Simple ways to boost your brand's online reputation

What Is Online Brand Reputation Management?

Online brand reputation management is a collection of marketing strategies used to shape people's perceptions of a company. When done correctly, it fosters trust and has a positive impact on purchasing decisions. Review management, social media monitoring, and online community engagement are some of the most important aspects of online brand reputation management.

What Is Brand Reputation Management vs. Brand Safety?

Both brand reputation management and brand safety fall under the purview of digital marketing and public relations. Brand reputation management entails monitoring the public's perception of a specific business or organization. Brand safety, on the other hand, weighs the benefits and drawbacks of placing your brand name and/or advertisements in specific channels. Depending on the industry, this may include avoiding inappropriate or offensive material such as hate speech or adult content. 

Why Is Managing Your Business’s Online Reputation Necessary?

Your online reputation is your first impression, and as they say, first impressions are difficult to change. So why not put your best foot forward in terms of improving your reputation?  

By managing your online reputation, you ensure that your company appears credible and trustworthy in every consumer interaction. Your online presence can have a significant impact on purchasing decisions, especially since consumers read an average of ten online reviews before forming an opinion about a company. If that isn't enough to persuade you, consider this: 79% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

People are unlikely to give you a second chance if your brand reputation falls short the first time. 

5 Steps to Improve Your Online Brand Reputation Right Now

Managing your online reputation necessitates several tactics and strategies. It also takes testing and optimization to fine-tune your strategy. Continue reading to find out our top tips for improving your online reputation.

1. Audit Your Name and Business
 

Take stock of what's out there about you before you start the real work. Google your full name or the name of your company and look through the first five pages of the results. Gather all relevant information you can. It is critical to understand what you are up against and what information exists about you online to cultivate a positive online reputation.

Keep in mind that if you search for yourself and don't find much - or anything - that's where you should start. People expect to be able to find information about you online, and if you are not, this may raise red flags. If you've already started implementing an online reputation management strategy and Google isn't returning your properties for branded search queries, it's time to rethink your strategy. If you're just getting started, check out our guide on developing an effective ORM strategy.

If you have ever gone by another name, or if your company or brand has multiple names, repeat the process for any relevant brand names or last names.

Determine which links in your search are positive, neutral, or negative, which results could be improved, and which could be elevated. Assume you are a prospective employer, colleague, prospective customer, or anyone else who wishes to conduct a quick online search about you.

Don't be concerned if you're dissatisfied with the results; most people aren't. Understanding the landscape of your search results is the first step in your reputation management journey.

2. Establish Your Brand
 

Whether or not you own a business, a personal brand will benefit your online presence. Consider your professional identity and how you want others to perceive you.

Producing content is an excellent way to establish a personal brand online. Content allows you to define your voice and highlight your expertise by answering questions relevant to your industry. Creating unique, high-quality online content will also help to strengthen your website, expand your audience, and establish yourself as a credible source. Write in a way that embodies your brand online, and select profile pictures and themes that best represent you. Create a template for your professional persona based on this brand.

Anything that does not fit your brand, such as a Facebook account where your college friends post, should be protected with strict privacy settings. No one should be able to find or view any personal information that may be held over your head online except close, personal friends.

Consider your areas of expertise and how you can establish yourself as an expert on them as you build your brand. For example, you could get public speaking training and start giving lectures about your field. Examine the methods of other leaders who specialize in similar areas. Establishing yourself as a thought leader in your field can result in a lot more positive content and a big boost to your online reputation.

3. Have an online review strategy

Online reviews are becoming ubiquitous - they're the first thing people see when they Google your company.

You must have a solid strategy for managing your online reviews if you want to improve your online reputation.

Most people don't bother leaving you reviews unless they're really upset and can't wait to vent online and ask all their friends to do the same. You don't want to entrust your online reputation to these irate customers.

You can begin by actively soliciting a review after a transaction or after a customer has used your service for some time. As an example::

• After a customer purchases from your physical store or online store, ask that the customer take a moment to provide feedback on the products purchased and the service provided.
• Customer success or account managers in B2B can encourage customers to leave a review after a follow-up call or after assisting the customer with something.

Mention has an in-app pop-up that asks users how satisfied they are with our tool. If they give us a rating higher than 8 out of 10, we ask them to leave us a review on a public review site.

If customers are pleased with your service or product, they will usually agree to leave you a nice message if you ask nicely and explain how much it would mean to you.

There are numerous other ways to actively improve your online reviews, such as creating official profiles, responding to reviews, monitoring online review sites, and so on. It's not rocket science, so give it a shot.

4. Claim your Google My Business profile.

Claiming your listing gives you control over your company's information, images, location, and any other information your potential customers require.

Most importantly, it enables you to receive notifications for each new review, allowing you to view and respond to it following your communications response plan.

Consider the last time you purchased something from Amazon. Did you look at the rating or read any reviews before making your purchase decision? (We certainly hope so!) When researching your company or product online, customers go through the same steps.

Positive reviews influence new potential customers, while negative reviews provide an opportunity for your company to stand out. Negative reviews enable you to publicly improve a bad experience, offer a solution, and demonstrate the human side of your brand. Sometimes your reviews aren't just for the person to whom you're responding but for potential customers and a larger audience who might see them later.

5. Register the .net and .org variants of your domain name.
 

YourCompanyName.com may already be taken, but the.net and.org extensions may still be available. Someone could register them at any time and build a website criticizing your company or brand, or it could be a legitimate company competing for your company's SEO. There is always the risk that potential customers will confuse negative news or scams about the new or fake company with your company in the latter scenario.

To avoid this, register all possible domains related to your company (and if you're an executive, your name). It's a low-cost risk-management move, typically costing around $10/year per domain, and it could save you money due to uncontrollable circumstances.

How to Register a Domain Name for Your Website - pcmag.com

Here are some popular domain registrars to assist you in finding and registering domains within your budget and capacity.

1. Namecheap
2. Google Domains
3. HostGator

 CONCLUSION 

Having a positive online reputation is crucial for the success of any brand in today's digital age. To boost your brand's online reputation, there are some simple ways that you can implement.

First, it's important to monitor your brand's online presence regularly. This means keeping an eye on social media, online reviews, and other digital channels to see what people are saying about your brand.

Engaging with your audience on social media is another key strategy for building a positive online reputation. Responding to comments and messages promptly shows your customers that you value their feedback and are dedicated to providing excellent customer service.

Providing valuable content on your website and social media channels is another effective way to build a positive online reputation. By sharing helpful tips, informative articles, and other relevant content, you can position yourself as an industry expert and build trust with your audience.

Collaborating with influencers and other brands in your industry can also help to boost your brand's online reputation. Partnering with others who share your values and target audience can help you reach new customers and expand your brand's reach.

Keeping your website and social media profiles updated and professional is another important aspect of building a positive online reputation. Make sure your profiles are visually appealing, easy to navigate, and provide all the information your customers need to know about your brand.

Implementing a review management strategy is also crucial for boosting your brand's online reputation. Encouraging your customers to leave positive reviews and responding promptly to negative reviews can help you build a positive reputation and show that you are dedicated to providing excellent customer service.

Finally, being transparent and honest in your communication with customers is essential for building trust and credibility. If you make a mistake, own up to it and take steps to make it right. This will show your customers that you value their trust and are committed to providing a positive customer experience.