Online reputation management (ORM) is a concept not difficult to understand. All you need to do is to go to Google, do a search for your name, your company’s name or your product’s name and make note of what shows up in the search results. If you see no substantial results or negative reviews, it is time you took ORM seriously.
ORM is all about establishing yourself as a trustworthy business and appearing on the first page of the search engine results. Here are five tips for successful online reputation management.
- Make it a point to poll your existing customers, conduct surveys, converse with them and learn what they like about your business and what they dislike. After knowing what they like, you can highlight those features, and knowing what they dislike you can redress the deficiencies. Even if you cannot wholly correct your company’s flaws, you can at least be better prepared to tackle any reputation attack.
- Employees are the backbone to the internal functioning of your business regardless whether they belong to a marketing team or not. Talk to people about your company’s objectives and management philosophy. Teach them to spread good word about your business – both online and offline. Make sure they post positive things about your company in the social media and on the Internet as a whole.
- What you say on major social media sites is critically important. Any unguarded comment you make can have far-reaching repercussions. Have a company blog and also make sure the content is interesting and informative and do not try to blatantly sell your products. It is highly rewarding to have your business engage in the blogging community, but be conscious to stay in conformity with your brand voice.
- Start building your online reputation straightaway.
When a prospective customer wants more particulars about your business, they are inclined to read through the content on your website, your blog posts, your reviews etc. If you do not actively create the required content, you are giving room to others to cast negative reviews. It is better to be proactive and build your reputation before you are forced to defend your reputation after some negative reviews and comments. - Online reputation management is a tedious and thankless job but you have no choice but to zealously safeguard your reputation online. Constantly monitor what are being said about you online. It is terribly important to keep a watchful eye about what is being said about your company. It will allow you to instantly deal with negative comments before they assume unmanageable proportions. If you lack the experience and expertise for managing your online reputation, hire a professional ORM agency.
Bite your tongue when angry and when you feel authentic, speak up 😉 Love the message here!