People are talking about your business, whether you’re aware of it or not. You need to make sure you know what’s going on when people review your products, services, or your brand in general.
Many people associate Reputation Management with simple social media monitoring. There is some merit in the thought since social allows you to engage with your following.
But that’s not the case. Proper Reputation Management involves a lot more than just updating your Facebook posts.
The power of a single person’s voice carries a lot of weight. In the early days of the Internet, a business could be terrible to its customers and not get much flack. Now, even the smallest inconvenience can be voiced to thousands of other buyers in one comment.
That being said, it’s better for a business to offer transparency in all regards to their company, even if that opens you up to negative feedback.
- Allowing for employee feedback
- Create proper communication channels
- Allow user/customer feedback
- Welcome criticism and address it
Take a look at one example of failed reputation management.
To the average person this is funny but to customers dealing with these companies, it’s far from hilarious. Being able to take negative feedback and provide solutions to these people is crucial.
Knowing when to react, do nothing, or even respond at the right time could save your company’s image in some cases.
It’s your brand that’s on the line, not a single tweet or post.
The best reputation managers can use tools like social media and press releases to spin negativity into a positive. When there’s nothing negative going on, they use that time to build your company up.
This service is all about deflecting the negative and boosting the positive aspects of your business.
If enough people complain about the same thing, you could release a press release when you fix it that would be much appreciated by your fan base. You’d come out looking like a champion of the people.
Some general rules to follow are:
- Transparency
- Quick and Polite Reactions
- Address Criticism with Solutions
- Use Negative Comments to Fix Things
- Attack False Negative Comments
Proper Reputation Management is the new PR for businesses in the digital age. Social media is only one aspect of this crucial tool. The end goal of RM is to build your brand into a trustworthy empire that people respect.
