Managing Brand Reputation and Responding to Criticism
In the internet age, managing your brand’s reputation is a requirement for finding long-term success. Any misstep you make will become well documented and you might find yourself losing potential customers if you don’t actively respond to any criticism your pre-existing client base might hurl at you.
Reputation Management Tips
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Monitor online reviews
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Take feedback constructively not negatively
Benefits of Review Management
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Build customer loyalty
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Turn happy customers into advocates
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Turn negative reviews into opportunities
The quickest and most efficient way to see how your brand is being perceived by the public is to make a quick google search. Type your brand name into google’s search engine and, just like that, it’s all there.
The first place that you are going to want to check is the Google reviews section. Google reviews are a very easy way for anyone to quickly vent their frustrations with your business, provide heavy praise, and everything else that’s in-between. It’s a great way to get insight into valuable feedback. If you don’t have many (or any) Google reviews, then start asking your clients to rate your services. Future customers are more likely to choose services from a business with many positive reviews over one with none at all. It provides a sense of professionalism and gives an automatic sense of trust.
If you read multiple reviews of your (for example) pizza chain and they all mention that you have dirty bathrooms, the best thing you can do is respond to their complaints in a respectful manner and try your best to meet their requests. This will show that your company is always willing to grow and improve and builds a healthy relationship with your clientele.
It is never a good idea to lash out at a customer, even if you feel that you are truly in the right. Not all publicity is good publicity, and if your brand gets a reputation for being rude then your profits will absolutely suffer as a result. With modern technology, information, especially negative, spread faster than it ever has before.
You can put forth every possible safety precaution to ensure that your brand’s name is well-loved and respected, but sometimes it is not always in your control. Sometimes a false rumor will spread like wildfire and tarnish your brand’s reputation in a matter of hours. In a circumstance like this, the best thing you can do is, to be honest, and address the situation respectfully. It’s a good idea to have a PR team that is always ready to put out any fires that might start to catch on.
The importance of having a tool to manage your online reviews in the current business landscape cannot be understated. Most people consume nearly all of their information from social media. Making sure that your brand has its own social media personality and identity is crucial. Having at least one person focus on promoting your company is a fantastic idea.
