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How to Build a Strong Online Reputation – 6 Reputation Management Tips
data-preserver-spaces=”true”>Reputation management is the process of managing information about you and your company on sites like Google, Yelp, Glassdoor, and others. The goal is to increase positive content so that potential customers see a side of you that’s more beneficial when evaluating your business.
Reputation management is essential for small to mid-sized businesses because there may be limited resources available in the company’s marketing department. In addition, word-of-mouth reputation can have a more significant impact on sales and brand awareness than expensive ad campaigns. The good news is that you don’t need much time or money to start improving your reputation. Here are six tips that will help:
Create a company blog with engaging content
If you want potential customers to find out about your company online, create a blog where people can learn more about what you do and why they should buy from you instead of your competitors.
Ensure that the posts are relevant to topics in which prospects are searching for content—if necessary, hire a writer to develop engaging content on topics like how your company uses technology or what it’s like to work at your company.
Encourage customers to post positive things about the company on social media
If customers and prospects are willing to share their dissatisfaction publicly online, they should be able to provide public praise as well!
Send an email encouraging customers to post positive comments and reviews of the company places like your Google My Business listing. Just make sure that you have clear guidelines for what constitutes a helpful comment to avoid negative posts.
Share your personal story and successes in interviews and articles
When people go searching for information about a company online, they often turn first to Google. If your company has a solid online reputation, that will come up on Google before any of your competitors’ sites do.
Use this to your advantage by writing blog posts about yourself and the company, which will increase the chances of people finding you when they’re searching for information about what it’s like to work at your company or how you got started in the business.
Respond to negative reviews or feedback with grace, honesty, and empathy
Most businesses get angry reviews from customers who have had bad experiences, but responding without grace is a big mistake! An honest response that shows empathy will make potential customers feel better about dealing with you in future purchases.
Use testimonials from happy customers to show off your best qualities online
If you have many great reviews on sites like Yelp, make sure people see them by including links in any marketing material you create. On Yelp, click “Add photos” and upload as many pictures of your happy customers as possible, so the link shows up at the top of search results for potential customers. it becomes easier to find and respond to negative reviews quickly before they get out of hand
Keep up-to-date on new technology that can help you monitor what people say about you online
As businesses rely more and more on online reputation management software to keep track of what’s being said about their brand across the internet, keep up with the latest developments in the field to see what’s out there that can help your company. There are a lot of reputation management services available today, so you may want to look at offerings from companies like Stature Optics Management.
Final Thoughts on Online Reputation Management
It’s important to know that any business can have a bad reputation online—no matter how successful it is offline. By using these tips and other helpful practices, though, you’ll be well on your way to building a solid online reputation!