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7 Ways to Improve Your Online Reputation Management Strategy

Posted on 19. Dec, 2011 by Ashley Zeckman in Blog, Reputation Management, Search Marketing, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Social Media, user-generated content

Is your reputation management strategy a turn off to your customers and critics?

Should we respond, get angry, fire back, ignore the situation, censor comments, or just see what happens?  Those are some of the many questions that marketers are faced with today.  With more and more consumers and customers turning online to share what they think of a particular brand or company it has become increasingly difficult to capture everything that is being shared.

In April of this year Yelp.com reached 50 million users with over 17 million reviews on their database.  If you are a professional responsible for online reputation management it makes you wonder how many other means are there for your customers and critics to share their opinion about your company.

According to a recent infographic created by Digimind 47% of American companies’ net worth is tied up in intangible assets like brand equity and reputation.  That being said there are two questions that I would like you to ask yourselves:

• Do you know what your customers,competitors, and critics are saying online about your brand?
• Do you have a plan in place to respond to negative feedback?

If you answered no or maybe to either of these questions then there are some things that you should know.

You Gotta Cover Your Assets.

Step one is knowing where you are present online. Step two is devising a plan for using those assets to your advantage.  The state of online reputation management today calls for more than a company website.  Try leveraging your social media channels as a way to attract, engage, and inspire positive feedback about your organization.

[It] is Not Just About Control.  It’s Also About Letting Go.

You are in control of what you post, where you’re present, and how you react to questions or comments.  Make sure that your online approach is aligned and consistent for each platform.  It is impossible to censor every negative comment and piece of information you have online.  Instead respond consistently and appropriately when you do find negative information.

The Rules of Engagement.

Should an issue arise I recommend you have influencers in your corner.  If you take the time to properly build and cultivate relationships online you will be prepared with an army behind you to approach the subject when and if it happens.

The First Rule of Fight Club is: You Do Not Talk About Fight Club.

If your approach to reputation management involves not talking about or planning for negative press then perhaps it’s time to rethink your strategy.  Managing your personal or company reputation head on will show that you have listened and that most subjects are not off limits.

Please Don’t Take a Turn to Negative Town.

Counteracting negativity with negativity is a recipe for disaster.  If you can, try to take a positive approach and do your best to present your case online if you deem necessary.  If you believe that a formal response is in order, maintain a positive outlook and show that you are open to feedback and will address comments head on.

There Are No Mistakes, There’s Things we do, and Don’t Do.

Learning from the mistakes we have made is key in improving a reputation management strategy.  Perhaps you responded poorly to negative feedback.  To avoid making the same mistake twice devise a plan for addressing issues and shedding a positive light on your organization.

Well, I Guess We Can Close the File on That One.

False.  Ongoing monitoring of your online reputation is key in protecting your assets online.  Consider implementing some cost effective solutions that enable you to monitor issues in real time for quick response. It is important to not only monitor your brand name but also products, the company, and key executives.

Not Sure How You Rate?

If you have a few moments I recommend completing the survey below.  I am curious to know how our readers would rate themselves or their companies when it comes to addressing online reputation management.  I would like to share the results on the TopRank Blog in a future post to see how our readers are addressing issues currently and provide additional tips on reputation management for the future.

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5 Reputation Management Lessons from Prince, Dell and Beyond

Posted on 30. Aug, 2011 by Geoff Livingston in Blog, Guest Posts, Reputation Management, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, social media books, Social Media Crisis, social media operations

Excerpted From Welcome to the Fifth Estate

Difficulties arise. Mistakes happen. Reputations become tarnished — this is the way of the world, particularly when an error occurs after a company brand achieves a leadership position or a human being becomes famous.

As we’ve seen time and time again, when a problem is avoided or “hushed up,” the blemish becomes more pronounced. But when the setback is embraced, reputation damage can be ameliorated and in some cases, even reversed.

While an enraged Fifth Estate creates accelerated brand damage for organizations, conversational media can mollify angry customers or perturbed fans with direct interaction. Further, demonstrating responsiveness can help reputation management via online searching. When people see response to criticism and a commitment to resolve issues after public outcries, they are much more likely to believe the company cares about its customers.

Perhaps the most storied example of this is Dell’s magnificent use of its blog when laptop batteries were literally blowing up, setting their laptops on fire. By embracing the issue, Dell went a long way toward resolving the matter and defusing anger directed at the brand. Robert Downey Jr. and MC Hammer (an online media star in his own right) are great examples of individuals who recovered their reputations after being tarnished.

On the other hand, failure to engage creates its own issues. Pop icon Prince found out that the worst way to handle these situations is attempting to force fans (and commenters) to retract statements. Message control in social media environments doesn’t work; two-way conversational capabilities have permanently closed the door on that strategy.

Prince Hears No Evil?

When Prince tried to shut down three united, fan-generated sites to protect copyrighted material, fans dug in their heels. One fan wrote to prince.org:

“The more I think about it, I say just drop him, remove all content, let him have his way. It’s obvious he doesn’t want us as fans anymore, so why should we want him?”

Instead of quelling the storm, actions like Prince’s attempts to control the use of his image and media tend to incite increased hostility.

When a crisis occurs, successful communication efforts employ factual, timely updates. Organizations admit their fault and take public steps to address the issue. Such times can offer a company the opportunity to shine and actually build goodwill with its community.

Some of the lessons learned from all of these incidents include:

1. Respond promptly.

Days are too long when minutes and hours can create an uprising on the Internet.

2. Acknowledge wrongs or problems and the steps taken to correct them.
3. Publish a co-joining statement on their blog or website.
4. Don’t apologize and then repeat your errors.
5. If someone is complaining, and the company can’t effect change, acknowledge their remarks. Make them feel heard.

Remember that smaller members of the Fifth Estate matter, too. A common mistake is to ignore remarks on blogs and social networks with less traffic, assuming they’re too small and don’t matter. What if a more influential blogger or a journalist reads a small site and picks up the story? Influence is also determined by who reads the post, not just by quantity of readers.

Note:

Since writing this chapter, it has become clear there is a new type of reputation issue that occurs in our increasingly polarized culture. Those are the bonafide critics who exist in every circle. They will never or likely rarely agree with you.

It is a mistake to simply say haters are going to hate. Because critics are not trolls, they cannot be ignored. Just as President Obama has to acknowledge Tea Party criticism, it is wise to address issues raised by the opposition. You may feel personally opposed to this, but your customers may not be able to delineate between you and your critic’s perspectives.

Like engagement with a negative commenter, state the facts, and if you believe you are in the right, simply let it stand. In marketing a brand, an overtly strong defense can signal complicity. Address questions, be right, be confident, and move on.

An excerpt of Welcome to the Fifth Estate was reprinted with permission by Geoff Livingston and Bartleby Press. All rights reserved