With the onset of online content, building trust for your business online has become an increasingly important thing to have a strategy for. That’s what online reputation management is and in this article, we will discuss some ideas and strategies to bring your ORM up to speed and work better for your business. So, let’s not waste time and dig right in.
So, what is Online Reputation Management and how does it work?
People shop around, simple as that. Your online reputation is how people see you on the internet. Why is having a good online reputation necessary? Well, there are a lot of blogs and reports out there constantly talking about how many people search for reviews. Everybody knows how word of mouth works and reviews are the exact same thing, but for the internet. Furthering the relationship with a customer is a big deal and getting a review from them is a great testimony. Devising a strategy to improve your image online is what ORM is all about.
This gives rise to questions like – “Will ORM help me grow my business?” Yes, it most definitely will. People are researching brands and they can quickly realize you are the best option from you having great online testimonials. So, work for it.
First off, protect the associates. Reviews and stats are not all people search about a company. They are researching those who are involved in the company as well. To protect the brand, you need to develop a strong social media presence for all founders, owners and executives.
Build and maintain relationships – Let’s just make one thing clear, the “Why does it matter what people think” approach is not going to work in your favor, ever. Much of managing your reputation has to do with how many people believe what is being said about you. If you create a brand people love and respond positively, it’s possible to weather any storm you encounter. Think about how some celebrities manage their reputation online. No matter how many times some celebrities mess up, they tend to walk away with their reputation unscathed. Keep reaching out to your followers and customers to let them do the fighting for you.
Listen to feedback – Most people wonder, “What will happen if someone gave a negative review?”, but sometimes negative feedback is what businesses need to hear because, without constructive criticism, you can’t improve. What matters is your approach toward handling negative feedback. Admit your mistakes. That is the best answer to business owners asking – “How to respond to a negative review?” You can’t control what customers say about your brand, however, you can control your response. Often, by reaching out to the customer who made that comment and openly admitting an error occurred is enough to make people give you a second chance. Tell them how you plan to rectify the situation. Doing this will publicly show that everything you do is customer-oriented.
Monitor online activity – Monitoring online activity is helpful because of no matter what kind of reviews you receive, you can take action immediately. You may be thinking, “Will I be notified when my company is mentioned online?” Yes, you most definitely will. Yahoo and Google both allow you to receive alerts once you sign up. You can create a new alert for your business, certain keywords and any top executives.
Finally, be proactive and ask for reviews. An astonishing 84% of online shoppers say they trust the reviews other people leave. Online marketing agencies urge you to have a page on your website or set up an email where your customers can easily leave reviews for your products/services.
Bottom line
Managing an online reputation takes a lot of time and dedication; however, if you diligently follow these online marketing tips, it will make it easier for your business to grow.
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