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Most companies will find it difficult to keep their customers happy. They are constantly trying to develop new products and features to meet their needs, connecting with them in one-on-one conversations. But no matter how much companies invest in product development and customer service, their status will suffer from time to time. Every time an unhappy customer posts a negative review or angry comment on social media, online reputation management is activated. This is why the Eskimoz Agency has developed the know-how on how to control search results linked to a company’s reputation in order to create a desired online image.
What is online reputation management?
Reputation management is about improving your online image and brand reputation by responding to any potentially harmful content from other people and/or companies. In general, much of the work related to online reputation management is handled internally by the company. Despite this, in some cases, there are those who choose to work with an agency specializing in professional reputation management.
Online reputation management (also known as e-reputation) will determine how others perceive your business when they search for or find it online. Put another way, managing your online status means taking a proactive approach to the data people find online. This is very important as over 85% of consumers will trust online reviews from other shoppers as much as they would personal recommendations from friends and family.
Why manage your online reputation?
There are several things that can negatively affect a brand online. These can be small attacks, like negative comments or low star ratings. If they are handled quickly and effectively, they will not cause any serious problems in the future. Despite this, however tiny, if left unchecked, they can pick up momentum and cause bigger and bigger problems until things get completely out of hand. Through good brand reputation management, companies can take care of each of these small “fires” before they can cause serious damage.
And while there is still a need to build and manage brand status online through digital marketing, advertising, and other public relations tools, most consumers today are also looking to engage with brands on a more organic level . They want to have personalized conversations with businesses by receiving responses to their comments, mentions, and reviews, as well as through direct messages on their social media accounts. Having said that, the main goal of online reputation management strategies is to directly combat negative claims by addressing them quickly and openly.
Given the plethora of social media platforms and other review sites where a brand can be mentioned, online reputation management can seem quite daunting. Despite this, luckily the following reputation management strategies will help you manage your online status.
Quick and Empathetic Responses
Very often, the best kind of online reputation management is done even before a negative comment or review is posted on social media or the review site. In reality, for many companies, their social media accounts have become veritable customer service touchpoints, where buyers and potential customers will come to ask questions. When this happens, companies must be ready to respond as quickly as possible.
In fact, studies have shown that around 83% of people will expect a response to their comments on social media within 24 hours or less. A staggering 44% expect a response in less than an hour. Showing them that you place a high value on helping them will make you less inclined to turn your personal feelings into negative public statements.
Equally important in these cases is to respond with empathy. This will provide a genuine sense of concern for the situation and a desire to fix the problem. At the same time, by providing the customer with an easy and direct means of contacting the company, brands will ensure things don’t get out of hand.
