Online Reputation Management
There are many misconceptions about online reputation management. Many people think it’s just social media monitoring, while others believe it has something to do with public relations, and still others literally have no idea how it can impact sales and business.
In this guide, I am going to show you the role of online reputation management in today’s business and media landscape. Industries of any size can benefit from having a clear outline of its main concepts.
They Are Talking About You
A few years back, the Internet was very different. Companies were not engaging their potential customers but just selling to a passive audience; people could not express their voice in a powerful way, and the overall communication landscape was very “top-down.”
The situation has radically changed these days. Today, a website is no longer static brochures. User-generated content is a important. And regular interactions on the social platforms are vital to any business success.
Doesn’t matter the size of your business, they (prospects, customers, clients…anyone and, potentially, everyone) are talking about you. They are tweeting about your new product, leaving a comment on your blog, posting a Facebook update about their customer experience, and many more.
If you think you can skip these, or if you think you can make it without taking into account people’s voices, reviews, and opinions, think again.
The Transparency Risk
One of the most important and recent business commandments is “Be transparent.” Opening up to any type of feedback and criticism seems to be beneficial for companies that embrace this new communication mode with their audience.
What does being “transparent” mean? Here are some examples:
- Allowing employees to talk about services and products publicly.
- Establishing a 1to1 communication channel.
- Asking for their feedback.
Easier said than done! Most medium and small-sized companies do not invest much in communication, and they struggle with this concept. As a result, their efforts usually are inconsistent or incorrect.
Being transparent is too risky. But in the long run, being not transparent is riskier.
