Updated: 22nd November, 2023 Back in the day, periodically posting online creating profiles on social media platforms, and reviewing sites would bring a lot of attention and support to brands. Still, if that would not cut it, the last arrow in the straw would be to have a couple of influencers on board. There was […]
Updated: 22nd November, 2023
Back in the day, periodically posting online creating profiles on social media platforms, and reviewing sites would bring a lot of attention and support to brands. Still, if that would not cut it, the last arrow in the straw would be to have a couple of influencers on board. There was no active online reputation management, rather a reactive strategy was the norm where brands would churn out apologies or clarifications after a disaster unfolded.
Today, they have to stay on their feet if they want to keep their feet. That’s why brands need a proactive and well-rounded online reputation management strategy to make sure that customers and prospects find them in the best light.
Simply put, online reputation management is about monitoring and interfering in online chatter, especially the one that surrounds and concerns a brand and its interests. The process is extremely dynamic and consists of equal parts art and science.
Professionals with specialized tools and expertise closely monitor relevant platforms as well as the world wide web and ensure that PR disasters are averted, or the damage is minimized in the case of imminent threat.
If a business owner claims that his business does not need online reputation management, he does not know what it is and its importance.
ORM offers a clean and likable image to brands that can come under criticism from users, either based on genuine isolated negative feedback or a concerted attack to start a smear campaign.
People love stories, irrespective of their forms or origin. Brands need to be storytellers if they want a loyal customer base that can attract prospects.
Through active brand reputation management, companies can churn out content that is highly targeted and purposed toward building a narrative. Instead of telling users what a business does, it is better to show them what it stands for and what its inclinations toward social and societal matters.
People turn to the internet when they need a suggestion. It could be a new place for lunch, a new club to hang out on the weekend, or hiring a new plumber for a leaky faucet in the kitchen.
If a brand has an active presence on the internet, it will have a higher chance of being found out by people who are actively looking for reliable businesses. Through active brand reputation management, professionals make sure that the client’s brand does not go out of fashion.
A connection between a brand and its customers starts with engagement. The better a prospect engages with the brand’s content and resources, the better chances it has to materialize sales.
Of course, we know that creating relevant and fresh content is a great place to begin but you need to stay on top of the game, especially your competitors to make a sustainable ORM plan.
When this plan is put into action, it spearheads changes and improves the bottom line for the brand.
When you look at the concept of online reputation management in its isolation, it is a straightforward thing with defined rewards. All a brand needs to do is satisfy its customers and clients so that they don’t put any negative comments online that can put off prospects and potential customers.
The reality is much different because the internet is not an isolated system, but a hustling, bustling community with many factors at play.
That’s why in this section, we are going to share the best ten activities that a brand or its responsible managers can do to boost its online reputation.
A quick question: how can you improve something if you don’t know its current condition? The answer is simple: you cannot.
Before setting out to improve a brand’s online reputation, it is necessary to take into account the factors contributing to its current standing. This is what the professionals do.
When they take in a new client, they employ different tools and software to determine the current condition and then devise a strategy to augment it or repair it.
One of the simplest ways to get a view of the current situation is to search your brand online and study the search results.
Many brands and their managers seem to care too much about reviews and feedback that is directly left on their profiles. This is somehow important but not all. It is because there are many ways to influence reviews and ratings but social media is something as free and lively as the wild wild west.
That’s why you need to go through the commentary and discussions happening around your brand in these spheres. The best social media platforms with billions of users are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more.
Of course, you can start taking participating in these discussions to erect a solid edifice for your brand online.
After the much-needed reconnaissance, it is necessary to start formulating strategies and goals. Keep in mind that there are no general rules and guidelines for goal setting. Depending on the current conditions, needs, and resources, a brand sets up its goals. So, goals for the two brands cannot be the same no matter how identical they seem.
These are some doable points that cover most brands’ goals:
There are no core ORM practices for every brand because the needs of each brand can be different. Many start the operations with zeal and vigour but then get distracted. It is necessary to understand the need and work accordingly.
For instance, a new brand should concern itself with creating an online brand strategy whereas an existing brand should work toward keeping and augmenting one.
That’s why scheduling and setting timelines for operations can save brands a lot of time and trouble.
A well-balanced online reputation management strategy is about being proactive and reactive at the same time. But when it comes to practice, often large brands have to be reactive and fast in their reaction.
For instance, in the case of poor brand mention on social media platforms or review sites can do a lot of damage to the brand’s standing. Having a quick response mechanism can let professionals know what is going on and how to tackle it.
The internet is a cruel place for many users and brands are not the exception. No matter how good the services they offer and how cordially they treat their customers, they often get the raw end of the deal with poor customer reviews and ratings.
In that situation, a crisis management strategy should be in place. First, it should inform the base camp what was going on through direct message. Based on the damage and the scale of the crisis, they can develop a response where the brand will come out triumphant.
Either as an ORM professional or a brand owner, you must have noticed patterns in content and tone when things come from s specific brand. Before reading the sender or reading the complete message, you know the sender and try to guess what the message could be. This is another thing that your brand needs if it wants to connect with the customers and prospects at a deeper level.
Also, there should be clear consistency of voice and tone in content posted on social media channels as well as on the website.
Employing this practice will help readers to trust your brand and consider it an authority in your niche.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important part of ORM and professionals take a lot of pains and put in a lot of effort to improve a brand’s online SERPs rankings.
It is because having a higher position in search rankings gives out a message to the customers and prospects that a brand is worthy of their money.
It can also help you to suppress the negative content surrounding your brand in the depths of the internet. So, whenever a prospect searches for your brand in the search engine, he can find the best things about it and become a paying customer.
Another thing you can borrow from general SEO is the branded keywords and phrases. In SEO, professionals target certain keywords in their content to help the client improve its visibility against them.
In ORM, you can employ the same strategy by coming up with new words and phrases and marketing them as your own. This way, you can achieve two highly rewarding goals. One, your brand can climb the rankings ladder faster and higher. The other thing is that they can become the identity of your brand and can help your customers and prospects identify with it.
A brand’s needs and goals help them better identify both short and long-term requirements. They can better understand what and when needs to be done in order to keep its online reputation spick and span. That’s why before allocating any precious resources, brands to set goals.
Online reputation management has dedicated channels and support lines. Many brands rely on customers’ goodwill and support to get the good word out. This cannot work as a line of defense. For that reason and many more, having a dedicated ORM framework in place is very important for brands.
A crisis management strategy is a string of steps and actions that brands have planned. They are to be unleashed in the case of any smear campaign or PR disaster. Using this strategy, brands can minimize damage arising from negative online sentiment.
Generally, search engine optimization is about following the best practices of search engines to rank higher in search results and other metrics. In ORM, brands can leverage SEO to spread positive content targeted toward the brand and suppress negative content.
Managing a brand’s online reputation is an ongoing process. It takes a lot of research in theory and then testing and hit and trial in practice to keep a brand’s name and identity afloat. If you are just starting out, this guide will help you touch all the bases right from the beginning.
Branded keywords are the ones that are modified and marketed by brands as their own. These could be taglines and phrases that can help customers identify with them. They also help them to set their narrative, brand voice, and story.
Of course, it is impossible to cover all the moving parts of online reputation management in one blog post. But it is a start. Professionals and brand owners can take a better look at different angles and elements of ORM, including the nature and importance of the process.
In addition to this, we have highlighted some of the best practices and activities that brands and managers can carry out to keep the companies and their reputations afloat. These will also help you to develop on-point strategies that can bring immense returns in terms of customer acquisition and retention.
