The digital world can help companies amplify the perception of their brand in the minds of consumers – whether this is for better or for worse.
When your brand is experiencing a negative reputation online it can have far-reaching effects, and with 71% of consumers starting their customer journey with a Google search, no business can afford to appear in the search results as untrustworthy or unreputable.
However, negativity can appear in so many places online that it can be difficult to keep track of what is being said, and where. Which is why your brand needs online reputation management – public relations for the internet age.
If your business is struggling with its online reputation, here are three key things you can do to proactively take back control of the conversation about your brand.
Conduct a reputation audit
Any online reputation management strategy should start with a thorough search of your business. Find out what your ratings are on Google, Facebook, Glassdoor, or relevant review sites such as TrustPilot, as well as your social media channels.
This will allow you to see the areas where improvements are needed, whether that is a lack of reviews on key review sites, or how you are spoken about and tagged in social media.
A thorough audit will give you a better picture of your search engine results page [SERP] so you can effectively put yourself into the shoes of your customer and get an understanding of how they might be perceiving your brand.
Be where your customers are
By now you will have built a picture of the outlets and avenues your customers are posting about you on.
While most companies will be aware of their presence on social media, it may be easy to neglect the forums and review sites containing negative reviews and comments about your brand which are going unanswered.
To avoid these areas becoming an echo chamber of negative content for your business, it is important to have a representative in those places to answer feedback, inquiries and questions, and ward off any perception of your company as uncaring or unresponsive.
Create killer content
75% of searchers never look past the first page of results, so if you find the SERP for your brand filled with negative content, taking a proactive approach by filling those first two pages with valuable, positive content is a great way to proactively mitigate this.
Developing great content not only lets you take control of your brand perception, but creates a voice for your brand that will help you establish credibility. Thought leadership content, blogs and customer testimonials that rank highly in SERP will position you as both authoritative and trustworthy in the minds of your potential customers, while allowing you to positively engage on your social media channels by sharing content that adds something valuable to the conversation.
If you would like an informal chat about how you can effectively manage the online reputation of your brand contact hello@makemorenoise.co.uk or call 0121 594 0712.