There are many aspects to an effective digital marketing strategy including managing your online reputation. It’s important to know what’s being said about your brand since people have the ability to express their opinions online at any time. To have a clear picture of how people talk about your company online, monitor and manage your brand’s online interactions and overall reputation.
Why is this important? Before even considering doing business with you, prospects may read your online reviews. They’re looking to find out not only what’s said by other customers, but also how your company responds to negative reviews or comments. Many consumers avoid doing business with a brand that has a reputation for being untrustworthy. If more than one person provides the same negative feedback, there may be something that your business needs to address.
Finding Out What’s Being Said
Online reputation management is a way to be proactive about helping to ensure that customers have a good impression of your brand. Since customers and prospects rely on search engines to research products and companies, when they search for your brand, they should encounter the most positive results first.
To find out what prospects are seeing online, google the name of your company. Review blog comments, social media profiles and third party business profiles. Monitor mentions of your brand by setting up Google Alerts. Your strategy should include a plan for responding quickly to any negative comments. The longer a response takes, the more damage may be done to your reputation.
Other Things to Include in Your Online Reputation Management
Encourage customers to leave reviews online. Reviews can help to build brand awareness. The better you know your customers, the easier it is to identify which channels they’re likely to spend time on. Ask customers to contact you directly with complaints to reduce negative reviews.
Media monitoring tools are a good way to be alerted of conversations about your brand. Clearly define staff responsibilities and decide who in your company is the best person to respond to reviews or comments and be sure to establish the tone of voice that should represent your brand.
Prompt and professional responses can increase your visibility and help to enhance your reputation. If you get a negative review online, your company’s response should be courteous and acknowledge if your company made a mistake. Publicly offer a refund or discount. While it’s a good idea to prepare drafts ahead of time to respond to complaints, your actual response should be personalized to avoid appearing robotic or insensitive.
Proactively managing your online reputation can help to improve how your customers see your brand and can also build industry authority and increase trust levels. Pay attention to complaints, especially if there’s more than one complaint about the same problem and consider how your company can make improvements.
For expert help with online reputation management or any aspect of your digital marketing strategy, get in touch with the experts at Softline Solutions. Let us help you reach your online potential.
