Businesses can find themselves in a peculiar place when customer support runs thin. Maybe your startup doesn’t have enough manpower or you’re growing at levels difficult to keep up with. There comes a time in many growing companies when it becomes hard to service demand. If this leads to negative reviews creeping into directories and company profiles, your reputation begins deteriorating. Fortunately, there are practical ways to mitigate damage and improve appearances online.
This brief guide serves as a crash course in creating a reputation management strategy. Use this to develop a system for feedback and engagement with customers. This can help you raise star ratings, increase conversion rates, and improve customer sentiment and perception.
Managing an online reputation involves monitoring where your business is mentioned, tracking those profiles or conversations, engaging with the community about your company, and encouraging customers to champion your brand after providing a good customer experience.
1. Track Where Your Business is Mentioned
It’s important to stay on top of the places your business is mentioned. This is a bigger endeavor than simply tracking reviews on business listings and directories. Tracking mentions gives you a much more complete view of your online presence. When your business name, website URL, or other identifying information is mentioned, a notification and alert can be sent out with an action item to scope it out.
Tracking your mentions on the web allows you to respond in real-time and have genuine engagement with customers. This not only helps diffuse specific cases of discontent but shows the global community you are willing to come to them, in their spaces, and be apart of the external conversation as a willing recipient of criticism and feedback.
There are a number of tools for tracking mentions and you should do your research before subscribing. This isn’t a feature worth breaking the bank over but it’s a worthy tool in your arsenal and it plays a huge role in reputation management.
BrandMentions is a good spot to try if you want to experiment with the free features.
2. Engage with Reviews
It’s not much help to respond with the generic and expected, “thanks for the feedback” or “appreciate your review.” Instead, genuinely engage and write something meaningful and considerate. Positive reviews are a great way to learn what you’re doing right and set a standard in customer service.
Engaging in public areas demonstrates to reviewers you take feedback into consideration, care about their experience, and are actively working to improve. It also shows a willingness to face the truth. You’re not just out here taking money to make a living – you’re doing this for a bigger cause or at least externally, all indications are that you really care about customers.
If a customer had a truly poor experience, you should want to mitigate that and eliminate its chances of reoccurring. Responding quickly (within 24 hours is best) and considerately (don’t get angry just do your best to assist) is how companies can work to restore their public image.
Handle Negative Comments Delicately
The last thing you should do when responding to negative reviews is lose your cool. Nothing looks worse than an angry business owner attacking customers for their critical comments. Instead, apologize for what went wrong (even if you have reason to doubt their statements) and pledge to make it up to them. It’s a good idea to ask the reviewer to reach out and contact you where you can offer discounts or reimbursements in private. If the reviewer was genuine and not a competitor looking to sabotage the competition, this could lead to the removal of their negative review.
3. Ask For Reviews
Asking customers for reviews and building a process that does this automatically is crucial to having a constant stream of positive feedback. You can use email, SMS, notifications, or website landing pages to encourage reviews from customers.
It’s important to reach out and request something like a review because customers rarely go out of their way to compliment a product. It generally has to be prompted to obtain reviews in high numbers.
Include an Offer
Redirecting to a giveaway offer at the end of the checkout process can have a surprisingly good effect. Customers can receive more or an included extra in exchange for taking the time to leave a heartfelt review.
It is also recommended that you automate and write review request emails. If you ship physical goods, customers can receive emails requesting a review shortly after products are delivered. Digital goods can have a similarly delayed email that encourages leaving a review after the buyer has had time with the product or service.
4. Flag and Report Inaccurate Reviews
Most directories and review sites have a reporting feature where you can flag a review if it violates site guidelines. Inaccurate and misleading reviews would certainly qualify.
It may take some time to sort out but it’s a method available if you have fake reviews damaging your reputation that are seemingly coming from competitors or those with a stake against you.
5. Claim and Setup Local Listings
Google and other search engines heavily take local listings into account. Claiming those for your brand across directories and review sites is essential.
Local listings contribute to your business’ NAP consistency, an acronym short for Name, Address, and Phone Number. The correct and persistent presence of your NAP details provides search engines with assurance that they are providing accurate information to users.
