Beyond 5 Stars: The Art of Online Reputation Management
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “reputation”?
For some, they think reputation is crafted in boardrooms or spun by public relations (PR) experts. However, in the digital age, your reputation is no longer confined to the corners of cocktail parties or the chatter at industry conferences. Today, the focus has drastically shifted towards how to manage your business online reputation, which is equally, if not more, important than your offline persona.
We live in an era where a single tweet, a Facebook post, or a Google review can alter the course of your brand’s future. So if you’re not already taking the reins of your online reputation, you’re not just missing out on the opportunity to shine – you’re leaving your business vulnerable to every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a keyboard and an opinion.
How to Manage Your Business Online Reputation
1. Check Search Engine Results and Social Media Profiles
The first impression a potential customer gets of your brand is often not a physical storefront nor even a personal encounter. They first see your digital assets. Whether they stumble upon your company website or find your social media profiles through a cursory Google search, what they see in those first few moments can sway their decision to engage with you or look elsewhere.
This is why it is crucial to regularly check and maintain your online presence. The notion of “out of sight, out of mind” applies here; you may not always see the damage of an unattended digital footprint, but your customers do. And unfortunately, their perceptions of you are shaped by what they see online.
Now, imagine a restaurant named “Joe’s Grilled Pizzas” situated in a small town in Australia. It enjoys a local customer base but aspires to reach tourists who read online reviews before choosing a place to eat. One day, a potential customer does a quick Google search and finds a Yelp review from six months ago, complaining about an undercooked pizza. They find another one, on TripAdvisor, grumbling about a delayed order.
The customer sees that Joe’s Grilled Pizzas hasn’t responded to either complaint or any other negative feedback. Hence, they decide to go to another restaurant instead.
2. Engage With Customers
The second commandment in the Bible of online reputation management is to engage with your customers. This doesn’t just mean responding to complaints or queries but initiating a genuine conversation, building a rapport, and developing a relationship.
Engagement is a two-way street. It isn’t enough for you to push out content and expect customers to react positively. You have to show interest in them too, respond to their feedback, answer their questions, show empathy to their concerns, and occasionally, share a laugh.
Pro tip: Engagement breeds loyalty. By taking the time to engage with your customers, you show that you value them not just for their patronage, but also for their input and presence.
3. Build an Online Community
Having an online community can transform customers into loyal advocates. It fosters a sense of belonging, which in turn creates a positive association with your brand. Customers who feel heard and valued are more likely to stick around, spend more, and promote your business to others.
Let’s look at the example of two different health food stores – “Natural Health Store” and “Wellness for Life.” Both have Facebook pages with the same number of followers, but their levels of interaction are vastly different.
Natural Health Store uses its page purely for promotional purposes, with no interaction or community feeling. On the other hand, Wellness for Life has created an engaged community. They share healthy recipes, fitness tips, run monthly challenges, and encourage followers to share their health journeys. Followers of Wellness for Life are more engaged, more loyal, and more likely to recommend the store to their friends.
Your online community is a reflection of your business’ ethos. It allows your customers to see you not just as a faceless corporation but as a group of individuals who share their values and interests.
