Reputation Management
Do I Really Need Reputation Management?
Short answer, yes. You absolutely need reputation management.
If you own a business, chances are you’ve had an unsatisfied customer at some point. They may have even told you straight to your face that they will leave a bad review of your company online.
Your first instinct might be to shrug it off. It’s whatever, right? Well, many businesses end up being very surprised at how serious this can be and how damaging it can be for your company. Unfortunately, it only takes one person to leave a terrible review that goes unnoticed and it can spiral out of control so fast it’s not even funny. By shrugging it off you ultimately are showing that you don’t care. This is almost as bad as the review itself in my opinion.
One of the worst things you could do in the case of a bad review is to attempt to block or stifle the person making the review. This is a sure way to take the speed at which things can spiral out of control and flip it into hyper drive.
Well, What Is Reputation Management Exactly?
You might not know of reputation management online but it is exactly what it sounds like. You are managing your businesses reputation online and ensuring to your consumers that you are a company that cares about their experiences with you. It’s an extension of customer service..online.
First, you have to fully understand the processes of reputation management. Whether you know it or not right now, your consumers are “talking” about you. They are sharing photos at your location, they are commenting on your social posts, they are sharing your content (if you produce any), they are checking in to your geo location on social media….they are active.
Many moons ago, companies were not engaging with consumers nearly as much. Consumers also didn’t really have the voice to speak out to a brand. Today, regular social interaction and engagement is simply a must for a companies success online.
If you have not began interacting with your consumers online, it’s not too late, but you might want to consider starting soon. Point is…the internet today is drastically different than it was several years ago. Many years ago you could possibly let certain things slide. These days..you’d better be paying attention.
Elements Of ORM
Online Reputation Monitoring
You should know what is going on with your company online, whether it is positive or negative. It is important to respond to both situations with the same thought in mind, how can we better take care of our customers.
Online Reputation Management
The idea here is to drive more positive reviews for your business through legitimate processes that trickle all the way down to your in store actions. This is about customer service just as much as it is anything else. Positive reviews should come from actual satisfied customers that you have shown you care. Paid reviews or incentivized reviews are a big no go here.
Online Reputation Repair
There are times that you may not be able to avoid a negative comment. It’s almost impossible to be there for every transaction in most cases. But, when a negative review does happen, it becomes a situation of how you handle it from there. Ignoring won’t get you anywhere. It can easily have a reverse effect depending on the severity and spiral out of control. See “The Streisand Effect.” It’s best to handle it the moment it comes to your attention and deescalate.
Online Review Facts
♦ 49% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from friends and family.
♦ 91% of people age 18-34 trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
♦ 60% of consumers believe that the number of reviews a business has is a key factor when deciding to use its services.
♦ Over 95% of customers specifically look for negative reviews putting value in transparency.
♦ 53% of customers now expect businesses to respond to negative feedback within a week.
♦ Over 50% of consumers change their minds on a business based solely on how the business responds to a review.
♦ 94% of local businesses that use reputation management tools see returns on their investments ♦