There is no denying the fact that the internet holds immense power when you are thinking about your brand and the perception that it has created in the online market. Your website might be the best and the services that you offer are amazing but in case if any negative review is becoming viral, everything can start slipping from your hands. Not managing the online reputation can impact your organization and how it is performing. However, the good news is that it is not extremely difficult to resolve the reputation of the brand. This is normally done by implementing appropriate marketing and PR strategies and tactics. Given below is a list of important ways that you can follow if you are to handle the reputation of your company and you want to avoid a PR disaster.
Table of Contents
Monitor the brand
Do you have any idea regarding your existence online? This can look like one of the most obscure questions; however, you have to face the fact that people are constantly discussing the brand. Besides, if you are not monitoring the mentions online, you can be missing out on important opportunities of converting your prospects into your customers or you can even lose customers. Irrespective of whether you are on social media or other websites, people are constantly talking about you, your services and products, and most importantly, the brand name. Do not forget to set up Google alerts, check the social mentions, and do everything that you can to understand how your brand is being perceived online.
Google yourself constantly
Several factors normally go within the Google results and it is one of the biggest challenges to control the rankings. Search engines are primary ways used by internet users to look for information that they are constantly looking for. This is why you need to concentrate on improving your rank. However, the ranking results are going to change regularly and it is how you plan to stay on the top constantly. To make sure that you are appearing on the top always, you have to consider binding all the social media channels, establish blogs, post latest reviews, and make sure that you are keeping the videos and images updated.
Know the competition
There is a high chance that you already know who your competitors are; however, you might not understand the exact things that they are doing on the internet. Ensure that you are searching their website, understanding the social media presence that they have, and go through the reviews. There is a chance that they are discussing you and that deserves a lot of attention. Understanding what the competitors are doing can help in learning from the mistakes, and will also make sure that you are adopting only the best practices for your brand.
Respond to reviews
According to research conducted by Harvard University, even a one-star difference in the Yelp reviews can result in 9% of business gained or even lost. This can have a huge effect on the organization. 83% of the consumers have stated that the reviews that they come across influence the purchase decisions that they have. This is why it is extremely important to make sure that you are constantly responding to the reviews that are being posted regarding you. Irrespective of whether the comment is positive or negative, you need to know when you should reply and how you should reply. This is undoubtedly an important step associated with reputation management. For growing your business, you have to understand what your customers are saying and thinking about you, as stated by https://www.entrepreneur.com. To know more, consider discussing with the professionals of Walnut Solutions.
Tout the achievements
Do not forget to showcase the brand through amazing reviews. When someone loves your services and products and praising them on social media, ensure that you are rewarding and highlighting the review, even in offline channels, like print pieces. There is no denying the fact that maintaining a good reputation is one of the biggest assets and it needs to be managed properly. The Public Relations Society of America constantly reminds us that it is easy to gain fame and recognition than what it was earlier through several online channels.
Resolve the problems
Users can flock on social media for complaining about poor experiences and products, however, they also explain how a brand has resolved a situation. Therefore, if you have received any negative feedback on the social media site, you need to make sure that you are fixing the situation by addressing the negative comment as fast as possible. It is also suggested that you consider rectifying the problem by contacting the customer directly. At times, the refund is not important but the fact that you are apologizing is extremely important. Make sure that you are avoiding aggression at all times.
Remain proactive and not reactive
Often, you can face problems where you can start reacting. However, you need to understand that you have to remain constantly proactive and not reactive. You have to try and avoid issues even before they start developing. Customers love transparency and you should be proactive regarding potential problems as opposed to reacting to negativity. Try to mitigate any risk by making personal connections with customers and media and most importantly, through authenticity.
Track the employees
The reputation of the executive can also have a reflection on the brand. Therefore, it is important to know what the employees are up to and the reviews that they have online. You must make sure that the reputation that they have is solid. Make sure that you are constantly holding informational workshops for informing them regarding the importance of reputation management within the organization.
Hire a PR professional
Some businesses indeed have the capability of managing online reputations but with the current human resource, it is also a great idea to hire PR professionals. They have proper communication and planning skills, which will help them to handle any brand crisis at any time, perfectly.
Conclusion
Reputation management is one of the most important aspects associated with every online or offline organization. To make sure that your business remains ahead of your existing competitors at all times, you have to do everything that you can to protect the reputation of the organization. Go through the compiled tips that have been mentioned above to do that perfectly.
About Carson Derrow
