While managing your business process, you will have to wear many hats. In such a scenario, it is rather easy to forget one of the most vital things you should be paying attention to (your online reputation).
Today, maintaining a stellar online reputation plays a defining role in the success of an organisation. The implementation of reputation management strategies lets the owners decide how potential consumers should perceive a business or brand.
An organisation that aims to enjoy a solid online presence and wishes to benefit from it must follow the right practices and avert the mistakes. Speaking of which, the following are some of the common mistakes that businesses are guilty of while engaging in the ORM process.
Mistake #1. Not implementing proper reputation management strategies
Solution: Just because your brand’s reviews and search results are mostly positive today, it doesn’t mean things won’t change tomorrow. Your online reputation can change overnight, often for reasons completely unrelated to the quality of your business. And if your business has a “barely there” reputation, you’re even more vulnerable.
This is the reason why implementing concrete strategies is vital. This way, you’ll have more control over what appears when the customers search for your services or products, even when negative feedback keeps coming.
A solid management strategy is crucial for protecting your business from the harmful effects of negative reviews and bad press. For instance, websites like My assignment help or thestudentroom have implemented remarkable strategies to maintain their online reputation.
Mistake #2. Dealing with negative reviews aggressively
Solution: Let’s just admit it; no business or brand is infallible to negative reviews, not even the greatest ones. But what sets the successful brands apart is their ability to manage the negative feedback.
You must respond to the negative reviews without resorting to defensiveness. Assume a problem-solving attitude, acknowledge the concern of the consumer and offer to find a solution together. If the complaint is valid, consider reaching out to the consumer privately and offer a free product or service or a discount as compensation.
Also, never ask the consumers to change their reviews, or attempt to lure them into doing so. More often, a reviewer who sees you are earnestly making an effort to work on their suggestions will remove the original review themselves, or update it to turn into a positive review.
Mistake #3. Ignoring positive feedback
Solution: People often perceive reputation management only as a form of damage control, focusing solely on the negative reviews. Every review deserves equal attention, whether they are good, bad or ugly. “You must thank the consumers earnestly for leaving you with positive feedback on your brand or business,” quips Adrian Messer, an academic expert associated with allessaywriter. This will allow you to strengthen your relationship with the consumers.
Paying attention to positive reviews is a must. Addressing positive reviews could set you apart from your competitors. So, invest sufficient time to answer the questions or clarify the statements. Remember, gratitude is your greatest weapon.
Click here to know more about how to manage the online reputation of your brand.
Mistake #4. Posting fake reviews
Solution: Renowned sites like Yelp and Google have algorithms and features to help filter out false customer feedback. So, the time and effort you invest in generating fake reviews will be rendered futile. Instead, you should invest more time to earn genuine reviews from loyal customers.
We live in an era of smart consumers, so they can see through the fake endorsements. A business or brand that posts fake reviews definitely loses its credibility in the market. This, in turn, has an adverse impact on the online reputation of a business.
Mistake #5. Not keeping tabs on your competitors
Solution: You can’t assess how well you’re doing without looking at your competitors. It is always wise to get that reality check yourself than have someone else point out, “you aren’t as great as you think.” This is where competitive monitoring is useful.
There are only a handful of things that are private on social media. So, if your competitor is marketing online, there are high chances that you will find it. You can evaluate their branding and determine how to implement better strategies.
There are tons of different things to look at while evaluating your competitors. These things include social media profiles, email marketing, paid ad campaigns, PR coverage, etc. Basically, every channel and strategy employed by your competitors present an opportunity for you to learn and improve your branding strategy.
In conclusion,
Those were a few common mistakes business owners make while managing the online reputation of their brands. The significant thing to remember here is that online reputation management is all about playing your cards right. The process requires proactive and tactful monitoring of the reputation of your brand. It is also important to manage it well and work towards strengthening your credibility in the market. This, in turn, will let your business attract and retain more customers, and thereby ensure that it thrives and prospers.
