The Definitive Guide to Online Reputation Management

When it comes to online reputation management, there are a lot of fallacies abound. There are people who consider it as a simple way to monitor social media, while some people believe that it deals with public relations, others though are still no aware of the impact it can have on businesses and their sales. 

Be Aware that You are Being Talked About 

One important thing to understand is that your brand is being talked about by different people; not just by your clients, customers and prospects, but also by anyone who can access the web. People can Tweet about your newest product. They can also leave comments on your blog and post their experience with your product on your Facebook page. The possibilities on how other people can interact and communicate with your brand are endless, and there is simply no way you can avoid this. Thus, if you want to be talked about positively, make sure your online image is also positive. 

Be Transparent 

Transparency is important even– or maybe more importantly so - in the virtual world. You have to be open to everyone and you also have to be open to comments and criticisms. Being transparent also means offering a one-on-one communication means to your clients and customers – these people should know when, where and how they can get in touch with you. 

Know the Common Failures in Online Reputation Management

Transparency, despite being an advantage, can also be a disadvantage. When you start being transparent, you have to understand that you are not just opening up for communication, but you are also opening up for criticisms. To make sure that your brand is taken on a good transparency journey, you need an online reputation manager you can rely on. 

Know the Sentiments

Before you should react to what they are saying about your brand, you must first know whether you really should react and if so, when and how. This means that you must be aware of the sentiments being thrown at you so that you can act fast and timely. It can cost your company millions if you react too late.

Social media monitoring is what will save you from missing out on the chances to react and resolve issues. You can do this process DIY-style or you can leave the job to the professionals.

Learn about Reputation Bombs

Learning about reputation bombs is one sure way to avoid encountering serious marketing problems. These threats are not like simple complaints or bad reviews on social media networks. These are the bigger issues because they can really make your online image fail.

If you do not want to encounter these bombs, you need to make sure that you wouldn’t see any negative reviews and remarks on your brand on the so-called hate sites and review sites.

Know When to Defend Yourself

Everyone has the right to express their opinions. This means they have the right to say what’s on their mind regarding your brand. But boundaries are set in order to protect you and other businesses. You should know these boundaries and the rules governing them. If you think that you are being hit below the belt, you can take legal actions to bring your image back to good light.

Is Online Reputation Management Dead?

According to some experts, online reputation management is not dead, but rather very much alive. As a matter of fact, online reputation management has become more important now. A company that ignores the significance of a good online image is sure to suffer the cost of the neglect. The important thing here is that the brand knows the necessity of taking control and improving their strategies.

The world of the Internet is changing fast and along with it, your company’s marketing strategies should too. Experts say that if a company is not changing their strategy for online reputation management, it could be because they either are not aware of the need to change or they are simply not interested in putting more effort to generate new strategies.

Reasons to Upgrade your Brand’s Strategy 

 Google Crackdown

Since the start of the Panda and the Penguin updates, there have been more aggressive moves from Google. Their algorithms are getting more difficult and Google is also sending out warnings while penalizing websites that fail to follow their guidelines and policies for quality websites. If the reputation management tactic of your brand has being employing questionable strategies before, you need to change up the strategy now to evade penalties that may leave your website open to possible attacks. 

 The Growing Importance of Social Media

One more reason to upgrade your brand’s strategy is because social media is gaining too much importance today. If you have been ignoring the social media and you still consider Twitter and Facebook as unproven and immature means, then it is time to change your views. Today, if your brand is not on any social media network, it is not going anywhere. You need to put social as part of your brand’s marketing strategy and you also need to make sure you have a positive online reputation. 

It is also essential to understand that Google is being dependent on the social signals when it comes to determining page rank. It is advised to create social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube and Tumblr. Once the profiles are live, you should maintain its presence through regular updates. 

  The Growth of Mobile

The year 2013 gave way to the rise of the importance of the mobile technology. Smartphones and other mobile devices are being used by the bigger part of the population in accessing the web. This means that more users are now using their mobile devices not just for calling or sending messages, but also for searching for brand names and in creating reviews and contents. If your brand’s strategy is not updated, a lot of people will see, even if they are on the move. 

The Changing World

The world is simply changing, and that should be reason enough to change your brand’s strategy. Technology and culture has both moved on. You need to know the trends and adapt to them or else you could be damaging your online image.

All in all, online reputation is certainly alive and the bottom line here is that there is an urgent need of taking control of your brand’s online image now.

