subject: Easy Steps For Managing Your Online Reputation [print this page] Recently I was working on a client's search marketing campaign. Within a few clicks it became apparent just how important monitoring and managing your reputation online can be.
Contributor sites like Yelp, CitySearch, Insider Pages & Google Local make it very easy for anyone on the web to write and publish a review about your business. You might be thinking, "That's great! We really strive to provide great service, an awesome product (fill in the blank)."
But what about the deadly combination of that one customer that received bad service, slipped through the cracks and likes to talk? You may provide great service 99.9 percent of the time but one negative review or comment can spread like a nasty virus. You've worked for months, even years to build your brand, don't let one disgruntled person wipe it all away.
Fortunately my client's online reputation was all very positive but one of their main competitors had numerous scathing, negative reviews and comments that I would guess they no nothing about.
Steps to Improving Your Online Reputation:
Acknowledge that reputation management is a process not a one-time project.
Monitor what people are saying about you:
First of all, in order to take action against negative comments about your business you need to know that they exist. If you don't know they're out there how can you possibly respond quickly and effectively?
Use the right tools for the job:
One free tool that I like is WhosTalkin.com. This site lets you search social media conversations. Their search and sorting algorithm uses data from over 60 social media websites like Twitter and WordPress.
Another essential tool for managing your online reputation is Google Alerts. Google Alerts is an extremely useful tool when you want to know what both consumers and the press are saying about a brand, company, issue or event, or, if you want to know how the public feels about something. Setting up Alerts is easy. Simply go to Google News and click on the "Alerts" button in the left hand column, choose the word or phrase you wish to monitor, what kind of alerts you want and how often. You can edit and add new ones whenever you like but remember to use quotations to designate an "exact search" if you are monitoring a phrase rather than a single word or you'll get a lot of irrelevant results. Google Alerts can be useful to track the evolution of a news story such as the recent BP oil spill or follow an industry trend. I use it to track SEO trends and product news. It can also be very useful to track the competition and as a reputation management tool. For example, if a disgruntled employee bashes your business on a blog site you will be notified and you can take action.
Responding to Reviews:
What should you do if you find a bad review?
Find out who wrote the comment. Who are they? Who do they work for? Is it a competitor? Try to determine what their comment will mean for your business? Is the comment posted on a well-respected, heavily trafficked site? What is their audience reach?
Determine whether the comment is factually incorrect. If it is, request removal or retraction of the comment. Offer to keep the person who wrote the comment up to date on your business via email. If you receive no response leave a comment in your defense at the site. Keep in mind that this should be your last resort. You really want the comment removed.
What if the comment is negative but true?
Try to share your side of the story. Were there extenuating circumstances that kept your business from performing well that day? Note: Don't make excuses. Show how you are resolving the issue. Did you make an additional hire to help assist customers? Did you change a policy or procedure? Indicate that you are willing to take additional questions or comments via email. Doing so will make the public conversation private.
What can a positive review do for you?
Other than giving you a nice stroke and ego boost, a positive comment can have a positive effect in your local search rankings. Local search rankings are influenced by the number of reviews and citations the business has. Citations are "mentions" of your website. Keep in mind that citations may not include a link to your site.
Action Items:
1. Setup Google Alerts on your company name and/or your key executives
2. Claim your business profile pages on review sites like Yelp & CitySearch so you can respond to negative reviews as a business owner
3. Craft a response for negative reviews
There are lots of great tools for managing your online reputation. Begin the process by finding out what people are talking about. Good luck managing your online reputation!
by: Lisa Hirst Carnes
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