Reputation Management Techniques

Maintaining a solid company reputation is critical, not just for success and growth, but for survival. After all, potential customers and job seekers consider brand reputation when deciding whether or not to engage with your company. And in an increasingly digital world, online reputation management is critical to your bottom line.

So how can you ensure that your company’s employer brand is strong and reputable? You need to be intentional with a carefully executed company reputation management strategy.

What is Company Reputation Management?

The term “company reputation management” refers to the careful monitoring of the public’s perception of your organization and the strategies you employ to maintain a positive brand reputation.

Company reputation management has become increasingly critical in the digital age, where anyone with an internet connection can add to the conversation about your organization.

Brand Reputation Management vs. Brand Safety

If you research brand reputation management, you’ll likely come across the term “brand safety.” Brand safety is an aspect of online reputation management that ensures your content and advertising materials won’t harm a company’s brand or negatively affect the consumer.

What’s the difference between that and brand reputation management?

Brand safety is just one of many different company reputation management strategies. It serves to protect a brand, but it’s not the only way to influence perception.

The Importance of Company Reputation Management

Every company has a brand reputation. Being intentional about company reputation management enables you to drive and control how your company is viewed. Here’s how important company reputation is to the consumer:

• 98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, and 78% do so more than once a week.
• More than eight out of ten marketers believe the primary focus of future marketing campaigns will be building trust.
• Nearly 70% of internet users say that online search is the most trusted source of information.

Promoting a positive online reputation through reputation management means your organization controls the message it wants to convey rather than leaving it up to chance.

How Reputation Management Affects Your Bottom Line

Leaving your brand’s good name in the hands of anyone with an internet connection will directly affect your bottom line. Here is a stat to illustrate that point: companies with negative reputations or online content risk losing up to 22% of new business deals.

Business Reputation Management Strategies

The internet is where most impactful conversations about your brand are happening. That’s where you should place most of your energy to observe those conversations, measure impact, and attempt to redirect perceptions.

Understanding the various reputation management strategies will help you determine the right choice for your organization. Strategies include:

1. Expanding your online presence: Increase your visibility and control the narrative by actively participating in online conversations and establishing a strong online presence.

2. Monitoring social media: Keep a close eye on social media platforms to track mentions of your brand, respond to customer feedback, and address any issues promptly.

3. Generating and responding to online reviews: Encourage customers to leave positive reviews and promptly respond to any negative reviews to show that you value customer feedback.

4. Employing monitoring programs: Use reputation management software or monitoring tools to track online mentions of your brand and stay informed about what people are saying.

Successful Reputation Management Strategies

Breaking down what other organizations have done to manage their reputation successfully can help you develop your reputation management strategy. Here are 12 successful strategy ideas:

1. Employ public relations: Launch a targeted PR campaign to shape public perception of your brand and increase brand awareness. Utilize reputation management software to track the progress of PR campaigns.

2. Utilize search engine optimization: Implement SEO strategies to improve your online visibility and replace negative information in search engine results with positive content.

3. Get active on social media: Maintain an active and positive presence on social media platforms to establish your company as a credible source of information and expand your brand reach.

4. Develop a content marketing strategy: Create valuable and informative content to position your company as an industry authority and build trust with your target audience.

5. Improve customer satisfaction: Focus on delivering excellent customer service, addressing customer needs, and continuously improving your products or services to ensure customer satisfaction.

6. Deliver a good customer experience: Pay attention to every step of the customer experience, from friendly customer service to a user-friendly website, to create a positive and memorable experience for your customers.

7. Provide excellent customer support: Handle customer issues and inquiries promptly and professionally to maintain a positive brand reputation and customer loyalty.

8. Personalize customer interactions: Connect with your customers on a personal level by using data to understand their preferences and needs. Respond to customer reviews and feedback in a personalized and professional manner.

9. Build a crisis response plan: Prepare for unforeseen issues by developing a crisis response plan that outlines responsibilities and messaging strategies to maintain consistent communication during challenging times.

10. Leverage competitor data: Monitor your competitors’ actions and learn from their successes and mistakes to gain a competitive edge in reputation management.

11. Nurture brand advocates: Engage with satisfied customers, employees, and partners who speak positively about your brand. Respond to their recommendations and encourage them to share their experiences with others.

12. Feature customer testimonials and success stories: Highlight positive feedback from customers through testimonials, reviews, and social media posts to build trust and credibility for your brand.

13. Improve employee satisfaction and engagement: Prioritize employee satisfaction and engagement to build a positive company culture, as employees are often seen as trusted sources of information about a company.

14. Earn recognition as an employer of choice: Seek third-party recognition as an employer of choice to showcase your commitment to creating a positive work environment and attracting top talent.

Develop and Implement a Business Reputation Management Plan

Here’s how to do it in five steps:

1. Monitor to determine your company’s brand reputation: Use reputation monitoring tools to track online mentions and customer feedback to assess your current brand reputation.

2. Decide how you would like to change your brand reputation: Identify areas for improvement and set specific goals for your reputation management strategy.

3. Craft a strategy based on your objectives: Develop a comprehensive plan that includes specific tactics and actions to improve your brand reputation.

4. Carefully address negative reviews while encouraging positives: Respond promptly and professionally to negative reviews and feedback, and actively encourage positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers.

5. Capture feedback, measure results, and adjust accordingly: Regularly measure the impact of your reputation management efforts, capture customer feedback, and make necessary adjustments to your strategy.

The key is to continuously revise your strategy to meet your company’s current needs. Monitor results regularly, revisit your company reputation management plan, and make improvements based on what’s working well.

Build Your Employer Brand with Top Workplaces

Make a positive impact on your brand reputation. Top Workplaces can help you improve your employer brand with regional and national recognition and industry and culture excellence awards. Top Workplaces is authentic and credible because it’s based on employee feedback captured by a brief, research-backed survey.

To participate, nominate your company at https://digitalrepandreviews.com.