It goes without saying that in our search for the best company, we go through the reviews and testimonials left on the website by their former customers. If the majority of these are good, we are happy to spend our hard-earned money there. If not, then we would start our search all over again. Monitoring […]
It goes without saying that in our search for the best company, we go through the reviews and testimonials left on the website by their former customers. If the majority of these are good, we are happy to spend our hard-earned money there. If not, then we would start our search all over again.
Monitoring and controlling the influx of good and bad reviews and other brand mentions across the internet by the company is called reputation management. Since it is humanly impossible to keep tabs on the ever-going online chatter, companies employ brand management software to save time, cost, and well – their reputation.
In this article, we will go through;
For an average Joe, reputation management and online reputation management may seem like the same things, but they are not. In terms of their scope, reach, and approach, on both sellers’ and consumer ends, they are a light-year apart.
Online reputation management is about monitoring and interfering with the online chatter surrounding the brand. Whether it is the business website, social media handle, or any other third-party platform, users continue to post content about the brands they love or hate. Ultimately, the perception of these brands becomes their reputation.
Anything that can influence the perception of a brand in the eyes of the public is monitored and controlled through reputation management. The classic example is the PR and counter-PR campaigns during election seasons.
These are specifically targeted services that monitor and control online brand reputation. It means this management involves combing the internet, including the web, social media platforms, discussion groups, and so on, and dealing with any negative or positive chatter regarding a brand. Most companies use tools and software, like TrustAnalytica, to cover this ground.
In most cases, the reputation of a brand, such as a small local business, is all about what people are saying on third-party review sites, such as Google Reviews, Yelp, etc. But that’s not all. There is a whole universe of information that lies beyond that. And this is what makes the difference between reputation management and review management.
Dealing only with the reviews on both the home site and other third-party review sites is known as review management. When compared to reputation management, it is fairly straightforward.
Reputation management is the whole of which review management is a small part. It deals with all that goes on the internet regarding a brand which makes it all the more complex, time-sensitive, and important.
There are a lot of reputation management services but the nature of the work that they carry out each day falls into two broad categories.
Proactive reputation management is about taking the first step, as the name indicates. In most cases, it revolves around;
In comparison to proactive reputation management, reactive reputation management deals with responding or reacting to what others say about a brand such as;
After going through the differences between reputation management and review management, it is necessary to go through the ways companies keep up with online chatter. Depending on the type of reputation management and the end goals, there are three major types of online brand reputation management services.
Brand Mention Tools (BMTs) let brands know when and where someone used that brand’s name. Not only that but they also categorize the mention in either positive or negative categories. In addition to this, they are also able to point out the frequency with which people often mention that brand.
This lets the concerned brand take action in terms of replying or responding to negative reviews as well as dealing swiftly with any other crisis, such as any legal or punitive action.
Reviews have become a force to reckon with when it comes to the virtual world. Studies have shown that over 87% of consumers conduct business with a company if it has more positive reviews and testimonials. This alone makes a strong case for having effective review management services on board.
The basic and most important task of review management services is that they let the brand know whenever a review is posted on a major review platform. This allows them to deal with that feedback. If it was great, they could thank the reviewer promptly. If it was bad, the brand could see to it that the grievances at the end of the reviewer are dealt with.
This metric is another potent tool that online brand reputation management tools employ to tell brands about the quality of consumer experience. NPS score is based on a survey that is based on how likely it is for a consumer to recommend a company.
There are three major respondents to this survey:
After knowing which is which, brands can quickly respond to the feedback and contain the situation to save their brands’ reputation. In the case of a majority of promoters, a business can start a referral program to further its sales and approach.
Businesses, no matter how big or small they are, struggle with resources. That’s why budgeting and projections are the essence of the business planning and estimation process. So, when a brand is in the market to get the best online brand reputation management services, they cannot purchase the very first company they set their eyes on. For the money and the reputation on the line, it is best to go through set criteria to track down the best and the brightest reputation management company.
In the section below are some useful insights that will help managers and owners to decide on a company that offers more for less.
Before formalizing the deal with a company, it is necessary to see what its Unique Selling Point (USP) is. It is something that makes that company stand out from its competitors. It could be pricing, range of services, response time, etc.
When you are on the lookout for the best online reputation management services for individuals, this should be taken into account before moving forward.
No matter what the marketing material says on a website, it is always prudent never to be sold on the first call. In the case of a reputation management company, the one that offers a free trial as a sneak peek into the ecosystem should be preferred.
Many companies do not shy away from offering free trials to prospective clients, such as TrustAnalytica, which is a premier online brand reputation management for companies and individuals.
Just like other businesses and websites are concerned with the quality of feedback they receive, online reputation management services have to deal with their issues. This is another way to see whether a company is suitable for your brand or not.
An aggregate review score shows the average of both positive and negative reviews for that service provider.
Like the USP, every company has something novel to offer to beat the competition. When you are looking for the best reputation management services, make sure you understand completely what they have to offer and how it holds up against other companies providing the same thing.
Many great companies do not make the final cut because they are not good at customer service. These days, it is a must for service providers to have a quick and seamless customer support experience.
Following are some channels used by companies these days:
In many cases, especially for a small business, pricing can be a deal-breaker. Now, there is a temptation to seal the deal with the company that offers the most affordable pricing, but pricing is a very limited metric. Instead, it is best to gauge value for money.
These days, reputation for brands is about connecting with more users and having a positive impact. When a prospect approaches a business, he will go through all the relevant things, including products, services, and reviews.
Customer reviews make a lot of what turns out to be a brand’s online reputation. Brands cannot survive in this day and age without a solid reputation.
There is no denying that brands cannot afford to manage their reputation on their own. Still, there are two major areas that brands need to work on.
Proactive reputation management is about building and doing work promptly. These include the following aspects.
Connecting For Feedback
As mentioned in the opening remarks, customer feedback makes up much of the content that drives reputation. Whether you are active on social media platforms or a business website, you need to connect and ask for feedback.
Collecting & Showcasing Positive Content
After collecting feedback that is positive and beneficial for the brand, it is time to put it on display for better effects. Once users see that, they become more inclined toward liking a brand and leaving reviews of their own. All of this leads to a better online reputation.
Negative reviews and testimonials are inevitable, no matter how great the services you provide and how good your brand is. That’s why it pays to have a reactive reputation management strategy in place.
Responding To Reviews
Many brands choose to neglect or ignore negative reviews. This is worse than getting them in the first place. Instead of stealing eyes from them, brands can respond to them in a professional manner to try to turn the tide in their favor. When this happens, they can benefit on multiple ends, both human and search engine bots.
De-Indexing Poor Reviews
Poor reviews are hard to delete because of the third-party platforms and their terms and conditions. However, brands can hide negative reception by de-indexing it through solid SEO and other strategies. This way, brands can take advantage of the expertise to ensure that all the bases are covered.
Online reputation is very important for companies these days as everything about them depends on how the customers and potential customer perceive their brands. Many companies can’t take up this task on their own. This is where a third-party, dedicated service provider, such as TrustAnalytica, comes into the picture.
The company checks all the boxes and has diverse packages to suit the needs and specifications of the clients. After all, what saves the name of the company saves the days for them.