In the digital marketing world, reputation is everything. For some people, reputation doesn’t matter much. However, if businesses have a negative reputation online, it will turn off potential customers and even the existing ones. Therefore, there is a need to focus on reputation management. It’s the process of creating a positive perception. The goal is to make the business more popular to many people and make them feel the need to purchase the products and services offered. Maintaining a positive reputation isn’t easy. The good thing is that the company can use reputation management software to help in this regard. It’s also useful to understand the potential mistakes that could hurt the business. These are some of them.
Not having a strong strategy
The problem with maintaining a positive reputation is that things can change overnight. Just because the business has a good reputation today doesn’t mean it will stay the same forever. Something wrong may happen, and it would immediately change how people perceive the business. Even established brands also experienced this problem. A single mistake in the marketing campaign can erode people’s trust. Therefore, not having a strong online reputation management strategy would be a disaster. When something wrong happens, there’s no way for the business to respond and change the narrative. Like any other aspect of online marketing, there should also be a clear reputation management strategy that the business follows.
Failing to respond to negative reviews
One of the goals of reputation management is to reduce negative reviews or deal with them. The problem is that the company can commit mistakes in both ways. It’s possible not to address these concerns at all. If negative reviews continue to spread online, people will have a negative perception of the company. They will also believe in issues that are inexistent or incorrect.
Conversely, the company might have an aggressive response to every negative review. While the response is necessary, the strong approach might be terrible. Instead of appeasing the person who left the review, it could create a more negative impression. It’s even worse for those who saw the interaction and responses. They might think that the business doesn’t care about the customers and their concerns. The point is that there should be a good response to every negative review. The business should maintain a professional tone in clarifying the concerns. Apologies might also be necessary if the issues are correct. There also needs to be a promise for improvement in future partnerships with the company.
Ignoring positive feedback
Some businesses are quick in responding to negative reviews, and it’s a good thing. It’s important to stop them from spreading right from the start. Otherwise, it will be too late. However, the problem is that some companies don’t focus on responding to positive feedback. It’s just as important as responding to negative reviews. When people say something good about the company, they should at least get a thank you. The company needs to show appreciation for the feedback given. Not everyone will go out of their way to say something positive about the products and services. Most people are too busy and wouldn’t even consider writing reviews. It’s also encouraging for those who left positive reviews. They will consider writing good words in the future if they feel appreciated. Don’t forget to highlight the good things said by the person who left the review. Those who come across the reviews and interactions will most likely remember the highlighted ideas.
Posting fake and incorrect reviews
It’s a big no to post fake and incorrect reviews to boost the company. There should be strategies to entice more people to leave positive reviews. However, if they don’t, there’s no need to post fake reviews. It’s easy to spot reviews coming from people who didn’t really try the products and services. Sometimes, the exaggerated tone will also make readers believe that the reviews are inaccurate. They will think that the company paid someone to leave these reviews, and reliability is on the line. Saying something negative to other companies is also a strategy to avoid. If they use it, it’s their choice. However, there’s no need to fight fire with fire. Again, readers are smart enough to determine the quality of the reviews and their authenticity. They will refuse to believe anything that doesn’t sound right. Besides, in this age of disinformation, it’s irresponsible to write fake reviews.
Lack of authenticity
People will trust businesses that are authentic and relatable. There should be changes to highlight the brand and guarantee that it’s authentic. For instance, there’s a need to replace all the stock photos with real images. While these stock photos are free and won’t have any issue if used for legal purposes, they don’t appeal to any potential customer. No one would think that the images are convincing enough. The content should also be authentic. Avoid writing exaggerations since they will turn off potential readers. While the company wants to profit, there shouldn’t be too much focus on making money. If people keep getting ads telling them to buy the products and services, they will feel turned off. Instead of becoming loyal customers, they might decide to look for other choices. Another way to show authenticity is by giving rewards and prices. Offering promotions and discounts would also be an excellent strategy. Again, it’s crucial to make the people feel that the business is only after their money. They also want to get something from the company without the need to pay.
Using reputation management software and asking for help from experts
Maintaining a positive reputation takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s crucial to ask for help from experts. They know what to do to make the business more appealing. They can even use quality reputation management software to help identify positive and negative reviews online. It’s easier to respond to them with the use of this software. Tracking the success of reputation management strategies is important. The business should focus on improving weak areas and making the most out of the positive ones.
Written by Scott Weathers
