Having a solid reputation management strategy in place is something that any smart businessperson would be well-advised to do. Being able to handle the inevitable ups and downs in public perception can mean the difference between ultimate success and failure. The information that follows can serve as a useful starting point.
Monitoring your personal reputation or business brand is very critical to online reputation management. Set up automatic alerts to happen when your name comes up. Use Trackur, Monitor This and Google Alerts to send you notices when new content comes up. That way, you can know the very next day, if not sooner, when someone is talking about you.
Try using a social network like LinkedIn to help your reputation management. This social network can rank a bit higher than some of the other ones. It is also an important tool for B2B companies. This is because many people like to search for professional services on LinkedIn instead of the search engines.
To better your business reputation online, try optimizing your web pages with your essential search phrase. Typically, that is simply the name of your business. Search engines such as Google really like authoritativeness. Your site will get moved up when they see you’re an authority.
Establishing a strong presence in social media will help improve the reputation of your business. Creating a Twitter account, blog or Facebook page will help your interaction with prospects and customers. Nowadays, most people expect companies to have a social media presence. This is a great way to post relevant contents about your company and monitor what it’s being said.
Keep an eye on your online presence. It only takes one negative review to hurt your business. Checking online search results helps you knock it down from the top of the page. Consider doing this monthly or every two weeks.
Watch what you say. This applies to both online and offline interactions. Avoid having any discussions about illegal activity or making derogatory comments. You also want to avoid having yourself and your business tied to images that are explicit or inappropriate. Also, try to avoid doing or saying anything negative that will be on a news station. Potential investors and customers may see these things as red flags.
Be professional when posting on social media sites. Avoid using Internet jargon and slang such as LOL, YW or TY. Be professional at all times. Respond to comments just like you would to your clients in a face to face meeting. Use proper English and proofread all responses before posting them.
When you are publicly responding to any feedback that is left by a customer, make sure to address them by name. People want to know that business owners see them as individuals and not as one part of a very large group. Using their names will give them what they want.
It is impossible to overstate the value of gaining a thorough understanding of reputation management principles. Without the right techniques for handling damage in this realm, it is possible to suffer some very serious consequences. By heeding the tips listed above, however, it really is possible to weather the storms that are certain to crop up at one point or another.
