Intelligent Networks Corporation

Tips to Manage Your Brand's Online Reputation

Negative online content is a serious problem for any person or business. There are different places online where people can mention you or talk about your business either in a constructive or damaging way. Nowadays, most consumers will do a research first before buying a certain product or using a particular service. Consumer complaint websites have become rampant and are extremely influential where they allow anyone to leave feedback and post reviews.

Having only just a website to represent you online and nothing more can put you in a dangerous position. Why? Anyone can create negative comments about your brand on social media sites, or post some bad reviews on forums online which would then rank on search engine results, and be displayed for customers to see whenever they search for you. Imagine the horror of that scenario. Reputation management is greater than what it seems to be, for it can make or break your business in a very short span of time.

Create your presence on all available avenues online.

Your business website is not enough for your online presence. Make sure that you create your profiles consistently on all social media sites, from Facebook to Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin, Google+, and all other industry-specific social channels. You should also be present on Youtube or Vimeo should you have any videos to promote. And these should not be just “I’ll-post-when-I-have-the-time” type of thing. It should be done on a periodic basis, with a set content strategy that is aimed towards reaching your goal. It shouldn’t be purely advertising; it could be something like posting helpful content, quotes, or sharing some facts that are all related to what you are offering. You can even encourage your customers and your employees to share their positive experiences with your company online to encourage more interaction. The key is to build a community of believers in your brand.

Create a distinct social media presence for the personalities associated with the business

The founders and top management play a significant role in being associated with the brand. It is crucial to build a strong and positive profile for these individuals, and clearly show the relation between them and the brand. Most especially for businesses owned by “titled” individuals such as doctors, lawyers, or accountants (to name a few), in this case, people are searching for the names of these professionals.

Blog

Blogging is not just for SEO. It’s about asserting your brand as an authority on something. It’s all about your brand’s views, showcasing your offerings and specialisations, and provides a solid ground for you to take a stand, most especially needed if you want to prove a point when there are major statements about your company.

 Listen to your audience

Take the time to really pay attention and take note of what your customers want. You can determine those not only on your social media pages but on the pages of the competitors as well. What are they raving and complaining about? This can serve as your guide to veer away from what they would find annoying.

 

Learn to apologise

And if you finally realised that you have indeed let your customers down, please do not hesitate to apologise sincerely. Being transparent and owning up to your company’s mistakes and shortcomings can end the critical situation, as long as you make a genuinely unconditional apology. And believe that they would know if you’re just messing around.