With your online reputation serving as one of your company’s core assets, it is important that you cultivate a positive brand image online. We look at what an effective online reputation management strategy looks like and how this can help you protect your brand identity online.
Control your reputation online
It is vital to implement a pro-active online reputation management strategy online to protect your firm’s bottom line. In a nutshell, online reputation management allows you to control what appears in a search online for your company’s name. The effectiveness of this strategy hinges on the ongoing creation of positive digital content. By optimizing this content you can ensure it appears on the first page of a Google search for your business’ name, shielding the page from negative content.
Components of an effective strategy
This leads us to ask, what should you do to ensure your company builds an effective online reputation management strategy? We would advise you to include the following elements if you wish to build a strong online reputation management plan going forward…
- Exemplary good and service: Effective online reputation management begins offline. Focus on supplying your existing customers with great service, as well as first-rate products. Not only could this prevent aggrieved customers from posting negative content concerning your company online, it could incentivize them to post positive content, allowing you to foster consumer trust.
- Social media profiles: With customers increasingly engaging with businesses via social media, it is vital that you build a strong presence on these platforms. Focus onusing social media to supply effective customer service, to ensure that these assets allow you to construct a trusted brand online.
- Engaging content: It is key that you attract high traffic volumes to your digital assets, ensuring Google views them as valuable sources of information concerning your firm. Develop useful content for your social media profiles, blog sites etc., so potential consumers will engage with these platforms, allowing them to rank highly on Google searches for your business’ name.
- Online response training: Provide all staff with online response training, ensuring they interact with consumers online appropriately. If you have the resources, develop a social media team who can respond to consumers on these platforms promptly, positioning your brand as one which always strives to put customers first.
- Brand monitoring: The sooner a problem comes to your attention, the sooner you can implement a resolution. Utilize monitoring programs such asGoogle Alerts to keep track of your brand mentions online. This way if any reputational issues arise, you can look to resolve consumer issues promptly.
- Review management: With 67% of consumers saying thatthey are influenced by online reviews, it is important to deal with negative reviews promptly. Implement a review management strategy which allows you to deal with negative reviews according to best practice and promote positive feedback.