In the business world, the opinion of existing customers plays a big part in giving future customers to the company. A survey states that 85% of buyers prefer online reviews and decide based on them. Therefore, every company needs a complete Online Reputation Management (ORM) strategy to foster its brand.
What is Online Reputation Management?
Online Reputation Management or ORM services are professional services aimed at monitoring, managing, and improving the online perception and reputation of individuals, businesses, or brands. The primary goal of ORM services is to influence public perception positively by addressing negative content, managing online reviews, and promoting positive aspects of the entity’s image.
This post will help a brand devise the perfect ORM strategy for its business.
Why Does Online Reputation Management Matter?
Be it a person or a brand, a positive word about them raises their trust and credibility. So, only when a business has good reviews—the more, the better—people will start trusting the brand and buy more of their products and services. A brand with an unfavorable name is more likely to face detrimental effects in its industry. Thus, it is always important to monitor, analyze, and maintain a positive outlook for your brand.
Recognizing this, we at Infinix, one of the best branding companies in Chennai, take ORM management seriously. We employ a multifaceted approach to enhance and safeguard a brand’s digital image. Firstly, we utilize advanced monitoring tools to keep a vigilant eye on online platforms and other digital spaces where discussions about the brand may occur. This real-time monitoring enables timely identification of any negative mentions or potential issues that could impact the brand’s reputation.
Elements In Online Reputation Management
Generally, there are six areas of improvement in ORM online reputation management. A brand must embrace all these areas to improve its online reputation effectively.
Monitor The Current Reputation:
All companies have their own set of social media profiles on various platforms which are already filled with people’s various perspectives. The primary purpose of this step is to observe such interactions. It will help understand the current reputation that the brand holds and how the target audience is reacting to the brand’s message. The online reputation management companies would regularly monitor major social media platforms where your brand is active. This includes platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others. Use tools like Google Alerts, social media listening tools, or dedicated ORM tools to stay informed about mentions of your brand.
Craft A Strategic Approach:
Online Reputation Management (ORM) involves analyzing the sentiment and tone in online discussions regarding your brand, aiming to pinpoint opportunities for enhancement. This analysis helps crafting a personalized ORM strategy for your brand.
This strategy should involve specific activities to leverage positive sentiments and rectify negative perceptions through appropriate engagement with the user. It is a very proactive approach that demands constant effort. Infinix, a top social media company in Chennai can help you with analysis and improving areas that need attention and refinement
For example, A video featuring Indigo staff who manhandled the passenger went viral and Air India used this opportunity for its brand by adding slogans such as We raise our hands only to say or UnBeatable service. This timely strategy by Air India went viral and got a lot of positive responses for the company.
Creating Positive Content:
An integral aspect of effective Online Reputation Management (ORM) involves strategically developing and distributing favorable content, highlighting your brand’s inherent strengths and positive customer interactions. These interactions include testimonials, reviews, and positive mentions on different platforms. It is imperative to craft and promote content that leverages the positive aspects of your brand, thereby building a robust and favorable online presence.
To create positive content, you must identify your brand strengths and unique selling points. Through this step you can set yourself apart from the competitors. Also, include the brand’s achievements, milestones, and success stories. In addition, incorporate positive testimonials and success stories from satisfied customers. Develop case studies illustrating how your products or services have positively impacted your customers.
For example, a simple positive review: “I recently purchased a laptop from XYZ Electronics, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. The product exceeded my expectations in terms of performance and durability. What impressed me even more was the exceptional customer service.” I can recommend the brand to potential customers. Such testimonials can be featured on the brand’s website, social media, and other platforms to build a positive online image.
Engagement In Social Media:
An integral aspect of ORM involves proactively interacting with your audience across various social media platforms, ensuring swift responses to comments and timely resolution of concerns. By actively engaging with your online community, you foster a positive digital presence and demonstrate a commitment to customer satisfaction. Effectively managing your online reputation entails more than just monitoring; it requires a dynamic approach that involves addressing feedback promptly and engaging in meaningful conversations.
Actively create and share positive and engaging content on your social media channels. Respond quickly to comments, messages, and reviews. Address both positive and negative feedback professionally and promptly. When dealing with negative comments or reviews, avoid being defensive. Instead, address the issue, apologize if necessary, and offer a resolution. Take the conversation offline when appropriate to handle more complex issues privately. Show that you are attentive and value customer feedback.
Repairing The Reputation:
One of the steps in the ORM activity is a brand will know whether it has a favorable outlook or not. If it is the latter, then the next step would be to repair the brand’s reputation. It includes all activities, such as deflating any negative posts, comments, or other elements that might seem unpleasant. While doing this, a brand should also promote more positive content and press releases. It will work cohesively and increase the reputation of the company.
