Client reputation is nothing new. What people say about your company and its products have taken place since the beginning of time. But, what has changed is the vehicles and speed in which news is spread. A bad review of a restaurant on Yelp or a complaint about customer service on Google Reviews potentially has a huge impact on whether someone will do business with you or not.
Social media and review monitoring is a big deal! Do you know what is being said about you or your business online?
Any company, large or small, that has not thought about how to improve, monitor and protect what people are saying about them or their company on social media is at risk of being blindsided.(1)
Monitoring reputation is only one aspect. Some companies still do not have a social media strategy. What about posting? Every day I come across companies that post on social networks that are too wordy, is a sales push or is often times inappropriate. Utilize marketing companies that provide you with suggested content that you can include on social networks, such as Mpression Marketing Groups DIY Social Pack. It allows you to pick and choose what content you’d like to include on social networks, gives you some creative inspiration to come up with your own posts, and keeps you up to date with the latest trends and tools.
What about responding to a bad review? Do you have a policy in place to outline how you respond to negative feedback, if this arises? Consider business review sites as a way to communicate with customers. Possibly there is a consistent complaint that you should take a deeper look into. Take the time and respond to those who have reviewed you – both good and bad. It shows you care. Don’t just try to hide negative feedback or immediately try to delete them. “Bad things happen to good companies. It’s just a matter of when.”(2) A bad review showcases that your company is human. How you respond to that feedback is what really matters. The goal is to get satisfied, loyal customers to post great reviews, and in turn push those negative comments or reviews to the bottom of the list.
Search rankings, such as where you appear on a Google or Bing Search revolves around content. This is when your companies’ strength in content development thrives! Create blogs, white papers, and start actively posting on social networks. The more keywords and phrases that directly relate to your company’s products and services, the better!
Companies with a proactive approach to online reputation will have a lead on their competition. This is your company we are talking about! People are talking about it whether you like it or not. Why wouldn’t you want to take part in the conversation?
Source:
(1) (2) Enterepreneur Magazine, “You good names at stake,” November 2014.