As a small business owner, the opinions of your customers matter more than anything else. While you may feel powerless in the age of online reviews, the truth is, with proper brand reputation management you have more power than ever.
Here’s a quick guide to the power of brand reputation management along with some tips you can use to generate buzz for your brand.
Why Brand Reputation Management Matters More Than Ever
Online branding is a bit of an interesting conundrum these days.
On one hand, the Internet has democratized the conversations around brands. Customers now have more power than ever and will make sure businesses hear their voices.
On the other hand, if you’re not careful and considerate about what your customers are saying, your brand will likely go down in flames.
The fact of the matter is that what your customers say matters. In fact, it matters a lot more than you may think. 84% of people trust online reviews as much as they trust a friends’ opinion
That means that it’s up to you to do everything in your power to make sure your brand’s reputation is in top shape.
How To Improve Your Online Branding
The good news is that online branding is manageable if you know what you’re doing. Here are a few quick and easy tips to help you stay in control of your brand’s reputation.
Monitor Your Online Branding
The best way to control the narrative surrounding your brand is by monitoring it as much as possible.
If you don’t yet have a Google Alerts page set for your business, set one up as soon as possible. For the unfamiliar, Google Alerts notifies you each time someone mentions a specific word or phrase (in this instance, your brand).
But a Google Alerts page isn’t quite enough. Monitor your social media accounts and review sites, as well. Even if they don’t tag you in a post, there’s a good chance your customers are talking about your brand.
Embrace Reviews
Online reviews can be scary. Ignoring reviews isn’t an option though. Studies show that customers rely on online reviews to make purchasing decisions.
The sooner you start embracing the reviews, the better. Try and gather as many reviews for your brand as possible.
Be it on the testimonials page on your website, Google My Business, Facebook, or Yelp, the more reviews you generate, the better your search engine optimization.
Set Social Media Guidelines
Even if you’re a one-person operation, it’s important to have a set of social media guidelines on hand for a number of reasons.
It keeps your brand’s voice cohesive and can help you avoid a sticky situation.
For instance, it may be tempting to go off on a rude customer in your page’s comments section, but doing so can tank your reputation. Play it safe and have a plan.
Slow And Steady Wins The Race
Finally, don’t forget that online branding takes time. Don’t expect to gain thousands of followers overnight.
Set measurable, long-term goals that will have a positive impact on your brand today, tomorrow, and years from now.
Once you develop a branding strategy, be consistent and stick to it.
Measure and evaluate your results regularly to see what’s working and what’s not.
Give it a minimum of 3-6 months to get a decent sample size of results. Then, re-evaluate your strategy and make data-driven decisions moving forward.
Use These Tips To Boost Your Brand’s Reputation
As you can see, online brand reputation management is quite complex. It requires the right about of social finesse with a hefty dose of business savvy.
But the sooner you embrace brand management, the sooner you can create and strengthen your brand’s reputation.
Interested in learning what your customers are saying about your brand? Generate your free reviews audit today to learn more about the current conversation surrounding your business.
Once you determine you need to take control of your brand’s reputation, give us a call!
We will gladly sit down with your for a free initial consultation to craft a reputation management strategy for your small business’ success.
