Importance of Reputation Management – A Yoono.io Guide

Yoono discusses the importance of reputation management

Not many businesses think about reputation management until they have to face a serious reputation crisis. In fact, reputation management is a long-term, gradual process that is just as much about prevention as reaction. In this article, weʼll look at why a reputation management strategy is not only important—but critical—for organisations to implement, and how successful reputation management can impact positively on the business overall.

Weʼll also take a deep dive into the definition of online reputation management, looking at why it is so important to maintain a positive brand reputation in the age of digital technology. Youʼll also find actionable tips for how to protect your company reputation, as well as how you can build a more positive reputation online and offline.

Read on to discover:

1. Why is Reputation Management Important?

2. What is an Online Reputation?

3. How to Manage Your Online Reputation: 5 Actionable Tips

Why is Reputation Management Important?

There are many misconceptions about the definition and value of reputation management. Some people think that in order to manage your online reputation, all thatʼs required is to monitor what people are saying about you on social media. There are others who think that reputation management means dealing with public relations and managing reputation from a PR and/or Marketing Communications angle. There are also those who understand what reputation management means but are unsure how it impacts on company revenue and the overall success of your business.

A company is no longer only present at their headquarters or points-of-sale, or even on their own website. Sites are no longer stand-alone entities, with consumers able to post onto different sites, forums and social media accounts to share their opinion about a business. Opinion, both positive and negative, is more visible than ever before, and can be easily published and circulated without any input or control from the business.

Your online reputation can be easily damaged if search results bring up negative reviews or unfavourable press coverage. According to a Brightlocal consumer survey , 91% of individuals aged 18 to 34 trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and a huge 96% of customers specifically look for negative reviews. With so much information (and other options) to hand online, customers are becoming more discerning and informed.

With this in mind, reputation management is important because it strives to build a more positive online reputation when people look for your business, products or services. It is not simply about reputation damage control—it is a proactive, long-term approach that means a business has a better reputation generally, and is more resilient and prepared in the case of a reputational crisis.

What is an Online Reputation?

Online reputation, or e-reputation, refers to the reputation of a company, individual, product or service as it appears online on the Internet and on other digital platforms, such as social media apps. An online reputation is the overall opinion that the public holds about an individual or an organisation, and can be assessed as positive, negative or neutral by searching for the person or business on a search engine.

There are a few different things that can impact on a brand reputation, which include:

1.Reviews

Reviews of a product, service or business can be left on a range of websites and social media platforms by both existing customers and prospective or non- customers too.

You might think that reviews are out of your control, but by offering good customer service and being approachable and responsive to both good and bad reviews, you will ensure that your efforts will build towards a positive reputation over time.

If you receive a bad review at a poor time, it can really damage your brandʼs reputation and have a knock-on effect on sales and revenue. As such, it is important your business keeps a close eye on any and all feedback left by customers, so that you can effectively manage your reputation.

It is not only customer reviews that businesses need to be aware of. Current and former employees now have opportunities to post reviews of their employer online, on sites like Glassdoor, which means that before people accept a job opportunity, they are able to read what workers have said about your business to gain insight into your ethos and attitude. If you have a large number of poor reviews from former employees, which could even point to evidence of a toxic work culture , this can effect the ability of the business to hire quality candidates in the future.

2. Social Media

On Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook and TikTok, people talk, potentially sharing posts, comments, videos and reviews that could impact on your online reputation. Social media posts and comments are permanent unless the uploader

removes them, so itʼs extremely important for businesses to monitor what is being said about them and respond in a fast and effective way that serves to maintain your brandʼs positive reputation.

3. Technological Issues or Hacks

If your business website or facilities go offline due to technological issues, or perhaps your systems suffer a more serious data breach, these events can represent more than a short-term inconvenience for you and your customers. Customers may be unable to purchase products, access services or be concerned about the privacy of their data, all of which can equate to damaging your businessʼs good reputation.

