Online Reputational Management (ORM) is vital to any business. One poor Google review or post (whether justified or not) can have a significant impact on your business. With social media such a popular channel for people airing their views, you could have a serious problem if that one person with a negative experience of your brand happens to have thousands of followers.
In today’s digital age, the trust people have in your brand is one of your most valuable assets. As a business owner, deciding where to focus your efforts can be an overwhelming challenge. You must maximise the impact of your actions, expand the reach of your brand, improve your market sway, and all the way increase profits. One blow to your business’s reputation can undermine all your hard work.
Without further ado, here is what you can do to preserve your business’s reputation online!
Acknowledge negative feedback
If you do receive some negative feedback, be sure to acknowledge it. That way, other people checking your reviews can see that you’re proactively managing the feedback, rather than burying your head in the sand and ignoring what’s been said. Whenever possible, continue the discussions offline to try and reach a resolution or compromise.
Net Promoter Scores
Your business can no longer rely solely on traditional ways of delivering on your promise and providing great customer service. You need to think creatively. That’s why many large corporations are using a Net Promoter Score (NPS) as their key non-financial metric. It simply asks, “How likely are you to recommend us?” This is a consistent measure, which over time builds a clear picture and speaks to the value of trust and reputation.
Having processes in place to improve customer service or business efficiency is key, but not to the extent that such processes become convoluted. It’s certainly possible to become so fixated on processes that the customer is forgotten, and the purpose lost. Think of the customer’s needs and assemble an appropriate solution. Build a framework of simple, flexible policies for your business, rather than 40-page documents.
Ask not what your customer can do for you
To build credibility and trust, focus on what value you can bring to a customer and not what they can do for your business. Include articles, blogs, and case studies on your website that focus on addressing common customer issues, and take some spotlight away from your products and services. Remember, the golden rule of content marketing is to focus on the customer. Offer answers to their questions and solutions to their problems.
Another powerful way to build a positive reputation is to help people connect. Recommend other contacts who may be able to help your customer. Introduce them. Build a network that will help your customer or prospect with something you can’t necessarily assist them with. This will leave more than a lasting impression – it’s a great opportunity to build a strong network around you and shows that you make a good faith effort to help everyone who comes through your door, even if it doesn’t mean closing a sale.
Trust is the foundation of your business’s reputation
Trust is the key word when doing business. Technology and social media offer powerful tools to help your business reach its target market, saving you time and effort in the long run. Combine these modern tools with the fundamentals of building effective relationships and you’ll be positioning your business well for continued success.