Top Online Reputation Management Tips for Brand Marketers

Several marketing executives simply do not understand how bad online reputation management is damaging to company sales. Clearly, online reputation management has a huge impact on an organization’s revenue. Marketing executives have one important task and that is to protect the online image of their companies. 

What are online reputation issues a company might experience?

In order to know how online reputation management can help a brand, it is essential to understand the possible online reputation issues they could encounter. These issues can sometimes take business owners off guard and they question why their companies are getting bad reviews online. It can be really unsettling to see offensive remarks online, especially when the comments are outrageous accusations or slanderous remarks. The issue can be worse if the negative remarks are seen on pages that rank on top of search engine results. It does not really matter if the reviews are true or false, the negative results can easily damage the company’s virtual image.

That is why it is really important for brand managers to recognize the need for online reputation management in order to avoid potential sales loss. This task should be done immediately before the image of the company goes beyond repair or while damage control is still on the affordable range. It is important to keep in mind that the bigger the issues, the higher the price the company has to pay for image cleanup.

Recommended Reputation Management Tips

1. Control your SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

Being on the first page of search engine results should not be enough. You should aim at taking control of as much space as you can of the result page.

2. Use Social Media

Social media websites have given businesses a good place to advertise and promote their brands. You, as a brand manager should claim your company’s profiles and make use of them effectively. It is essential that you update each profile on a regular basis. This will ensure your followers that your brand is very active while you get additional benefits of preventing your brand name to be hijacked. To get the best of social media, you should link all your profiles, which could include; Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, SlideShare, Pinterest and YouTube.

3. Blog

When you blog you take your brand into the deeper awareness of the people on the web. For the best blogging opportunity you must get a domain and then develop a professional blog that will post encouraging information about your brand, your products, support issues, industry trends, and other relevant topics. When you publish positive information you do not just gain control of the SERPs, but you also attract more traffic that will boost lead generation and your online image.

4. Think Differently

When you think beyond the box, you are looking for the opportunities you get take advantage of in order to get the right amount of online attention that your brand needs. One good way to do this is to use YouTube in promoting your brand.

5. Employ a Dynamic PR Strategy

Company news is good, but you must find more ways to promote your brand like sponsoring sports events.

Knowing these techniques is not enough though. You need more expert’s advice and guidelines from a reputable online reputation management company.

10 Things You Need To Know About Online Reputation Management

Do you want to have a good online reputation that would boost your chances of being successful? If so, then you must make sure that the profiles on your social media accounts have nothing that could damage your personality. This is where online reputation management becomes a necessity. 

What is exactly an online reputation manager’s job? 

Basically, an online reputation manager will boost your online profile based on information that you can provide. You have control of what you want other people to see, as well as want you don’t want them to see. 

Why would anyone need help to manage his/her online reputation? 

Having online presence makes you vulnerable to different risks and your reputation can be easily damaged if someone makes derogatory remarks about you. To prevent this from happening, you need to make a move now. You have to turn things for you and not against you. 

Is it not possible for anyone to handle his/her own virtual reputation? 

You need online reputation management just like you need professional anti-virus protection for your computer. If you want the job done right, you need someone who knows what to do. 

What is the usual problem encountered online?

Some people think that because they do not post their photos on the web, they do not have anything to worry about. That is being short-sighted; you should make the Internet work for you instead of just considering it as something that is useful.

What’s at stake when an individual gets bad reviews or bad social media reputation?

The consequences for businesses are very obvious when they get attacked online. But what could be the result when the attacks are for individuals? It could be just as damaging because a work applicant can easily lose the opportunity for a good job position if a prospective employer discovers something bad about him/her. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that you have a positive status online. 

Is it possible to delete something negative once it has been posted online? 

It is not possible to delete anything that has gone online. But the good news is that if it has not been placed on the first page of Google search result, then it basically does not exist.

What happens during online makeover?

During an online makeover, your profile will be dominated by a biography that is professionally composed. Everything that will be posted is all about you. What you may have already posted could be enhanced to boost your character and personality.

How much is reactive and proactive?

If you think that you need help to boost your online profile, you’d better act fast. If you hire a professional now, you could be paying as little as $200 instead of a whooping $5000 if you let the problems arise first.

How to avoid cyber extortionists?

Cyber extortion is a common problem these days. To prevent this from happening to you, you have to find a reputable company that would defeat this type of criminals.

What can you do to safeguard your online reputations?

Do not over-share and make sure the settings of your social media accounts are private. Also, avoid posting too many personal photos especially of your family. You also need to safeguard them.