Don’t Shy Away From Reputation Management
Many CEOs, business owners and marketing managers have an ‘old world’ view of communication – where they control the message. Web 2.0 is a whole different ball game and unfortunately some businesses see this as a threat rather than an opportunity when it comes to reputation management. We often get requests such as:
‘How can I get rid of this bad review that comes up when someone types our brand into Google?’
‘I’ve got a negative comment from one disgruntled customer on Google places. It’s so unfair, how do I remove it? Google won’t do anything to help me.’
Negative feedback and publicity is not a new phenomenon. Neither is reputation management. What has changed is the increased power that consumers now have to speak directly to a mass audience. Every business needs to come to terms this and learn how to use it to their advantage.
Getting your SEO to work for you
If your SEO and SEM strategies are well thought out and well executed, the occasional negative comment online won’t make it to the first page of Google. If you want some assistance with this, please get in touch as it the absolutely crucial foundation to your successfully presence online.
Getting your online community to work for you
The most sure fire way to get a good reputation online is to provide outstanding service and the means by which your happy customers can share their positive experiences. Make sure you understand which social media platforms are the right fit for you business and be active in those spaces. Web 2.0 is wonderful in that users don’t just like to spread negative experiences. They are just as keen to be proud and loud advocates for products and services they love.
How to respond to negative feedback
If you run a service business that you know is listed on directory and review sites, it is worth setting up Google Alerts (or similar) so you are informed when your brand is mentioned online. This way you can keep tabs on what is being said about you.
Don’t delete negative remarks, unless they are obscene or slanderous. This looks defensive.
Don’t ignore negative comments. It’s not necessary to respond to every one. If someone just didn’t love your burgers, that’s okay. But if a specific complaint is made about service or a dodgy product you need to respond. Be judicious with your words. It’s never wise to respond when angry. Address the problem directly, make amends if necessary and use the communication to demonstrate your commitment to your customers.
Let loyal customers handle some of it for you. Web 2.0 is alive with contradictory opinions. For every five people who hate the latest Cohen Brother movie, there will be ten people defending it. If your negative reviews are just a matter of taste, discerning online readers will be able to tell and will be curious to try something for themselves.
Learn from famous case studies
A controversial app claiming to ‘cure’ homosexuality was released via iTunes in February 2011. After an online petition protesting the app accrued more than 150,000 signatures, Apple removed the app from its store. Swift, decisive action as part of Apple’s ongoing reputation management.
In 2010 Toyota managed concerns about defective gas pedals via Twitter, tweeting that any customer who had recently purchased the model in question could take it into a dealer and get a loan replacement car until the problem was fixed.
When web hosting company Codero had a power failure that affected their servers, they immediately communicated with customers via Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Many customers logged complaints about websites being down. Just as many people passed on positive comments and referrals about the speed at which Codero responded and communicated.
Ironically, for all the messaging and information Web 2.0 delivers, we are moving out of the marketing age into the product age. This means a focus on delivering the best possible product or service. You will be judged by your customers and if you do well, they will do the marketing for you. Do a poor job and that’s the word that will be spread. You can’t control the message, you just need to listen, be transparent and respond quickly.
