According to the 2020 Digital Report from Hootsuite and We Are Social, we spend over 6 hours each day on the internet doing a variety of activities. It’s no wonder that what we see online affects our view of brands. From a business standpoint, this means that ignoring negative reviews or comments can quickly turn into a much larger problem for the company as a whole. It’s crucial to have an online reputation management (ORM) system in place for your brand.
How can I improve my online reputation management?
ORM sounds easy until you realize you have no control over what customers say about your company. After all, anyone can post anything these days. The good news is that there are things you can do to improve and protect your brand’s online reputation:
1. Do an audit.
Look at your brand from the customer’s perspective to know how your target audience interacts with your business and identify any problems and areas of improvement. One of the best ways to audit your ORM is to look up your brand in incognito mode. This will also help you learn your ranking in Google and other major search engines.
2. Explore online commentary about your brand.
Comments and reviews are the main drivers of ORM, but discussions about your brand on social media and online discussion rooms can also affect your overall reputation. Actively participate in forums to clear misunderstandings and control the narrative.
3. Set goals and write them.
Personalize your ORM strategy according to your business and decide on the results you want from your campaign. One example of a goal is removing negative comments about your brand on social media. Once you have your goals written out, it will be easier to develop a strategy that helps you achieve them more quickly. Consulting with a professional ORM agency can help provide insight into where you currently stand and what the best next steps are for moving forward.
4. Learn to prioritize.
Build a timeline per your priority actions to avoid confusion and to make the most of your resources. Take your time, as you may need to post meaningful content gradually to optimize your PR strategy while enhancing customer relations and services.
5. Create a response strategy.
You need a way to be notified when someone comments about your brand, so you can respond promptly in a way that is relevant to the comment. If there are trolls, add them to a blocklist to save time and effort.
6. Have a crisis management strategy.
This strategy can help you tackle negative reviews and other issues as soon as you notice them. Take the reins before it goes out of control, and create draft responses for the issues. Ensure that your messages align with your brand’s image. Use platforms where your brand has optimum reach so you can quickly disseminate information to control the narrative.
7. Strengthen your content structure and brand tone.
Consistency is key. A cohesive image across all digital platforms is key to maintaining a consistent message. For example, the content your customers see on social media should be consistent with the content appearing on your website. It is essential to have a recognizable style. This will help build trust in your brand.
8. Define branded keywords.
Make your brand name stand out by creating unique keywords for it. Encourage customers to tag your products and reviews with the keywords to prompt more engagement. This will help get your brand noticed on social media and improve customer trust.
9. Don’t neglect your SEO.
SEO is crucial to online reputation management because ranking well makes your brand more reliable and trustworthy. Work with a good SEO agency.
10. Join the conversation.
Audiences like it when they can relate to a brand. Engage and encourage online discussions about your brand through your official handles to boost your relatability and build trust. Ask customers to share feedback and review your products to show you’re willing to improve and provide the best customer experience.
Conclusion
Online reputation management is crucial to your business development, so pay attention to it. With these tips, we hope you can manage your online presence well. And if you need professional help, you can always turn to experts. ORM services are usually offered by seasoned SEO agencies. After all, ORM uses SEO in combination with other strategies to improve a brand’s overall online image.
SEOValley has the knowledge and access to the best tools to create a unique ORM campaign designed to build a positive perception of your brand. We can design and implement a comprehensive online reputation management campaign that covers brand monitoring in all your digital media platforms. This ensures a consistent presentation of your brand wherever your potential customers might find you. Talk to us today.
