service_online_reputation_mo Photos Topic maintained by (see all topics)
Written by-Webb Hahn
It really is true that a reputation is everything when it comes to business. You must understand everything you can about reputation management if your business is going to thrive. Read on to learn the ins and outs of managing your business's reputation.
Posting information on social media sites is important to your business's reputation. You should post several times a week at the very least to effectively run a marketing campaign. If you find that posting on social media sites is overwhelming, consider hiring an assistant to make your posts for you.
Host contests to help bolster your reputation. This is especially important if you have received a bad review. A contest will create a lot of positive information about your company which can help increase your company's exposure online. This technique will also help raise your page rank on Internet search engines.
To maintain a good reputation, you must learn when you should respond. If a negative review of your business pops up, you must know what to do. If the complaint is legitimate, try responding privately and publicly to it. Try offering solutions like a refund. Try to avoid becoming angry or calling the review fake since it can make you look bad.
If you make a mistake, apologize quickly. Most people realize that everyone is human and mistakes do happen. If you are able to rectify the mistake do so quickly and address it on your website or social media site. If you are unable to rectify the mistake, apologize and go on with your business.
If you own a business, treat your employees respectfully. Sometimes, this isn't seen as something that is necessary, but if you don't respect your employees, then you could be dealing with serious consequences. If words spread that you're a poor employer, lots of people can refuse to do business with you.
Take care with the information you share via the Internet. You can never predict how it may be used in the future, so make sure you watch out. Be cautious regardless of how many or few people use your social media accounts.
If you want to offer a private promotion, be sure it is private. This is important especially if it's for a complaint. You never want to post exactly how you are handling a complaint only to see more complaints from those trying to get something for free.
Try Googling yourself to see what type of information comes up about you. If there is a lot of negative feedback, you can use this to better yourself. In the event that you notice any discrepancies, you should do your best to correct them. You wouldn't want any misinformation to damage your reputation.
When you have a growing business, it is inevitable that you come into contact with many more consumers. Sometimes their comments will be negative. You have to address them in the right way.
Try looking into reputation management services. These services do cost a bit of money, but they can help you start a reputation, repair a reputation, or maintain a reputation. These are professionals. They can watch online activity for you, and they can help you both avoid and fight a negative reputation.
Be professional when posting on social media sites. Avoid using Internet jargon and slang such as LOL, YW or TY. Be professional at all times. Respond to comments just like you would to your clients in a face to face meeting. Use proper English and proofread all responses before posting them.
Get familiar with the review sites that are on the web. More and more people are writing reviews about their experiences with a product or service. You never know if a review was written about your company. Do not ignore reviews, but learn from them. This is good way to improve your business.
Look for the potential good in any online conflict. It is far easier to learn from your own experiences than to simply listen and read about resolving online conflicts. After a conflict is over, seek out the learning opportunities it presented. If the conflict caught the attention of people you would like to know, use it as a springboard to improve your own online social and business circles.
Monitor everything that is said about your company. You need to find and hang out in areas online where people discuss your industry. Post links on your webpage to any positive comments, and quickly respond to critical comments.
Survey your current customers. You may have customers that have suggestions that may help you build your company or improve your products. This can be done in several ways. You can send a survey to everyone on your mailing list or you can simply place a suggestion box in your business.
To stay on top of your online reputation, set up a Google alert. You simply specify the keywords for the search engine to monitor, such as "Bob's Store" and you will receive an email alert whenever it is discussed. You can follow the trail of talk to the source and introduce yourself, if appropriate and necessary.
Although it seems obvious, many people fail to consistently monitor their online brand online. It can be very time-consuming, so get some help to actively monitor your company's blogs, social media sites and search results. Invest in brand monitoring tools that make the process easier and less labor intensive.
Keep track of how you handle each complaint, conflict or problem that comes your way. Write down the type of complaint and what steps you took to resolve the problem. Take note of what kinds of actions worked and which did not. This will help you strategize for the future so that you can maintain your online reputation with greater ease.
