Isn’t it second nature for us to check the reviews of a product we intend to order on Amazon before hitting the ‘Add to Cart’ button?

Shortlisting hotels we like, after looking at their reviews on TripAdvisor has to be one of the first steps when we plan a getaway.

The experience of buying a car would just not be the same without the month-long comparison analysis reading countless reviews.

Evidently, we form our first impressions of the service or product with the help of their social media presence and reviews. Traditional means don’t work anymore and everything seems to be an online experience now. With just a single click of a button, a user can find out all about you and your brand turning a casual window shopper into a potential customer.

And that is why social media online reputation management is all about perception and we are here to help you decide exactly how to ace this game!

What is online reputation management?

Online Reputation Management is about monitoring and improving how your brand image and business are viewed and perceived online. It is about scanning and tweaking the online information about your brand before they are compelled to make that phone call or send that inquiry email.

To put it simply- Online Reputation Management isn’t only about removing any and all evidence of negative reviews. It is an accurate and positive representation of your brand wherever your customers might search for you. 

So here is the ultimate online reputation management guide!

Check who’s talking about your brand and where

As a business, you should always be on the lookout for web mentions and other online media mentions that might affect the image of your brand. As the amount of user-generated content on the internet grows, it increases the chances of influencing the reputation of the brand positively, thereby working in its favor.

Enable positive outreach via content creation, online presence through blogs, social networking, forums, etc. while simultaneously promoting existing positive content, thereby strengthening your social media reputation.

This translates to increased sales and social acceptability of your brand. Being mentioned in social media is a double-edged sword. But if even the criticism is dealt constructively, it will further aid in the positive perception of your brand.

It all begins with a google search!

·  Make sure every link leads to a positive portrayal of your brand and weed out the negative reviews.

·  These links should ideally demonstrate thought leadership and unparalleled expertise.

·  Be sure of the accuracy of all the information under your ‘Google My Business’ listing.

Claim, claim, claim

Claim your business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, etc. and create your own business pages on all these social media platforms. There are countless websites out there but these popular websites have the highest domain authority. Hence, as long as you put your best efforts to optimize the content on different social media platforms, you control your brand’s reputation online. Ensure your content is value-driven, credible, and resonates with your brand and audience. This will also automatically result in search engines ranking you higher in search results.

Your social media profiles speak volumes about you

·  Reputation management of your brand’s social media is an art. Keep track of your followers, the stats of content that your audience likes, what keeps them glued, and what kind of content attracts more viewership and thereby increasing followers.

·  Make sure you respond to the comments and reactions on the page and keep your posts interactive and fun to increase your user engagement.

·  Work actively on building an audience base organically. This way, even if you do receive criticism and negative comments, your audience will come to your defense, aiding in increasing your brand’s fanbase!

Reviews- the ticket to winning a potential customer’s confidence

The very first page you land on when searching for your brand is your Google reviews and these over the years have won the confidence of viewers. And statistics say that an average consumer reads over 10 reviews before trusting a business.

If there aren’t any, ask your happy and satisfied customers to write a review for you- this way it is organic and wins people’s trust.

·  Social media review management is critical to the success of your brand’s identity being perceived positively by your audience.

·  88% of viewers trust Facebook reviews and take decisions based on them because of the authenticity and weight they carry. Hence, make sure your customers leave reviews and have your team swiftly respond to the messages too.

·  59% of their users consider customer reviews to be more valuable than expert reviews. So, negative reviews need to be countered, weakened, or eliminated, defeating it with more positive material to improve your brand’s credibility and customers' trust in you.

The key is to monitor and prevent!

You need not douse a fire when you can prevent one from starting. Setting up online monitors can be very helpful in pointing you to potential problems and alerting you before they have time to catch flame. Set up Google Alerts for your company’s name, products, and services.

You can also use X-tract.io- an all-in-one online reputation management solution. It is a boon for new brands trying to establish themselves and serves as the best online reputation management guide.

Conclusion

Since the ranking in Google searches is dynamic and keeps changing, ORM is a continuous and ongoing process. Note that you’re directly responsible for how your brand positions themselves in the digital space. Your prospective customers, competitors, customers and influencers are constantly checking out your social presence which could be a key determinant in whether they want to work with you or not. 

Hence, as a Social Media Marketer, you need to be proactive and on top of it to ace the online reputation game! With Xtract.io, you can monitor any nook and corner of the web and instantly take control of what is being said about your brand. ORM needs constant upkeep and frequent monitoring and using this tool will elevate your brand value by leaps and bounds. 

So there you have it. Now, go be a Superhero and save your brand’s online reputation management game!