Reputation management is the practice of monitoring and influencing the public perception of an individual or brand. It involves monitoring the reputation of an individual or brand on the Internet, focusing mainly on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The goal is to address any content that may be harmful to the reputation and use customer feedback to try to resolve issues before they damage the individual's or brand's reputation. An important part of reputation management is suppressing negative search results while highlighting positive ones.
For companies, reputation management usually involves an attempt to bridge the gap between how a company perceives itself and how others see it. Effective reputational risk management starts with recognizing that reputation is a matter of perception. The overall reputation of a company is a function of its reputation among its various stakeholders (investors, customers, suppliers, employees, regulators, politicians, non-governmental organizations, the communities in which the company operates) in specific categories (product quality, corporate governance, employee relations, customer service, intellectual capital, financial performance, management of environmental and social issues). A strong positive reputation among stakeholders across multiple categories will result in a strong and positive reputation for the company as a whole.
The first step in managing your reputation is listening to what people say about you. It is important that this person is free to speak on behalf of the company. If you respond to harsh criticism, you should know that the person making the response understands the vision and voice of the brand. Responding also gives you a chance to set things straight.
Reputology surveyed its customers, who reported that 80% of disgruntled customers were won by the right answer. Make it clear that you're listening. Better yet, name the person who answers. Customers are more likely to feel that they are taken seriously when they receive their response from a real human being, not from a robot.
If you notice a mention of an influencer during your online reputation audit, contact them and thank them for the mention. It can be useful to use reputation management software, especially if you work for a small or medium-sized company with limited PR resources. In addition, companies with a strong positive reputation attract better talent and are perceived to provide more value in their products and services, often allowing them to charge a premium. Working to create a work of respect is more important than any other commandment of online reputation management.
It can also be helpful to have a crisis management plan within your reputation plan to take action in situations that quickly escalate, are difficult to control, and can leave responsible parties frantic and fail to meet standard guidelines. So, you need to focus on all channels where your brand is mentioned and try to manage your reputation across all of them. Brand reputation management is the process of monitoring how consumers perceive your business and taking strategic action when necessary to improve your brand image. Use online reputation management to strengthen the positive image of your brand that you have worked so hard to build.
The growth of the Internet and social media led to the growth of reputation management companies, with search results as a fundamental part of a customer's reputation. Just a decade ago, things like public relations and reputation management seemed matters of concern to big companies and famous personalities. A good reputation will increase your popularity and help you interact with your customers like never before. A proactive approach to the issue is to monitor your public reputation regularly, and not just when you learn about a specific event you are facing.
Online reputation management is a combination of techniques and strategies that positively influence the online perception of your business. Today, reputation is based primarily on what artificial intelligence systems like Google portray about you, rather than on the first-person experience. With careful online reputation management, American Eagle could have avoided a dissatisfied customer and very negative public feedback. SEO is critical to increasing your visibility but it can also be used to influence your online reputation.
