March 22, 2024

Insights

Using Online Reputation Management Services And Social Media Reputation Tools To Help Your Brand

How you present yourself online is everything. Every interaction and brand mention leaves a lasting impression on potential customers, so it’s essential to proactively monitor and manage your digital reputation so that you always know where you stand in the public’s eyes.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore why online reputation management (ORM) is important, a range of online reputation management services, tips for managing your online reputation, and how you can improve or repair one that’s not doing well.

Why it’s Important To Monitor
Your Online Brand Reputation
Using Reputation Management Tools

Your online reputation is the perception that people have of your brand based on the information they find on the internet. More than half of online shoppers say they do research against a brand online before deciding if they want to buy from them. It influences purchasing decisions, partnerships, and even employee recruitment. Here’s why monitoring your reputation is crucial:

To Build Trust and Credibility

A positive online reputation builds trust and credibility with your audience, making them more likely to choose your brand over competitors, no matter what type of business you run. If customers leave quality reviews, other shoppers will feel more confident buying your product.

To Get Ahead Of Negative Reviews

People often turn to online reviews and social media to gauge the quality of a company’s products or services. Ninety-five percent of people share the bad experiences they have online, while only 87% share positive ones. Monitoring your reputation allows you to address any negative feedback promptly, maintain a positive perception, and prevent small issues from building up. Aside from a negative review, this could be a social media comment or online mention.

To Better Understand How Competitive Your Brand Is

Not only can a strong online reputation attract new customers and opportunities, driving business growth and success, but it can also help you gauge where you are in relation to other competitors.

Take time to research how your online narrative stacks up to other companies in your industry. This will give you a better perspective and help you understand what you can do differently.

To Better Address Customer Needs

One negative review online can cost up to 30 new customers if it isn’t countered with a positive one. Keeping track of what people are saying about your business gives you real-time feedback to address customer needs.

Often, negative reviews give you the most constructive notes that help you pivot and tend to what your customers (or potential customers) want.

To Drive More Revenue

Studies have shown that companies have 33% lower revenue when they have a rating of 1.1 to 1.5, so staying on top of your online reputation can have an enormous impact on your sales. The average customer makes multiple searches and compares assorted products before making a purchase; making sure that you have a good reputation has a direct impact on whether they decide to choose you.

Online Reputation Management Services

Having a strong online reputation is paramount for any business, but knowing how to effectively monitor and track what people are saying about you isn’t as easy. Online reputation management tools let you keep tabs on conversations, keywords, mentions, and industry news that affects your company.

Here Are Three Great Tools You Can Use For Online Reputation Management:

Hootsuite: Hootsuite is mostly known for planning and scheduling social media posts, but it’s also an incredibly helpful tool for social listening. Hootsuite Streams tracks brand mentions, keywords, and hashtags on multiple platforms and Hootsuite Inbox helps you more easily respond to DMs, comments, public posts, and mentions.

Mentionlytics: Mentionlytics uses AI to track online conversations about your company and helps you grow your business. It offers web and social media monitoring and helps you analyze your brand awareness, gauge sentiment analysis, and see where you stand in share of voice.

Semrush: Semrush has multiple tools to make it easy to track the conversations around your company. Their Brand Monitoring platform lets you see every time your brand was mentioned across the web, set up email notifications with alerts, and even tap into media coverage.

Online Reputation Management Tips

Once you’re ready to start looking at your brand’s reputation online, here are some tips to make sure you’re doing it effectively and going in the right direction. Obviously, every situation is unique, but following these strategies can help you keep track of the conversations that involve your company.

Tips to Be A Better Online Reputation Manager

Monitor Mentions: Regularly monitor mentions of your brand on social media, review sites, check keywords, and other online platforms to stay informed about what people are saying.

Engage with Your Audience: Engage with your audience by responding to reviews, comments, and messages promptly. Show that you value their feedback and are committed to addressing their concerns. Seventy-five percent of businesses don’t respond to customer feedback, but 53% of customers expect a response. This is a great way for you to make your brand stand out and leave the customer feeling valued.

Publish High-Quality Content: Create and share high-quality content that highlights your expertise and values. This can help shape a positive narrative around your brand and attract a loyal following. Consistently building compelling, insightful content that helps your audience fosters trust and boosts your reputation.

Stay Transparent: Transparency builds trust with your audience. Be honest and authentic in your communications, especially when addressing negative feedback or incidents. Ninety four percent of customers are more likely to trust brands that demonstrate transparency.

Monitor Competitors: Keep an eye on your competitors’ online reputation to identify trends and opportunities for improvement in your own strategy. This can also give you important insight into new products, helping you respond more efficiently to changes in the market.

By implementing these tips, you can proactively manage your online reputation and maintain a positive brand image in the eyes of current and potential customers.

Online Reputation Repair

If your brand is already in a tough position with your online reputation, it’s important to fix it as quickly as possible while still being strategic. Here are some steps you can take:

Acknowledge and Apologize

The first step is to acknowledge the issue and proactively offer a sincere apology. Respond promptly to any negative comments or reviews and publicly apologize for any mistakes or shortcomings. This demonstrates accountability and shows customers that the brand takes their concerns seriously.

Transparency and Communication

Transparency is crucial in rebuilding trust with customers. Be open and honest about what went wrong and what steps your brand is taking to address the issue. Engage in two-way communication with customers by responding to their questions, concerns, and feedback transparently. This can help reassure your audience and demonstrate the brand’s commitment to improvement.

Take Corrective Action

In addition to apologizing, take concrete steps to rectify the situation. This might involve offering refunds, exchanges, or discounts to affected customers, depending on the issue. It’s important to show customers that the brand is actively working to resolve the problem and prevent it from happening again in the future. Taking concrete actions can help you start to steer the conversation about your brand and set it on the right path.

Showcase Positive Experiences

While addressing negative feedback is essential, it’s also important to highlight positive experiences and customer testimonials. This can help rebuild confidence in your brand and remind customers of what you bring to the table.

By implementing these strategies consistently and authentically, brands can gradually repair their online reputation and rebuild trust with customers. However, it’s essential to remain patient and persistent, as rebuilding a damaged reputation can take time. Doing it the right way, patiently and strategically, can help steer the ship.

Snapshot Interactive Can Help Guide Your Online Brand Reputation

Snapshot Interactive is your partner for navigating the resources needed to improve or repair your online brand reputation effectively.

Managing your reputation is vital for the success and growth of your business. Maintaining a positive brand image and achieving your business objectives in the digital landscape means interacting with customers, tracking the conversation around your brand, and reacting appropriately to what your competitors are doing.

We’re here to support you every step of the way. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help elevate your brand online.

Sources:

59% of shoppers surveyed say they research online before they buy to ensure they are making the best possible choice.

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