More than ever, online reputation management is crucial. People are probably already posting, tweeting, and chatting about you—from the worth of your items to the caliber of your customer service.
Additionally, companies nowadays cannot afford to ignore discussions about their online reputation. To learn about new goods and services, 53% of customers Like or follow a brand page on social media platforms. Contrary to popular opinion, you can still have some control over your online reputation management.
It would help if you had a real social media reputation management strategy to increase the number of positive reviews and gushing compliments from your clients. We’ll demonstrate how to put one together for you in this guide.
Why so much is at stake with Social Media reputation management
We understand that some companies can be dubious about the significance of good comments, ratings, and positive reviews. Because why cares what other people think if you know your business is succeeding?
In addition, it’s simpler to put on blinders and ignore your detractors than to do the opposite. Consider the trends below, though, since they emphasize the significance of social media reputation management.
Customers depend on more online reviews from outside sources
It’s not a leap to argue that client input determines whether a business will survive or fail.
The majority of people turn to reviews while making purchases. Before a customer trusts a company, they need to read ten good evaluations.
The importance of digital word-of-mouth in expanding your audience
According to data from the Sprout Social IndexTM, Edition XVI: Above & Beyond, one-third of users find new accounts to follow through word-of-mouth.
Be that as it may, people talk. A lot. If your consumers are happy with your service, they could perform some significant promotions for you.
Your social media reputation is under the control of your customers
The biggest obstacle in one’s social reputation management may be this. The social media platforms and landscape is natural and uncensored. Because of this, it’s a terrific location to find items and consumer reviews without marketing gimmicks.
For better or worse, people are free to say whatever they want. According to research, customers are almost equally likely to share positive and negative feedback.
This poses a unique problem for businesses. You can’t control your toughest detractors, just as happy consumers are free to promote you. Despite this, you are still responsible for what people say about you. Your whole social media reputation management approach must include responding to positive reviews and utilizing customer input to enhance your goods and services.
Step-by-step Social Reputation Management Strategy for businesses
Now that we’ve established how important your social reputation management is, let’s discuss the proactive measures you may take to enhance it while overcoming some of the difficulties above.
The following five-point plan is acceptable for large and small businesses and their online reputation.
- Determine the state of your social media reputation at this time
Finding out how consumers currently feel about your brand is the first step.
Are your clients content and satisfied? Do you have trouble with doubters? Maybe you fall somewhere in the middle?
Analyzing a mix of qualitative and quantitative data might provide you some insight into how your social media reputation is doing. This comprises:
- Social media platforms and posts, remarks, and @mentions made by clients and rivals
- Online testimonials and star ratings provided by independent review sites
- Mentions in trade publications or industry blogs
- Observations made by actual clients (think: emails, customer surveys, contact forms on your website)
- Take the initiative and convey positivity when responding to mentions
Mentions offer excellent chances to make a good impression on clients and enhance your online reputation, whether a complaint or a compliment. The key to doing so is developing a social customer care strategy. Following are some essential pointers for customer service:
- Customizing each response rather than merely copying and pasting a standard one
- Always end the conversation by expressing “thank you.”
- Removing queries or issues from social media channels to prevent needless contention or back and forth
Even though it seems corny, social media reputation management benefits significantly from a positive, proactive approach.
- Take responsibility for your company’s story (and make it positive)
As previously mentioned, the main difficulty in managing a person’s online reputation is that online comments are free-for-all. I think the most excellent way to battle the bad is to promote positive feedback and manage negative feedback.
And indeed, there are alternatives to begging, which you should never do.
Consider publishing customer sentiment and testimonials from delighted clients and success stories, for instance. This can assist in drawing attention to positive experiences for your social prospects who may not have read any independent evaluations yet.
- Monitor mentions of your business
Management of one’s social media reputation is an active, continuing effort.
After determining where your social media reputation is, you must set up your company to be able to serve consumers quickly in the future. Setting up real-time notifications and checking out for the following is necessary.
- Your company’s tags and @mentions, such as @SproutSocial
- Uses of hashtags, such as #SproutSocial and #SproutChat
- Branded terms (such as “Sprout Social” on Twitter without the @tag)
- Keeping tabs on these mentions makes it simpler to respond appropriately when someone has a query, worry, or reason to call you out.
What is social media reputation monitoring?
Social media reputation management controls and shapes the audience’s impression of the brand through responding to customer feedback. Companies analyze reputation using strategies for social media pages, including monitoring and information from a customer service team. They manage social media reputation through social media, emails, and chatbots.
Social Media Reputation Management is Important
Maintaining a solid online business reputation is essential in a world saturated with many brands and products. Since there are so many areas where people can leave comments, reputations are delicate and simple to destroy.
Customers are typically less inclined to post a review when they are pleased with a product. When they have a bad experience, many customers quickly vent about it online in forums, comments, and social media. Such negative reviews are detrimental to brands since potential buyers conduct research before making purchases, and coming across several 1-3 star ratings will turn them off.
Examples of Online Business Reputation Management
Snowbird
Negative online reviews can hurt your company if you don’t decide to use them as part of your digital marketing plan.
The Snowbird ski area took this action. They used a creative strategy for managing their reputation and built an entire marketing campaign around some of their worst customer ratings.
Such a strategy necessitates a sense of humor and a solid grasp of your target market. The critical components of a strong reputation—honesty and self-awareness—will come across if done correctly.
Learning point
Sometimes, owning criticism is the best response. You can establish a genuine and close relationship with your audience by being open and honest about the drawbacks of your company, its goods, or its services.
KFC
KFC’s award-winning “FCK” campaign is another excellent illustration of reputational crisis management.
The fast food franchise’s UK business experienced an operational catastrophe in 2018 that resulted in the closure of numerous outlets.
KFC’s answer to the ensuing public outcry was honest, modest, and endearing.
The straightforward, lighthearted campaign not only repaired the reputational harm but also improved customer loyalty and brand recognition.
Lesson learned
Honesty and openness once more win the day. If an uncontrollable occurrence damages your company’s reputation, accept responsibility for it and look for a means to move on.
