Last updated on May 26, 2021 Brand image is the most important thing for every business. When a customer looks for your products or services online the first thing he/she sees is the reviews and even if a couple of them are relatively bad, the customer decides to steer clear of your brand completely. A bad reputation can severely damage your business. There have been examples of reputational disasters of large corporations due to which they suffered losses worth millions. This is why you need to invest in online reputation management (ORM). According to 97% of entrepreneurs, reputation management is the main key to the success of their business.
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What is Online Reputation Management?
Online Reputation Management is a practice to which many businesses around the world adhere. It includes addressing any negative or false comments online, monitoring mentions of your brand on websites and social media, and coming with strategies to put your best foot forward by ensuring that your target audience finds the right materials when they look for your business online on social media or via a search engine like google.
The purpose of reputation management is to maintain a positive image of the brand in the eyes of its customers. As more marketers now understand the importance of online reputation management the more time they dedicate towards reputation monitoring.
Is online reputation management still important in 2022?
Online Reputation Management has become more important in the last two years due to the pandemic. People have garnered an understanding of online platforms and how they work. Since people can’t go out to shop, they rely on social media and digital platforms to make purchasing decisions for everything. If they are not satisfied with a product or service they immediately post a review about it online. Make sure you promptly respond to the reviews online and tackle any false information about your brand that may be circulating in the market.
Can people find you?
It is important that the customers you are targeting can find you easily online. Make sure your business is adhering to effective digital marketing practices as it’ll help your business come in front of the eyes of your target audience. Thoroughly work on your business’s online presence to make sure people can find your business easily.
How does Online Relationship Management work?
Online relationship management revolves around tacking negative comments and negative experiences the customers might have had with your brand and effectively reacting to them in order to make sure the said comments and experiences don’t cause any backlash for the company which leads to huge losses. The way the company tackles the negative comments and stories depends on the severity of the backlash it is expected to cause and how much hype it is getting on social media and other digital platforms. ORM implements strategies that allow organizations to actively control the Web content attached to the organization’s name.
Online relationship management starts with establishing an online presence. Organizations need to make sure they are using relevant digital platforms for marketing their products or services online. Use a mix of online tools that work best for your business and make sure your brand remains active on these platforms to ensure maximum engagement with the customers. The next step is to work on the optimization of the content on these platforms. You can put the best content and use the best platforms and tools but if your page is not amongst the top search results, all your efforts are for nothing. Use the right keywords and increase the authority of the page by building links.
The important step is reputation monitoring. Assess your brand’s reputation online and come up with strategies to deal with any negative backlash.
The Key is to Know What People are Saying About You
Always be aware! Be aware of what is being said about you. Track reviews on every platform make sure you address negative remarks immediately. Here is a list of all the platforms you can monitor and what you should be looking for in them.
Google Alerts
You can set alerts for specific keywords that are relevant to your business. Google will then send you the latest relevant Google results based on those said keywords. If anywhere on the web someone would be talking about your business you will be aware of what they are saying and what medium they are using to convey that message.
Online reviews:
Third-party review sites
Third-party review sites include Yelp, Foursquare, Zomato, Trip Advisor, and some others. People often search for new service-based businesses with the help of these platforms. So if your business is on a service model, make sure you keep track of the reviews on these platforms.
Forums
There are several public forums out there that actively pass opinions about various products and services. Reddit is one example of popular web forums.
Google My Business
Whenever a user searches for your business the first thing he/she will view is your Google My Business account and the reviews on it so make sure you effectively monitor reviews on your GMB account as it is very important for your business reputation management
Social Media
We have already mentioned that it is important to establish an online presence. Social Media helps in doing that. It’s one of those tools where two-way communication is very easy. Use the platform to provide replies to any negative feedback and reviews.
Search Engine Results Pages
If any off-site blog or article that has mentioned your business is published. See what exactly is it saying about you and if what it’s saying is false, address it properly.
How to Respond to Online Reviews?
Responding to reviews can be a difficult and tedious task but it is all the more necessary. There are some points that you need to consider before sending out a response.
1) Address the reviewer
2) Say thank you
3) Sympathize and Apologize
4) Always take responsibility
5) Make things right
Here is a sample review for you to see how you can take into account all the above-mentioned pointers while responding to a reviewer.
“I placed an order for a bag via their website. My order was expected to be delivered on February 20th. They delivered it on March 5th. That’s almost two weeks late. The worst part is the bag I received was brown while I ordered the back one. I am so disappointed!!”
“Dear [Name of the reviewer],
Thank you for your review. We are sorry to hear that your experience was not up to standards. Although we appreciate you bringing this issue to our attention. Our team is looking into this issue and hopes to resolve it promptly and accurately.”
Watch out for Negative marketing
It has now become easier to malign, slander, and defame businesses. Some companies launch smear campaigns against their competition. It’s an attempt to damage the reputation and image of a business. Competitors may post negative reviews about your brand or they may start a rumor about one of your products. Make sure you keep an eye out for such campaigns so you can address them promptly.
7 Online Reputation Management Tips
Tips to be followed to get the best out of Online Reputation Management:
1) Track popular online platforms
2) Publish valuable and reliable content
3) Encourage satisfied customers to post reviews about you’re their experience
4) Respond to both negative and positive reviews promptly
5) Remain active on social media platforms to increase engagement
6) Flag inappropriate and false reviews
7) Use influencer marketing to boost online reputation
Bottom Line
A business should use ORM to strengthen the positive image of its brand that it has built over the years through its hard work and dedication. Visit NX3Corp to receive consultation on what ORM strategies you can implement to boost the reputation of your business.