There are tens of millions of businesses on the internet. And more are coming on every day. The internet has levelled the playing field for all businesses in terms of visibility and customer reach.
Today most customers go online to get information before making a purchase. And so having an online presence puts you at an advantage and increases your chances of being seen.
But…
There is something that holds more sway on your customers online than your ads, content, promotions, and price.
Your brand’s online reputation.
Whatever you do, if your business has a bad online reputation, you will not be able to grow, increase your customer base, or make sales.
Your online reputation is how your customers see you and what they say about you on the internet. That reputation isn’t based on what you post on your website or the ads you put out. It is based on what your customers’ perspective is about your business.
And there is one channel through which customers like to express their opinion.
That’s right – Social Media!
Social media plays a huge role in your online reputation. Dare I say it is the key to controlling how people see and think about your brand. This makes social media crucial in your brand management.
Wait a minute, what exactly is social media reputation management?
Simple.
It is the use of social media as a channel to positively shape how your customers, and the general public, perceive your business.
This usually involves posting valuable content, paying attention to what customers are posting about your business, engaging with these customers on social media, and monitoring all social media platforms your business is on.
Let’s look at 7 points you need to consider in order get your social media reputation management right.
- Fix Any Issues That Could Ruin Your Reputation
In a crisis situation, soldiers run towards the problem while civilians run away from it. Sadly, many business owners take the civilian approach – they run away from problems. When a customer lodges a complaint online, they turn a blind eye or give a bland unhelpful response.
To properly manage your social media reputation, you must address issues as they come up. One unresolved issue is enough to severely damage your reputation.
If you find a negative comment posted by an angry customer, look into it. First, you need to respond to it. Apologize to the customer and let them know you are willing to make amends. You could ask the customer for a face-to-face meeting. Offer a consolation item to pacify the customer.
Taking this action shows your customers that you are really interested in them.
You can turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal one only if you take the right actions.
You need to pay attention to positive reviews/comments as well. Some customers may provide a positive review along with a suggestion. Responding by letting them know that you will seriously consider their suggestions.
- Post Relevant And Engaging Content
Content is king. Or should I say, relevant content is king. Social media is where people go to have fun and socialise, you should hang out with them. Post content that is both engaging and valuable. Your content should be useful, lively, speak to your customers’ pain, and align with your brand image.
Let your content be more about your customers than it about you. Being overly promotional can piss your customers off.
And when you do make a post, respond to your customers’ comment. Do not just dump your content and move on. Provide answers to questions about the post and appreciate compliments about the post.
- Listen To Online Chatter About Your Business
Social media is a big place. Tracking customer conversations can be pretty difficult. Listening in on customer conversations will give you an idea of what they think about your brand and what they want.
There are web apps that can help you track and monitor social media conversations, online reviews, mentions, and schedule a post.
Use what you hear in your customer conversations to improve your products or services. Your customers will thank you for it.
- Focus On Getting And Using Reviews Rather Than Follow Or Likes
Even though likes and follow are great, you focus should be on increasing your reviews. You need to monitor what your customers are saying about your business on platforms like Facebook, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and others.
Put more resources into getting more customer reviews and showing them to other potential customers. Having a good number of positive reviews can help you get new customers. A content posted by a customer holds more sway than the content you post, according to Forrester.
- Pay attention to these two giants – Google and Facebook
And for good reason. Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world and Google has the two largest search engines in the world. This makes them a force to reckon with.
They have the largest share of consumers searching for information about a product or a service. 63% of consumers go through reviews on Google before they visit a business. They also provide the largest platform where customers voice their opinions about your business.
- Share Your Reviews On Social Media
Want to control customers’ perception? Show them what others are saying about you. The more positive reviews about your business you post on social media, the more likely it is that people will want to do business with you.
It is one thing to tackle negative comments and try to turn them around. It is another thing to showcase your 5-star ratings. You can dampen the effects of negative reviews by posting your best reviews on social media.
- Use Social Media Data As Insights
Social media data, customers’ comments and reviews, can be used to understand what your customers experience with your business. Smart businesses look at the data and observe patterns. These patterns reveal a trend. This trend points to what the customers want.
If, for instance, the social media data shows a majority of your customers making comments using the term ‘apple pie’, it may point to a growing interest in your pie. You may need to investigate further to see whether they love your pie or can’t stand it.
Using this data, you can get actionable insight and make smart decisions that will improve your social media reputation.
It takes a lot of time and effort to manage your social media reputation. But it is worth it in the long run. A wise man once said, “A good reputation is more desirable than riches.” Make a good online reputation and watch your brand loyalty skyrocket.
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POSTED ON October 3, 2019Share:
