Photo by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash
Social media can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to your company’s online reputation.
The opinions of followers, customers and clients are crucial to a brand’s online presence. Good reviews and conversations about your products and services can boost sales. Conversely, negative interactions can lower consumer trust and confidence, which could ultimately lead to a loss of revenue.
The importance of social media reputation management cannot be overstated. Like any type of reputation management, brands need to follow specific rules in order to maximise their knowledge of what is effective and what isn’t.
1. The Impact Of Social Media On Your Company’s Reputation
You can’t ignore conversations about your company’s repute. When it’s working for you, it’s magic – it grows your audience and improves your reputation, but when it isn’t, just one bad customer interaction can ruin your online presence.
The power of social media marketing lies in building your brand image. According to Scout Social, 55% of consumers are interested in learning about new products or services through social media. Brightlocal suggests that 67% of consumers will consider leaving a review for a positive experience, while only 40% will do so for a negative one. A crossover of 33% will consider both. They also indicate that 49% of people trust online reviews as much as friends, family and colleagues’ recommendations.
2. How Does Social Media Reputation Management Work?
Your reputation on social media is primarily determined by how you interact with your clients and customers. This is where social media reputation management comes into play.
Through social channels, companies can positively impact consumer opinion. It includes monitoring, developing and optimising customer relationships through the different platforms. As with other aspects of your business, managing your social media presence should be strategic and aligned with your business objectives.
3. What Steps Should You Take To Manage Your Reputation On Social Media?
How do you manage your social media reputation? The following strategies can help build and repair your brand’s repute:
Get a sense of where you are. In order to change, you should understand. This can be determined by:
- The content of social posts, tags, mentions, hashtags and comments
- Google and Yelp reviews and ratings
- Mentions in industry-related online publications
- Digital customer feedback in surveys, emails and website contact form responses
Take the time to examine everything – the good, the bad, and the ugly. You should also check all your social media platforms, even if you are not active on them. It is impossible to boost or repair your online reputation if you are unaware of what is happening. Additionally, social media listening software can help you evaluate how your company is doing online.
Create a response process: The worst time to decide how to handle an issue with online reputation is in the middle of it. Establish protocols ahead of time to deal with social repute threats – the who, what, when, where and how. Responses should be prompt, respectful and thorough. Personalise it and explain how you are resolving their concerns. Thank them for their feedback and apologise if you made a mistake – ensure that all team members understand the policy.
Control the narrative by being positive and proactive: A good offence is often the best defence. Credibility is built before you need it with a solid social media strategy. Post engaging content regularly and engage with your followers consistently. Publish positive reviews on your website and social platforms to encourage followers and clients to write reviews.
Monitor your ROI: After prioritising your social media reputation, monitor its impact on your business. Take customer feedback into account when making changes to your strategy and approach.
Don’t hesitate to seek help: There is a lot at stake in your online reputation, so if it needs help, whether building a positive or repairing a damaged presence, don’t tackle it alone. Invest in the help of experts. It will likely save you time and money and result in a better outcome.
Here at The Brand Collective, we are not only able to assist you with your online reputation, but with your overall marketing strategy. No one understands your business quite like you do, but our social media strategists are well-versed in the nuances of the digital environment. Combined, we can help you meet your business objectives through customised marketing solutions.
For more information about our social media services and how we can help your brand, reach out to us today.
