Reputation has always been important in business, but social media and online search have made it one of the key factors affecting your success. When somebody searches you online or on social media, they can instantly see thousands of reviews and comments from people that have dealt with you. If your reputation is poor, you are going to struggle to attract any new customers through search, which is one of your best avenues for marketing.
Business reputation management is an ongoing concern for all companies and it’s important that you have a clear strategy in place. Unfortunately, many business owners don’t put enough time and effort into reputation management and it has a negative effect on their bottom line. If you haven’t considered business reputation management before, here’s how you can develop your own strategy.
Consider Outsourcing Reputation Management
A lot of companies outsource the majority of their marketing but they don’t consider outsourcing reputation management. However, there are a lot of marketing agencies that will handle everything for you (visit https://rsmconnect.com/outsourced-marketing-department/ for more information) and this makes life so much easier for you. Reputation management can be very time-intensive and when you are trying to juggle all of your other responsibilities, it’s often the first thing to be neglected. If your reputation management strategy is lacking because you simply don’t have time, outsourcing is a good option.
Set A Google Alert For Your Business Name
If you do decide to handle your own reputation management, you need to know exactly what people are saying about you online. The easiest way to stay on top of things is to set a Google alert for your business name. You will be notified every time you are mentioned, so you won’t miss any negative comments that need to be dealt with. Visit https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/ for a quick guide on setting alerts.
Respond To Negative Reviews
Nobody likes getting a negative review and it can be tempting to write off that customer and tell yourself you don’t need them. But every negative review is an opportunity to improve, and if you deal with them in the right way, you can save your reputation. So, respond to all negative reviews politely, apologizing for the issue and offering a solution. It is important that you are always authentic and genuine when communicating with people online. Not only will this protect your reputation but it can also help you keep those customers.
Focus On Local Outreach
Developing a good relationship with your surrounding community is an important part of reputation management. You want people to see your business as a pillar of the community, so it’s important that you focus on local marketing and look for opportunities to give something back. Partnering with charities and sponsoring local initiatives is a great way to build your reputation and turn your business into a force for good by using some of your profits to support local people.
Keep these simple tips in mind and you can develop a winning reputation management strategy for your business.