While tech problems can and will arise as an inevitable part of running an online business, you can offset the reputational damage these issues can inflict by offering fast and effective customer support, whether itʼs temporary IT support through a contracted company or a faster response time through support.

4.  Defamation

Defamation refers to false or exaggerated information about a business or individual being posted or circulated online. Critical blog articles or negative YouTube videos created by disgruntled customers, employees or even competitors can quickly go viral, and while you might know the information contained in the content is false, viewers will be unable to separate fact from fiction.

Defamation is illegal in the UK and as such it is possible to request that false information about your business is taken down by the online platform and/or creator. Of course, you will need to know about the defamatory content in the first place in order to act on it, which is why it is important to carry out frequent searches of your business and monitor activity online relating to your company.

How to Manage Your Online Reputation: 5 Actionable Tips

The process of online reputation management is relatively straightforward, with the foundation of having a good online reputation being that you monitor and listen to what people are saying and then respond to them in an appropriate way. Sounds simple enough, no?

With this in mind, how do you actually go about this? Managing your online reputation can be done by observing these five steps:

1.Monitor Social Media

Today, some form of social media is used by almost everyone, businesses and individuals alike. Complaints, feedback, reviews and all things in between will be posted on these platforms.

Itʼs a wise idea to set up alerts for social media tags and mentions that relate to your company, to stay informed and able to react as and when necessary. But keep in mind that negative content about your business may not purposefully tag or include your own social handles, so you will also need to monitor social media channels manually on a regular basis.

2. Look Out for Attacks or Defamation Online

If a customer, former employer or competitor is determined to defame your brand, they have multiple methods to do so, and it is important to recognise when an attack is taking place in order to address the issue promptly.

Negative reviews can have a detrimental impact on acquisition and conversion, and while one bad review may be outweighed by numerous positive ones, itʼs important to maintain a strong ratio of only rare bad reviews to a much higher volume of positive ones.

Hate sites are websites or social media accounts dedicated to sharing negative content about a business or individual. While some or even all of the information shared may be false or even illegal, these sites can do a lot of reputational damage, as well as in some cases creating a ripple effect of reputation damage across other websites and social media accounts.

Negative press coverage can have a very detrimental impact on how people view your brand, especially as expose-style journalism is often considered to hold more weight and authority than social media content.

For all of the above, you should put a firm plan in place for dealing with each type of attack, or consult a professional reputation management company [link] to advise on the best strategy for each, given the context of particular situations.

3. Ask Customers to Write Reviews

One of the best ways to combat negative reviews is to obtain some positive reviews. If you have a customer who is happy with their experience, then you should be sure to ask them to leave a review.

You can provide incentives to leave reviews such as a discount code, competition entry or free gift. In doing this you are not only improving your reputation, but you are also taking steps towards client retention.

4.  Share Positive User-Generated Content

Having good SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and content marketing can be very effective in improving your reputation. For example, uploading (well-written and relevant) blog articles that use high-ranking keywords will ensure that this content is the first thing prospective clients will see as opposed to negative comments.

When writing or commissioning articles, focus on providing content that is genuinely helpful and offers something fresh to readers. In doing so your company will start to be seen as a voice of authority, building a sense of trust into your business.

5. Use Reputation Management Tools and Experts

Reputation management doesnʼt have to involve a shot in the dark. There are reputation software tools available to help you build a stronger reputation from the inside of your organisation. For example, a smart screening tool like YOONO allows you to research the individuals you want to hire and collaborate with, ensuring that only people with good reputations are brought into the fold.

When in doubt, or facing a particularly large reputation management task, you can also turn to specialised reputation management companies who will offer expertise and strategies based on their experience of helping companies in the past.

Where to Begin with Reputation Management? Look Internally First…

As we have discussed in this article, reputation management should be a long- term, carefully considered process rather than a reactive sticking plaster! With the right steps in place, you can start to build a positive reputation that remains solid, even when your business experiences inevitable knock-backs.

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