Any business will have a challenging time finding customers for its products and services if they have a negative or mixed online reputation. It doesn’t matter if your bad reputation is an accurate reflection of your products or not. They’ll all have dire consequences for your business. In fact, more than 85% of consumers research brands and companies online before making a purchase.
With that in mind, here are some of the best ways to manage your business’s online reputation-contributing to your product’s long-term growth and success.
Ask for Customer Feedback and Review:
Online reviews are often the ‘base’ of a business’s reputation on the internet. They’re crucial for attracting customers early in the buying cycle. That’s why it’s best to ask your customers to post reviews if they’re happy with your products and services allowing them to express their views and increase your vital collection of reviews.
If you’re having trouble getting reviews from your customers, incentivizing the process can be useful. For instance, if you sell houses, offering to add free snow removal services for a year in addition to their contract for a short review of your professional service can work.
Respond to Customers Quickly:
Remember, the point of having social media profiles is to get closer to customers. That’s why most people expect businesses to be sociable. So, when consumers reach out to your brand on social media, they’ll likely anticipate for you to reply fast to their queries. Even if it’s an issue you can’t solve immediately, it’s best to acknowledge them at least. If you’re posting content in whatever network, don’t forget to engage with people posting comments-helping you cultivate a lasting relationship with your customers.
Encourage Brand Advocacy:
One of the best things about social media is that it lets you cultivate a base of robust brand advocates. That’s why make sure you give your audience a ‘good’ reason to follow and engage with your brand by sharing your content they enjoy, begin discussions with your customers, and host competitions. Additionally, it’s ideal for your audience to share their content for the best results. After all, user-generated content such as reviews is often valued by customers and social media users.
Finally, you may encourage internal brand advocacy as well. You need to ensure a ‘firm’ set of social media guidelines for workers should detail the culture and nature of their online references to your business in a transparent way.
Practice Transparency:
Honest and transparent operations often build trust, which is crucial in running and managing a successful business. Given that individuals can find anything they need online, covering up the truth can lead to serious backlash later on. That’s why it’s best to practice honest communications and marketing campaigns on social media. If someone complains to you on social media, don’t delete or hide their comments and address them-professionally and politely.
Own Up To Your Mistakes:
If your business ever faces scrutiny for perceived and real scandals, apologizing and owning up to your mistakes will always help. That’s because when companies show remorse, it can diffuse tense consumer situations and improve relationships with customers. Plus, it shows shoppers that you’re all about honesty and transparency. However, remember to craft apologies with genuine intentions to own up and resolve the issues.
Make sure to directly address the main concerns raised by customers and the media, and thoroughly describe what you’re going to do to resolve the situation. Finally, it’s best to consider the medium of your apology too. That’s because if the bulk of negative feedback you’re getting is through Facebook, then that channel would be the appropriate place for your statement.
Know Your Audience:
Determining your exact target audience is crucial in managing a positive social media presence. Once you’re aware of your audience’s wants and needs, you’ll be able to understand your business’s presence on different social media platforms. This knowledge helps you see which ones work best for your brand and how you should interact in each platform.
Keep Track Of Your Social Footprint:
Monitoring your social footprint is crucial, especially for the most popular social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. It’s best to perform regular searches on your brand’s name and products on any network possible to see what people say about you. Doing this not only lets you know what the public thinks about your company but also enables you to respond to issues and gain valuable insights into customer sentiment toward your business.
Careful cultivation and management of your business’s online reputation can boost your sales and positive sentiment toward your brand-and the strategies mentioned can help you manage positive online standing across all media.
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