Getting listed usually involves registering an account, verifying an email address, and providing the business details and directory information. Doing this for the several hundred directories worth submitting to can be a time consuming but rewarding process.
6. Share Positive Reviews
Sharing positive reviews is an effective way to increase your reputation because it provides social proof of your quality and reliability. When potential customers see that others have had positive experiences with your product or service, they are more likely to trust and choose you over competitors.
Positive reviews can also help establish credibility and build brand loyalty, as they demonstrate a commitment to customer satisfaction. By sharing these reviews on your website, social media, or other marketing materials, you can leverage the power of word-of-mouth to improve your reputation and attract new customers.
Additionally, by responding to positive reviews with gratitude and appreciation, you can further strengthen relationships with existing customers and encourage them to continue promoting your business to others.
7. Induce FOMO with Social Proof
FOMO (fear of missing out) with social proof is an effective way to improve your reputation because it taps into the psychological principle of social influence. When people see that others are interested in or have purchased a product or service, they are more likely to want it themselves. This is known as social proof, which is the idea that people look to the actions of others to guide their own behavior.
By creating a sense of urgency and scarcity around your product or service, you can tap into FOMO and use social proof to boost your reputation. This can be done through various tactics such as limited-time offers, exclusive discounts for early adopters, or showcasing high-profile customers or endorsements.
By leveraging FOMO with social proof, you can create a buzz around your brand and increase the perceived value of your products or services, ultimately improving your reputation and attracting new customers.
8. Host Events with Customers
Hosting events with customers is an effective way to improve your reputation by building relationships and fostering a sense of community. By bringing customers together in person, you can create a memorable experience that goes beyond just a transactional relationship. These events can take many forms, such as networking events, product launches, workshops, or appreciation events.
By providing value through education, entertainment, or networking opportunities, you can demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Hosting events also provides an opportunity to gather feedback and insights directly from your customers, allowing you to improve your product or service based on their needs and preferences.
Additionally, by showcasing these events on your website and social media channels, you can amplify the positive experiences and further improve your reputation by demonstrating a commitment to customer engagement and community building.
9. Use Social Media
Social media can be an incredibly effective tool for reputation management as it provides a direct line of communication between a business and its customers. By proactively monitoring and responding to comments, questions, and concerns on social media platforms, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to customer service and satisfaction.
Social media can also be used to showcase positive reviews and testimonials, share news and updates about the business, and highlight social responsibility initiatives. By maintaining an active and positive presence on social media, businesses can build brand recognition and loyalty, as well as establish themselves as a trusted authority in their industry.
However, it’s important to note that social media can also be a double-edged sword, as negative comments and reviews can quickly go viral if left unaddressed. As such, it’s important to have a well-defined social media strategy that includes clear guidelines for responding to both positive and negative feedback in a timely and professional manner.
10. Deliver an Excellent Product
Delivering an excellent product is still the best form of reputation management because it creates a positive experience for customers, leading to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals.
A great product not only meets but exceeds customer expectations, leading to a sense of satisfaction and loyalty. A satisfied customer is more likely to leave a positive review, recommend the product to friends and family, and become a loyal customer. This positive feedback can be amplified through social media and other marketing efforts, building a strong reputation for the business.
In contrast, a poor product can quickly damage a business’s reputation, leading to negative reviews and a loss of customers.
Delivering an excellent product should be a top priority for any business looking to establish a positive reputation and achieve long-term success.
Conclusion
Reputation management is an essential aspect of any content marketer’s strategy. It is crucial to monitor and maintain your online reputation to build trust and credibility with your target audience.
By following the guidelines outlined in this guide, content marketers can effectively manage their online reputation by monitoring their online presence, responding to feedback, and creating valuable content that reflects positively on their brand.
Remember, reputation management is an ongoing process that requires dedication and effort, but the benefits are well worth it in terms of building a strong and trustworthy brand. By prioritizing reputation management, content marketers can establish a positive online reputation that will help them stand out in a crowded market and achieve long-term success.
