Brand Reputation Management Tactics:
Social media has exploded in the last ten years! We have seen various social media platforms
start out, explode, fizzle, or boom. (Sounds like we are talking about fireworks instead of social media, eh?) Many companies thought it was great to gain fans and have more “likes” and that everything would be easy. What many may not have anticipated is that today’s consumer is using the web and social media as a
platform to voice both love and hate with brands. Let’s explore what that looks like and means.
Consumers now have a huge platform to express their viewpoints. People use Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and so many more to express frustration with company policies, bad experiences, and poor customer service. Public reviews of companies and establishments often come up as one of the top entries in a search result on top search engines. Younger generations will often decide their restaurant of choice with the help of good and bad reviews on Yelp and UrbanSpoon. The internet and social media platforms have made it easy for people to feel like they have a voice.
We should not be shocked by this phenomenon of negative press. The whole point of “social media” revolves on the premise of people interacting. That is not always pretty. How you handle it is what makes the difference.
First, you can’t ignore it. Do you want complaints to be the first thing people see when they Google your company? Do you want other people seeing complaints ignored on your Facebook page? Of course not! You must be monitoring your company’s online profile on a regular basis.
Second, you have to respond, and with tact. When people see that someone addressed their issue or complaint with the company, they not only feel like they’ve connected with a real person, but so does everyone else who observes this. Make sure you are careful of the way your words come across. You may feel anger and frustration from the review, but keep your cool!
Repuation Management & Improve Your Online Reviews
Finally, embrace these negatives and turn them into positives with strategic reputation management. The dialogue with bad reviews can really do wonders to heal a consumer hurt. You have the opportunity to gain back trust in these situations. Also, if you see patterns in the issues or comments, perhaps there is a true issue you need to address. This may lead to
improving your company image in a huge way.
Don’t get stressed with the negative press: change it! Now is the time to embrace the organic dialogue that the web and social media platforms have created in our world. We at understand that it can be overwhelming to think about monitoring your social media accounts. We love helping companies manage their social media accounts daily. Let us help you monitor and grow your digital and social media presence today!
If you’d like to talk more about ways to better manage your brand’s social presence, let’s talk!