For example, the CEO of ZenDesk mentioned its competitor FreshDesk as a “freaking rip-OFF”. However, the competitor, rather than getting into a review war, confronted the brand’s positives and its products in a website called “ripooffornot.org”. Thus, it is always fair to confront positive reviews for every unfair fake comment.
Building The Reputation:
Removing negative discussions and posts will not be sufficient to ensure a positive brand reputation. As seen above, a company must collaborate with the community or influencers of your industry to maintain your brand’s name. It includes activities such as identifying key influencers and communities, building a robust relationship with them, and creating valuable content. Also, the brands can host webinars or events featuring community leaders or influencers. By strategically collaborating with influencers and actively engaging with your industry community, you can enhance your ORM efforts and build a positive online reputation.
The same example of Freshdesk above proves the point of how you can build the reputation and stand apart from the competitors.
Tools & Resources Required For Effective ORM
Mention:
Mention stands out as one of the finest ORM tools for monitoring websites and social media channels. Its user-friendly and straightforward interface provides comprehensive information related to target keywords whenever someone mentions your name and more. When individuals discuss your brand, Mention social media tool tracks that information and promptly facilitates access to data through its applications. Additionally, it incorporates a sentiment analysis feature, categorizing comments as positive or negative to swiftly identify issues.
Google Alerts:
Google Notifications is a service for identifying alterations in content and notifying users, provided by Google. When the service identifies fresh outcomes corresponding to the user’s search queries, such as web pages, newspaper pieces, blog entries, or scientific studies, it dispatches emails to the user. Hence, it establishes notifications for references to your brand in news articles and blog posts.
Brand24:
Brand24 lets you identify prevailing trends swiftly, communicate with specialists, or pinpoint the most captivating subjects. Utilize these perceptions to formulate a marketing approach and discover motivation for material or influencers to collaborate with. It supplies immediate monitoring and examination of online brand references.
Reputology:
If you want to safeguard your reputation with an efficient and single reputation management tool, Reputology is an ideal choice. It is one of the online reputation management tools that effortlessly examines and oversees brand reviews across the internet. Reputology, assist in monitoring reviews on industry-specific sites, such as healthcare or real estate, and enable you to respond to these reviews through their application. Another notable aspect is its capability to convert negative reviews into customer service tickets, facilitating effective monitoring.
BrightLocal:
BrightLocal provides you with the instruments to achieve a superior ranking, enhance your standing, and produce increased traffic and potential customers through regional exploration. It assists in overseeing your online visibility on local search engines and directories.
ORM Strategies For Various Industries
Online retail:
In this industry, it is essential that owners concentrate on consumer reviews and testimonials. It is also essential that there must be active participation on social media platforms for the enhanced brand name.
Approaching the reputation management company here would be a good decision, since the volume of products and services in a retail industry is very high.
Healthcare Services:
In this industry, similar to the above, prioritize testimonials from patients, evaluations of physicians, and informative materials. Actively engage with patients on social media, showcasing positive testimonials. Optimize your website for accurate information. Encourage satisfied patients to leave reviews and testimonials. Provide educational content to establish expertise and trust.
Business-To-Business:
In the realm of Business-to-Business (B2B), effective ORM management is vital. Establish a robust online presence through professional platforms, actively engage in industry forums, and showcase expertise through insightful content. Monitor and respond promptly to customer feedback, emphasizing transparency and reliability to build trust within the B2B community.
Academics:
Firstly, maintain an active and professional online presence through platforms like LinkedIn. Regularly update academic profiles and showcase achievements. Respond promptly to any online reviews or comments, addressing concerns professionally. Encourage positive reviews from students and colleagues to enhance credibility and reputation.
Hospitality:
Effective online reputation management for the hospitality industry involves monitoring reviews on platforms like TripAdvisor, promptly responding to customer feedback, showcasing positive testimonials on the website, and actively engaging on social media. Implementing a proactive approach to address issues and consistently delivering exceptional service helps build and maintain a positive online image.
Every ORM activity is unique. It must reflect the business goals, and only when it does—can the campaign be effective. Maintaining a positive online reputation is paramount in the business landscape, where the opinions of current customers significantly influence potential ones. Tailoring ORM strategies to specific industries ensures that each business aligns its ORM activities with its unique goals.
Partner with infiniX360 for a top-notch digital marketing agency in Chennai to craft a compelling ORM strategy for your company. Our expertise guarantees a strategic and tailored approach, maximizing your brand visibility and fostering a positive digital presence in the competitive landscape.
