s online reputation!

Now that we’ve got your attention, it’s time for us to discuss how to improve, take charge, and guard your online reputation.

Social Listening is a Must

We’re sure you’ve already heard about social listening about a hundred times now. But for those who haven’t kept track of it, social listening is all about observing and checking what the Internet has to say about you and/or your products or services. It is a very important first step in online reputation management because the better you are in social listening, the faster you can respond when people are asking questions about your company or your products and/or services. The same can also be said for thanking customers for their loyalty and patronage with your products or for apologizing and getting in touch with people who are not satisfied with your company.

Nowadays, social listening can be done with the use of a social media listening tool. It is a program that allows the user to collect data on how often a brand is mentioned or talked about on social media websites and platforms. These programs are a great way of tracking brand reputation online, discovering positive and negative consumer feedback, and getting data about how your brand reputation management is faring.

Look for Articles about your Company that are Outdated or Inaccurate

Up until now, one of the best ways to drive brand awareness and organic traffic back to your website is through article marketing. You’ve probably hired several content writers and editors to do the whole thing for you. Whether it’s in the past or in the present, it’s important to look for articles or content pieces that are outdated or inaccurate online.

Not only are these articles going to hurt your brand, but they are also not giving your website favors when it comes to organic traffic.

Google is also very particular about the type and nature of the content that is posted on the Internet, so if you don’t remove these content pieces, you might find your website lagging behind on search results.

Regularly checking the Internet for blog pieces or content about your company periodically is also a good practice for controlling the conversation about your company. This is because not every article posted online will be a good review of your company. Other times, these articles will be bashing or posting negative reviews about your company’s product and/or services.

Therefore, it’d be better for you to catch these articles online and fix or remove them before any damage can be done!

Social Media Interaction is Important

A general rule to follow is to always allow social media interactions between your company and your followers or subscribers. If your subscribers happen to be your customers as well, then it’s even better. Always remember to give a reply to any and all interactions done by your customers on your company’s fan or official social media page. And do it quickly because people expect to be given an answer quickly on social media.

This is understandable because it doesn’t really take too long to answer a Facebook or Twitter question or comment. In fact, around 37% of consumers who use Facebook or Twitter to complain or give feedback regarding a certain product or service expect an answer from the company owner within 30 minutes. Failing to respond is certainly not going to be good for your brand’s reputation.

Handle Criticism and Complaints Effectively

If you’re going to tackle online tweets and Facebook comments, then you also need to handle criticism and complaints flawlessly. Yes, we understand that it is very difficult to answer criticism and complaints, especially if the other party is starting to sound rude and intolerable, but it’s also important for a company to be able to handle complaints without damaging your brand’s reputation even further.

Regarding irate customers, they are already irate for a reason. Perhaps the long wait time in order to get to speak to you has made them irritable. Do think about these things when talking with angry customers. Apologize and empathize when necessary.

You’ve noticed the words “when necessary”. Well, it’s also necessary for your brand reputation to acknowledge trolls. These are people who are sometimes paid to cause problems for your brand. They could be employed by someone who wants to damage your brand reputation or are just individuals who have nothing else to do but cause problems on the Internet. If you do encounter trolls, don’t engage with them. Simply block or ban them altogether. Don’t even attempt to communicate with them because it’ll only drag you and your reputation down a spiral.

Don’t waste your time with these people and move on to other things.