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MANAGE YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION

If it’s written online, it’s there forever. 

The digital age has been upon us for several years now, so there’s really no excuse when it comes to managing your online profile. Consider a ‘brand’ – your reputation can be damaged by the slightest faux pas, and actually, destroyed by the more significant ones. We are in the age of people losing their jobs due to appropriate activity online, either whilst in the office or at home. 

This comes back to playing the Long Game. If you tweet, blog, comment on forums, or update your status on social media networks, stop for a second and think about what your manager would think if they read it, and how it would be perceived. Then think about the owner of the company would perceive it in your future aspirations. 

Look beyond today; think of your online brand presence as your own ‘brand’ and act accordingly online. 

Also, remember that your brand could potentially be damaged by the inappropriate behavior of someone with the same name as you – learn the basics SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to help neutralize such effects. 

 

Be Smart Online

  • Your online presence on social media platforms plays a significant role in how others view your business. Your social media presence can basically make or break your brand.
  • If people are happy with you, your brand, and your business, others will know. If they aren’t happy about how you manage certain issues, others will know this as well. 

  • Monitor your social footprint

    Facebook and Twitter are two of the most popular social media platforms, but they aren't the only ones out there. Perform regular searches on your brand name or product on each platform to get an idea of what people are saying about you. In addition to being able to respond to problems, you can gain valuable insights into consumer sentiment toward your brand. Remember to check all relevant platforms, not just the ones on which you have an active presence.

  • Respond to people promptly

    If you have a social media presence, people expect you to be sociable. When your customers reach out to you on social media, they expect you to reply quickly to their query. Even if it's something you can't solve immediately, at least acknowledge them. If you're posting content, engage with people who post comments to cultivate a lasting relationship with your audience

  • Ask for Google and social media reviews

    Online reviews are powerful tools, especially for attracting customers early in the buying cycle. If you are making your customers happy, ask them to post reviews to express their views and increase your collection of reviews. If you have a large customer base, create an email marketing campaign to encourage customers to leave reviews. More people will leave a review when asked. If you're having trouble getting reviews, incentivize the process in your campaign with a giveaway or competition

  • Encourage brand advocacy

    You can use social media to cultivate a base of strong brand advocates. Give your audience a reason to follow and engage with you by sharing content they enjoy, starting discussions with them and hosting competitions. Encourage your audience to share their content too: User-generated content, like reviews, is highly valued by customers and social media users. You can encourage brand advocacy internally too. A firm set of social media guidelines for employees should detail the culture and nature of their online references to your brand in an open and honest way.

  • Be transparent

    Transparency builds trust. Given that anyone can find everything you've ever said online, trying to cover up the truth has serious backlash potential. Practice honest communication and marketing on social media. Always admit your mistakes, because if you try to cover something up, it will be found out sooner or later. If someone complains to you on social, don't delete or hide the comment; address it. Remember, millions of eyes could be watching

  • Set goals

    When setting goals for your media presence, the first thing to do is ask yourself why you are on social media in the first place. Your answer shouldn't be "because everyone else is on it." Though the overarching purpose is to improve awareness of your brand, your actionable goals should be more specific. For instance, say you want to increase the Instagram responses to your product by 25% by the end of the second quarter. Remember, your goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound).

  • Know your audience

    Identifying your target audience is critical in any attempt to manage your social media presence. Once you are aware of your audience's wants and needs, you will be better equipped to understand your own presence on social media. You'll know which platforms work best for your brand and how to speak to your audience on each specific platform. Careful cultivation of your brand's online reputation can increase your sales and positive sentiment toward your brand. People expect businesses to engage with them on social media to at least some degree, so it's important to do it right. Avoid the pitfalls, because the world is watching!

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