7 Online Reputation Management Techniques In 2024
As the new year unfolds, it presents an opportunity to assert authority over your online presence. If your objective is to improve your brand image and build trust among both existing and potential customers, then this article is tailored for you.
Dive deeper into Online Reputation Management, gaining insights into effective strategies for handling customer reviews and forging a symbiotic relationship with search engines to create proper brand awareness online. Focus on working smarter rather than harder.
Why Online Reputation Management is Important?
Nowadays, traditional PR and Marketing strategies do not work as they used to. With the countless amount of content, brands, and media networks, it became harder to control the brand narrative and see the results of the PR or digital marketing efforts. This is where reputation management comes in handy and is inevitable if you want to grow your brand in 2024.
Online Reputation Management is the process of actively influencing and controlling how your brand is perceived on the Internet. It involves strategic efforts to curate an effective online presence, navigate through customer reviews, and maintain a positive overall image.
Online Reputation Management can help with various things. First of all, by tracking your presence you can be on top of the narrative and control it. When you accurately know how your brand is being perceived, it is clearer what steps you should take to improve your brand reputation.
Secondly, the proactive nature of online reputation management proves invaluable in crises or even in preventing them altogether. Additionally, it acts as a shield, enabling you to address potential issues before they escalate into damaging situations. In essence, it becomes the compass guiding your brand through the intricacies of the digital world, ensuring a favourable online reputation.
Whether you own a business and don't know how to deal with bad reviews, work in social media marketing and want to measure the impact of your efforts, or simply want to aim for a positive reputation, understanding and mastering Online Reputation Management is crucial.
Distinguishing Reputation Management Techniques
Reputation management techniques offer a distinct approach compared to traditional marketing or PR strategies. While marketing and PR primarily focus on broadcasting a brand's message to target audiences, reputation management is more about actively shaping and controlling how that message is received and perceived online. Unlike marketing, which often emphasizes promotion and sales, reputation management places greater emphasis on fostering positive relationships with customers, addressing concerns, and managing online reviews and feedback. Similarly, while PR aims to generate positive media coverage and manage the public image of a brand, reputation management extends beyond media relations to encompass a holistic approach to online visibility, encompassing social media, search engine results, and other digital touchpoints.
7 Online Reputation Management Strategies
Here is the list of 7 ways to improve your online reputation.
1. Craft Positive Online Content
Shape a favourable online narrative through strategic content creation. Regularly update your website, social media accounts, and other online platforms with engaging and positive information about your brand. Craft content that reflects your brand values and resonates positively with your audience.
Example: Regularly share customer success stories on your social media platforms, highlighting the positive experiences clients have had with your products or services.
2. Engage With Negative Feedback
No doubt, negative comments can harm your reputation and there might never be 100% happy customers. However, did you know that 44.6% of people are more likely to visit a local business if the owner responds to negative reviews? What we are trying to say here is for you to see negative comments as an opportunity rather than a threat. Proactively addressing concerns in online reviews not only aids in retaining customers but also provides a chance to showcase your commitment to continuous improvement, building a positive impact on the customer base.
Example: Respond publicly to a customer complaint on a review site, apologizing for the inconvenience, addressing the issue, and offering a discount on their next purchase as a goodwill gesture.
3. Regularly Audit Your Brand's Presence
Imagine people finding out about your brand for the first time. What would they see?
Regularly auditing your brand's presence across various online platforms is the best way to maintain a strong online reputation. This practice involves a comprehensive examination of how your brand is portrayed and perceived in the digital world. By conducting regular audits, you can identify any inconsistency or negative mentions that may impact your brand's image. It ensures that your brand remains aligned with its values and consistently presents itself positively to the audience.
Example: Periodically review and update your business profiles on platforms like Yelp, ensuring accurate information and removing any outdated content to present a current and polished image.
4. Monitor Brand Mentions and Create Alerts
You must stay current and relevant. Monitoring your brand mentions will improve your further communication. Be intact with the online narrative around your brand. Find out where your brand is being mentioned. Follow not only the brand name itself but also any related keyword: the name of your products, surnames of board members and anything in between that can be associated with your brands. Therefore, the sooner you will see that your brand was mentioned in a negative context, the more time you will have for the reputation repair.
