Online reputation management (ORM) can seem like an overwhelming task, especially when you consider all the tools and strategies available to help you improve your online presence. But what’s the right approach? How can you be sure that you’re investing in the right ORM? This guide will help answer those questions. By following these five pillars of online reputation management, you can ensure that your company enjoys the positive impact of an excellent online reputation without being weighed down by any negative consequences.
1. Tracking and Monitoring Your Online Reputation
To manage your online reputation, you must track and monitor what people say about you and your business online. That is possible through Google Alerts, social media monitoring tools, and other online listening platforms. By tracking and monitoring your online reputation, you can quickly identify and address any negative sentiment before it has a chance to spiral out of control.
Monitoring your online reputation will also enable you to determine the position of your competitors and thus help you identify which areas of your business need improvement. Finally, actively managing your online presence through online reputation management tools makes it much easier for others to find positive information about you or your company on the internet when they search for your products or services.
2. Engaging and Responding to Customers’ Concerns
When managing your online reputation, one of the most important things you can do is engage and respond to customers’ concerns. Doing so shows that you’re attentive and care about your customers’ experience. Additionally, responding to customer concerns can help mitigate any negative sentiment before it has a chance to spread.
If a disgruntled customer posts an angry tweet or review on social media, reach out to them directly via social media or email to let them know how you will address their complaint. Promptly doing this can turn an unhappy customer into a satisfied one who will want to tell their friends how well you handled their problem. However, some situations may require a professional approach to prevent a bad situation from worsening. Professionals in online reputation management can handle sensitive complaints without public accusations.
3. Removing or Suppressing Negative Content
The first step is identifying which pieces of content are harming your online reputation. That can be anything from an old blog post to a negative review on a popular website. Once you’ve identified the harmful content, you need to take steps to remove or suppress it.
Professionals in ORM can do that by contacting the website and asking for the content to be taken down or using search engine optimization techniques to push the harmful content lower in search results. Do not allow ill-intended individuals to create a negative perception about you through social media posts, comments, blog posts, forum discussions, etc. Be proactive and let professionals manage your online reputation.
4. Encouraging and Requesting Positive Reviews
As a business owner, one of the best things you can do for your online reputation is to encourage your customers or clients to leave positive reviews. It can be as simple as asking them directly or providing a link where they can leave a review. You can also offer incentives such as discounts or coupons for positive reviews. Just be sure not to offer anything that could be considered illegal or unethical.
There are plenty of free tools and resources available to help manage reviews. Try something like Google My Business, Yelp, or NetPromoter Score (NPS). However, an expert in online reputation management should be able to help you achieve your goals with ease.
5. Optimize Your Digital Assets
Your website, social media profiles, and other online properties should work together to support your reputation and help you achieve your business goals. Ensure your website is up-to-date, your social media profiles are active and engaging, and you have a strong presence on review sites. Once all this is in place, the next step is content creation. Creating quality content means knowing what people might want to see before they realize they want to see it.
What kind of content will resonate with your audience? And how often do you need to post it? The answer varies from industry to industry, but it’s safe to say at least three times per week for most businesses. Don’t forget to make your website mobile friendly and with a good user experience. SEO will be handy when you create content to optimize visibility, track conversions, and measure success. Think about which keywords or phrases you want your site to rank for on search engines like Google. When creating content, use those keywords generously throughout your piece.
Conclusion
You can use online reputation management to help you run a successful business. The five pillars discussed in this blog post are helpful for any person or company trying to grow their presence on the internet. Remember that keywords, quality content, authenticity, and social media strategy are crucial in managing your online reputation. By understanding and utilizing these five pillars, you can effectively manage your online reputation and ensure that your brand remains in good standing. However, it’s always good to hire a reputable firm to manage your online reputation for quality results.