Building a brand and identity is important to the success of your business. The way the market perceives you will have a direct impact on how receptive they are to your products and services. Amongst the many aspects of creating and maintaining a powerful brand, online reputation management is one of the most important. In a highly connected marketplace your internet presence is a powerful tool, but there is also opportunity for negative content to damage your reputation. Online reputation management is concerned with controlling the flow of positive content that will strengthen your brand, while offsetting damage caused by negative content.
What Is Your Online Reputation?
Your online reputation is made up from your entire web presence. Any aspect of your business that is consumer facing forms a part of your reputation. This includes your website, any of your online advertising, and content around the web that links back to your business. Consumer review sites, blogs, and social media presence can also contribute to your overall reputation.
Divided in to two parts, controlled content, and consumer created content, it’s easy to assume that you don’t have full control of your online reputation. No matter how hard a business may try, even with the best customer service there will be individuals who have had a poor experience. With an online reputation management strategy your business will distribute positive content to offset, and in some cases mitigate the damage caused by negative consumer publicity.
What Strategies Are Available to Boost Online Reputation?
Online reputation management is centered on strategically distributed positive content. This can be in the form of positive consumer reviews (businesses can gather and distribute these), positive blog postings, and direct consumer engagement.
Engagement is important because it will help to build or repair consumer relationships. Even where negative content has been posted, engagement can help to reduce the damage caused by that content. Your business should take an active role in addressing all negative content. Engage with customers who have had a poor experience with a service or product. Offer solutions in a public forum or through private contact.
Turning a negative experience around can cause consumers to re-evaluate their reviews or online posts. Engaging with these consumers publicly will cast a more positive image on your brand, regardless of the original negative content.
Online Reputation Management Is Good for Business
By incorporating different aspects of online reputation management you can maintain a balance of mostly positive publicity compared to the few consumers who have had a poor experience. By also addressing negative publicity, you will gain back lost trust and further strengthen your brand.
Because online reputation management can be complex, it’s beneficial for businesses to work with a partner who can assess their current reputation, and deliver strategies and content that will raise perception and trust from consumers. ABC of Internet Marketing is one such company that helps businesses in Bloemfontein and across South Africa to maintain the most positive online reputation, effectively strengthening their brand through consumer trust.
Whatever business you are in, talk to ABC of Internet Marketing to find out how you can make the most of your online presence with one of South Africa’s leading Internet Marketing firms.
