Online reputation management (ORM) refers to the process of monitoring reviews and comments about a person or their company mainly through social media watching. For example, monitoring Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. When it comes to ORM, many business managers make mistakes.
Here is a review of some of the most common ones and how you can avoid them.
Not being aware that you have an online reputation
If you don’t know you have one – and you do – how are you going to be able to do anything to influence it? If you really don’t have the time to keep up with your online reputation, use a review checker service. They will monitor it for you and make sure that negative comments and reviews do not show up where you least want them. They can also make sure you get more favorable reviews where you do want them.
Ignoring complaints
You can’t please all of your customers all of the time and sometimes they are going to give you negative feedback. The worst thing you can do is ignore them. They are not going to go away and if you don’t address them it’s going to look bad to other people who read them. The first thing to do is apologize if their complaint is reasonable. The next step is to take the discussion offline and talk to them in private over the phone or in person. This will prevent the risk of further damage to your reputation.
Ignoring good reviews
If someone pays you a compliment online, you should thank them, just as you would if someone complimented you in person. ORM is not only about damage control, it’s also about boosting positive reviews and making the most of your online presence. Not only is it good customer service to respond to good reviews, Google rewards that kind of activity with better exposure. Not to mention the fact that it builds confidence in potential customers.
Not participating in social media
If a potential customer wants to find out about you, they will turn to social media. If your business is not actively managing social media profiles you will not be able to influence their choices. You should participate in several social media channels – at least Facebook and Twitter – and post often and consistently, so you can show your company in the best possible light. If you don’t have time to spend on this every day, use an automation program like Hootsuite so you can schedule your posts.
Posting fake reviews
Don’t do it. You will get found out eventually and then your reputation will be in tatters. Google My Business uses sophisticated algorithms to filter out reviews posted by users who are not active on their sites. And don’t bother getting friends and family to write reviews, it looks obvious and it’s worse than having no reviews at all.
Expressing your personal opinion
Don’t make the mistake of posting comments or opinions about your personal views or what’s happening in your personal life. Stick to business. Discussing personal or controversial issues like religion or politics often turns people away from your company. Your posts should always be relevant to your business. Try to maintain a neutral tone at all times. Keep your personal accounts separate.
Being inconsistent
They key to building a good online reputation is consistency. Once you have people following your social media page, you have to give them a reason to continue to do so. Post on a regular basis. Don’t disappear for days at a time. Schedule a routine so you can interact with your followers on a regular basis.
Having an incomplete profile
Many Facebook and Twitter profiles don’t have a description or picture or even a URL. Take the time to fill out your profile, this will give visitors much more confidence in you when they visit your site. Make sure you add all your business information like your location, business hours, and a description of what you do.
Having unrealistic expectations
Don’t imagine that you’re going to get several thousand followers in just a week. Building up a following takes time. But if you stay consistent and make interesting posts that people will like and share, you will soon see your following expand.
If you manage your online reputation wisely and don’t make these common mistakes you’ll soon have a loyal community behind you
