Building a small business can seem simple when you’re just starting. Maintaining a positive online image is crucial.
Negative reviews online, unhappy customers on social networks and embarrassing photos can all damage your online reputation.
Here are some tips and steps to help you protect your online reputation.
What’s online reputation management?
Online reputation management can seem a bit too complicated and long. What is online reputation management? It can sound a little too complicated and broad.
ORM is a common name for it. ORM is a common term.
It is better to keep a positive online reputation than to fix one.
Google Search Results For Your Brand Rule
When someone searches for your business on Google, the last thing that they want to see is a list of negative reviews left by unhappy customers.
There are steps you can take if you find that searching for your company’s name returns poor results.
1. Help customers who are unhappy to smile again
Do not be surprised if negative reviews about your company appear on the first page of search results.
You can ask unhappy customers to resolve their issues.
2. Encourage positive attitudes
It can be difficult to be an entrepreneur. However, positive reviews make it worth it.
3. Start blogging!
If you have enough indexable material, you can become the small-business owner that dominates search results when your business is searched on Google.
Google values fresh content and will reward your blog for updating your website with new blog posts. You will have more opportunities to appear in search results for business-related queries. Blog posts not only help potential customers locate you, but they also protect you against negative reviews and other content that might appear in search results.
4. Sign up to become an “official” user on social media
It is important to ensure that your brand is found on Google. Search engines will index all your social media accounts including your Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook profiles.
Even if your goal is to use social media only for marketing purposes, you must have control over your accounts. Why? If a customer is unhappy that your company has no official Instagram or Twitter account, they may decide to make one for themselves. This could be detrimental to your brand’s reputation and also result in you losing the opportunity to own your name on these platforms. And let’s face it @yourbrandname looks a lot more official than something like @yourbrandname1235 or @yourbrandnameOFFICIAL. Get your social media handles as soon as you can.
5. Social media can be your ultimate listening device
Negative comments are not the best way for customers to complain about you on social media. Customers who have left negative reviews will not be able to leave feedback.
If you aren’t using social media for customer service, it’s worth learning how to respond to customers’ messages.
Social listening is the act of monitoring and responding to social media conversations about your brand.
6. Accept unsolicited feedback with grace
Customers can also give honest feedback via social media. Treat raw feedback with respect, and consider it an opportunity to improve your brand’s long-term success.
Sometimes harsh feedback is just what you need to make positive changes for your brand, and for the way it works.
7. You must respond quickly
Customers should respond quickly to comments. It’s important to make customers feel at ease by being there and building trust.
8. Transparency in all communications
Being an entrepreneur requires being able to answer difficult customers’ questions honestly even though it may seem difficult.
Being transparent is not the same as being blunt. Customers would prefer to hear a clear “no” rather than be annoyed at a policy. Don’t waste customers’ time.
Transparency means being open about your mistakes and admitting to them. If you have to apologize, do so and try your best to make everyone happy.
