5 Reputation Management Mistakes To Avoid
by Dawn Varga
October 20, 2020
These days it is a well-known fact that your company's online reputation and reviews matter when it comes to consumer engagement with your business. Consumers do their due diligence when looking for a company to do business with by searching online and evaluating what they see and read from both the company and it's customers.
So how do you keep your company's reputation from driving potential customers away? Here are 5 reputation management mistakes to avoid and suggestions on what to do to create a positive brand image:
MISTAKE #1: NOT INVESTING IN YOUR ONLINE BRANDING
Take the time to invest in your online branding by making sure your online presence makes a good impression. Your website, social media profiles, review site listings, and advertising should reflect the personality of your brand and should be professional and consistent. This will help to build interest as well as trust in your business.
MISTAKE #2: NOT PROVIDING VALUE IN YOUR ONLINE CONTENT
If you always focus on SELL-SELL-SELL, your audience will become disinterested. Provide valuable solutions that your products or services can provide. Share helpful information or tutorials geared toward solving problems. Convey what differentiates your company from the competition and what motivates you to do what you do.
MISTAKE #3: NOT SHOWING CONCERN FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS
Make sure you always take the time to promptly respond to customer inquiries and feedback. Publicly thank customers for taking the time to write a review - positive or negative. Address negative feedback and reviews by apologizing and, if appropriate, taking the steps to make things right.
MISTAKE #4: NOT MONITORING YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE
Ignorance is not bliss. It is vital that your monitor your digital presence. Put a plan in place with either your own employees or an outside agency that includes checking social media, search engines and review sites for consumer comments on a daily basis. It is better to handle issues as they arise rather than letting them grow and build into something unmanageable.
MISTAKE #5: NOT LISTENING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
The feedback you receive from your customers is valuable data. If the same complaints seem to come up over and over again, then you should take a deeper dive into the root causes and make changes to the way you do business so that they doesn't happen in the future. Involve your team by sharing customers comments so they can participate in fixing the issues.
Your brand reputation is integral to the success of your business. By investing in professionalism, sharing useful information, expressing customer concern, listening to feedback, and having a solid reputation plan, you can avoid making these reputation management mistakes. By actively managing your reputation, you can gain valuable insight, find opportunities to improve your brand and gain loyal customers who will share their love of your brand with others.