How to Manage the Reputation of Your Brand Online

There once was a time when businesses would sell their products and services to passive consumers in a dominating top-down model. It’s was a one-way street, where consumers didn’t have much of a voice at all.

The situation has changed drastically.

With thanks to social media, consumers now have a powerful voice and they aren’t afraid to use it. When managing brand reputation, it’s vital to acknowledge this, along with the changing nature of business communications.

Regular interactions and engagement on social networks are needed for brands to succeed, so rather than hating on social networking sites because of bad reviews or negative comments people have left, learn how to respond and solve the problem.

We know though, this can be scary.

Not many of us like confrontation, on or offline. This is why we want to give you the tools to handle negative situations online. From the outset though, it’s important to remember that ultimately, you can’t control everything that’s said about your brand, just look at word of mouth. Try not to get overwhelmed by replying to every mention of your brand, but start by becoming aware.

Commit to consistency

Consistency is crucial to maintaining your brand’s reputation online. With the level of transparency that accompanies the digital world, it’s highly unlikely that you can completely avoid a public mistake. From a negative review to a nasty scandal, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open when a public mistake does occur.

Tell the truth and tell it fast. In time, it will most likely bury itself under the abundance of online content, but in the meantime, you have shown your audience first hand that you are human. During or after a public mistake, it’s more important than ever to maintain a solid online presence. After all, if you delete all your accounts at such a time, all that’s left out there about your brand is bad news.

By being transparent, asking for feedback and addressing criticism publicly rather than hiding it, you’re able to manage the reputation of your brand and build relationships with authenticity and trust.

Be prompt and polite
If a customer takes to Twitter to write a complaint, it’s best to promptly reply on the same social channel with a short apology and acknowledgement of their concern. Something along the lines of, “We are aware of the problem. We are working on it and will get back to you as soon as possible,” rather than a statement with more information a few days later.

Fast response times show that you care about your followers’ concerns, the issues they are raising and are working to resolve it. Make sure you filter through your brand’s personality and tone of voice in the response, which is part of the consistency of your brand voice.

First impressions count

Treat your Google page one as a business card, if there are a bunch of negative phrases associated with your brand, you should be concerned. This is why prompt replies to complaints are important, as you want to address any concerns before they snowball.

You can monitor mentions of your brand with tools such as Google Alerts and Mention. Apart from reasons already mentioned about managing your brand’s reputation, monitoring brand mentions can also bring business, as many people take to Facebook or Twitter to ask questions before using a product or service.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

While media monitoring tools are helpful, sometimes you just can’t do everything yourself.

If your best efforts aren’t enough to manage your brand’s online reputation, there are professionals out there to assist you. It can be a tiring and menial task, that without the proper tools and skills, can result in more harm than good.

If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask someone who knows. Hit us up anytime on hey@wildandfree.com.au