Why Reputation Management Is a Must-Have for Every Business

Building Loyalty and Trust

It's important for your customers to trust and be loyal to your brand. When someone purchases a product or service, they are likely to talk about it. Many will turn to the internet to share their experiences. Online reviews are the modern day word of mouth. The first thing most people will do when they search for your business online is look at your reviews. Positive reviews reinforce trust in your brand. More than eighty percent of consumers will trust online reviews as much as they do personal recommendations.

Reduce the Impact of Negative Reviews

Negative reviews are something every business will go through at some point. You cannot keep all your customers happy, you will always have one customer who doesn't appreciates your products or services. The good news, is you can turn the negative into a positive by simply handling negative reviews in a professional manner. You want any customers that have a negative experience to know you care about their experience, you take your customer concerns seriously and are committed to improvement.

This involves acknowledging the issue and apologising. Do not get defensive, provide a calm and professional response. Remember all your potential customers are looking to see how you address these issues. As a result, it's imperative you show your commitment to your customers satisfaction.

Use Social Media to Create a Positive Brand Image

Social media reputation management isn't about posting content and gaining as many followers as possible. Social media is a powerful tool to create brand advocates and spread positivity about your brand. Encouraging customer engagement by responding to messages and comments swiftly, along with contests and give ways, along with publishing user-generated content helps to create a sense of community surrounding your brand.

Did you know that businesses that respond to social media messages have a thirty percent higher customer satisfaction rate?

Proactive Approach

It's important to be prepared by taking a proactive approach, which will reduce the stress when your online reputation is at stake. We recommend the following strategies to help you create a positive brand image online:

• Create online profiles including Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook, and LinkedIn where you can control basic information and respond to reviews
• Social media listening tools help you keep an eye on what people say about your brand on social media. You can monitor mentions and identify issues before they get out of control
• Create a crisis management plan. It's not uncommon to offend people by accident without meaning to. People will talk about it online. Prepare yourself for these instances, having a plan in place to effectively manage negative publicity to ensure a fast response that reduces the damage to your reputation online.

Conclusion

In today's digital world, you need to have a strong online reputation. When you implement reputation management strategies, or hire a competent agency to handle it for you, you can use the internet to build trust, addressing negative feedback, while turning your audience into your brand advocates. It is an ongoing process that requires responsiveness, commitment, and dedication. If you need help with your online reputation management, get in touch with the Genie Crawl team today.