Your reputation will determine whether you, as an individual professional or a small business or even a major corporation, can succeed. Now with the social media making its way rapidly, with spontaneous online reviews, it’s vital to manage your reputation if you want to protect and grow your status. But how does reputation management work, and how can you keep your good name?
This blog will uncover the nuts and bolts of reputation management, dissecting tactics, tools, tips and tricks, to help you understand exactly, and in detail, how does reputation management work so you can be behind the wheel of your own story. By the end, you’ll have a better grasp of how you can track, impact, and protect your personal or brand rep.
What is the meaning of Reputation Management?
Reputation management is the influencing and/or control of an individual’s or business’s reputation. It includes online and offline methods and tactics to make sure that your brand matches your essence and mission.
Though the idea itself is not novel, the migration to digital mediums has made reputation management much more complicated. Today online reviews, search engine placement, twitter, facebook and other social media all contribute to the public perception. A few searches or clicks, and your reputation can skyrocket or spin out of control.
The Importance of Reputation Management
Unless you are working at home alone, your reputation is key to the following:
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Trust: Reputation gives credence to customers, clients, and partners. It reflects in a positive manner any of the good deeds and work that you do.
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Growth: Perceptions = business opportunities, top talent, and partnerships.
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The Business of Health: With instant access to information, even small problems can blow up. Good organization reduces damage in emergencies.
But without management your reputation remains purely to chance, allowing potential customers to see you in a bad light or your competitors to jump up in their place.
Major Elements of Reputation Management
Reputation management is about having a number of different strategies all in place so you can work to shape and protect the vision you hold of yourself.
Monitoring Your Reputation
Before you can manage your reputation, here’s what you need to do: Monitor what others are saying about you!
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“Google Your Brand” – Feedback Matters: A brand’s search results display its public opinion. Look for positive and negative connections.
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Review Sites: Yelp, Google Reviews and TripAdvisor—to name a few—can be game changers for trust.
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Social Media: Monitor your name and hashtags related to your business.
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Press Mentions: Check periodically for online headines and articles mentioning your company (set up Google Alerts or the equivalent).
Applications such as Brand24, Mention, and Hootsuite make it simple for you to monitor your digital footprint and notice trends as they are happening.
For Establishing a Good Reputation
The most effective defense is a good offense. Proactively building trust and goodwill can help minimize the fallout when things go wrong.
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Exceed Expectations: Regardless of whether it’s a product or service, or someone’s personal effort, exceeding expectations repeatedly creates sustainable loyalty.
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Ask for Reviews: Most content customers do not leave reviews providing unless prompted. Ask for reviews at the right time, when customers are happiest (making them more likely to return a favourable review).
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Express Core Brand Values: Highlight the things that your brand stands for the most with content, PR and community programmes.
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Produce Content: Blogs, videos, thought leadership, etc. enhance your authority and connects your audience.
You want it where good mentions of your image or brand will swamp and outnumber any negatives.
Dealing with Feedback Well
Reputation management involves more than just singing one’s own praises; it is also about knowing how to manage criticism.
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Negative Reviews: Reply to bad reviews with understanding and options. Just indicate that you’re concerned and try to be professional about it.
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Respond to Constructive Criticism: Feedback can point out necessary improvements. Doing so will build your reputation over time and let others answer for their own issues.
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Magnify the compliments: Post great reviews and testimonials on social media. Celebrate success stories.
When criticism is addressed and learned from, perceptions in the public change.
When Your Image Needs an Overhaul
The sooner an error or crisis occurs, the more damage can be limited with immediate, thoughtful responses.
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Admit Mistakes: They should own up to their underhandedness with an authentic explanation. Honesty garners respect.
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Apologize Correctly: Issue an apology when and if you should, and do so genuinely.
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Propose a Fix: Enumerate clear actions that are being done to avoid the same in the future.
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Bring in the Big Guns: PR agencies and/or reputation management consultants can improve your standing during tough times.
Recovery is time-consuming and challenging, yet a transparent and customer-oriented manner is half the battle.
Management and Sustainment in Use
It’s not a one-time move in the game of reputation management. It’s an ongoing process that needs to be nurtured and adapted.
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Continue to watch health trends that are influencing your brand.
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Keep the great stuff fresh and updated (blogs, customer stories, case studies).
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Twitter and Instagram are your friend, don’t be a stranger.
Platforms for Reputational Management
Managing reputation requires accuracy and consistency; assets like this tool are worth their weight in gold. Top platforms to help keep you in check:
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Google Alerts: With this you can track your name, business, or keywords to see where they are mentioned in the media.
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Hootsuite (or another social media manager): Monitor and manage all your social platforms in one place.
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Trustpilot/Yelp (or other similar portals): Assist businesses in managing and boosting reviews on their respective platforms.
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SEMrush (Reputation Management Toolkit): Monitors and reviews online content results to increase search rankings.
Cases of Reputation Management IRL
Example 1. Starbucks Controversy Squalsquawks!
When online videos showed racial profiling at a Starbucks, the company was the subject of public outrage. Their proactive response, which included issuing public apologies, retraining employees and closing stores for an employee education day, helped to dampen outcries and highlighted the companies’ ride-or-die approach to values.
Example 2. Nike’s Social Impact Initiative
For many years, Nike has been known to use its voice to advocate for inclusion and social justice. Their Colin Kaepernick campaign divided opinion; however, it cemented them as a brave, purposeful brand.
These cases demonstrate how reputation impacts the customers’ perception of the brand with positive and negative events, whether in success or adversity.
Why You Need Reputation Management
Reputation management is no longer a luxury in the digitalized world we live in. Your reputation follows you regardless of if you’re running a small business, freelancing, or managing a giant corporation – it defines the future! Leaders can look around the corner, take a proactive response and be more effective strategizers to build trustworthiness and maintain the lead.
Take Action Today
Now that you understand the basics of reputation management, it’s time to manage your image. Begin by monitoring the dialogue about you and taking a strong position on how to keep that dialogue positive.
Need assistance with reputation management?
Check out pro services or platforms that fit with your goals and begin defining the way people perceive you — or your company.