To make monitoring easier, you can create Google alerts with the relevant keywords.
Example: Set up alerts for your brand and product names on social media platforms, responding promptly to both positive and negative mentions to actively engage with your audience.
5. Encourage Customer Feedback
Motivating customers to leave reviews is more than a mere request; it's an active strategy for cultivating positive engagement. Positive reviews not only contribute significantly to building a good online reputation but also serve as testimonials for potential customers. Actively seek feedback on various social media and online review sites and showcase customer satisfaction to improve your brand's online reputation.
Example: Run a social media campaign inspiring customers to share photos or stories related to your brand, creating a positive buzz and fostering a sense of community around your products or services.
6. Be Transparent and Authentic
'Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.' Authenticity is key; be open about your brand's values, mission, and any challenges you may face. Always communicate with your voice on online channels to improve your internet reputation. Customers can see dishonesty, therefore they are more likely to be interested in a business that mirrors their values. Transparent communication, especially during difficult times, helps in building credibility.
Example: Address a publicized issue, such as a product recall, by openly communicating the steps you're taking to resolve the problem, demonstrating transparency and a commitment to customer safety.
7. SEO For Reputation Management
Have you ever heard of the legend that Google has a second page of search results? It's time to acknowledge the undeniable influence of search engines on your brand online. Make it one of your brand’s goals this year to work on SEO and appear on the first page of search results. Boost your online reputation with SEO, as securing a spot on the first page of search results not only enhances visibility but also helps improve your brand's credibility.
Example: Optimize your website with positive and informative content about your brand, ensuring that when users search for your company, they find compelling and relevant information on the first page of search results.
Manage Your Online Reputation With These Management Tools
Fortunately, there are tools and online reputation management services that can help you monitor your digital footprint. While there are various internet reputation management tools, below is the list of 5 tools for your company to maintain a positive online presence.
1. Google Alerts:
A basic yet essential tool, Google Alerts is pragmatic for staying informed about mentions and facilitating review management with real-time notifications. It helps track brand visibility without elaborate analyses, making it suitable for those seeking straightforward monitoring of online conversations.
2. Reputology:
Reputology, a review management platform, is practical for consolidating customer feedback and efficient online reputation management. It provides a centralized platform, making it beneficial for businesses online and ensuring prompt responses to negative online mentions.
3. Social Mention:
Social Mention offers a functional approach to social media tracking and monitoring digital conversations. It pragmatically observes mentions, hashtags, and sentiment across social channels, aiding businesses online in keeping abreast of what's being said about them.
4. Brand24:
For those who seek real-time insights without intricate features, Brand24 delivers a straightforward overview of online conversations and is useful for businesses online. Its practicality lies in providing timely information for effective online feedback management, aiding in addressing emerging issues promptly.
5. Repsense:
Repsense is an online reputation management company that offers a comprehensive reputation tracking tool that amalgamates social listening, SEO, and media monitoring functionalities. It employs 86 different factors to gauge how customers, employees, and stakeholders perceive your brand online. Repsense streamlines the process, providing a full brand image at a glance, and empowers businesses to understand their reputation online through the lens of key stakeholders.
Improve Your Online Reputation
In conclusion, reputation monitoring is an ongoing process that directly impacts your brand's success. Creating favourable online content, engaging with negative feedback, regularly auditing your brand's presence, and monitoring brand mentions help not only maintain a positive digital reputation but also build trust among your target audience.
Encouraging customer feedback, being transparent and authentic, and leveling up your SEO game further contribute to a positive online brand perception, ensuring your brand's reputation stands out in a competitive online environment.
New customers favor brands with a good image and positive reviews, however, as we explained in the article you can even turn negative online reviews to your side. Therefore solid business's reputation is essential for providing the best customer experience and attracting a wider audience. So start your 2024 right, take control of your brand image, and monitor your online reputation.
