The market today calls for more online brand monitoring than ever before. As trends continue, we will see more and more review sites appear. There are many surveys and statistics that show how much consumers are influenced by online reviews. Some studies suggest that up to 90% of purchasing decisions are influence by online reviews [1]. One bad customer experience can now create such a buzz through online resources that your business strategy and success can come crashing down. In this article you will find tips and resources to help get in front of your brand’s reputation online and appear positively in front of the consumer.
Don’t Ignore Your Customers
One of the biggest mistakes made by companies is ignoring the problem and hoping it will go away. Here are some shocking numbers: 79% of customers who posted complaints online were ignored by the company and 50% of consumers give a brand only one week to respond to a question before they stop doing business with them. Also, 89% of consumers started doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience[2]. There is a huge opportunity to identify these customers and resolve the issue, before you sacrifice a customer.
How to Identify Missed Opportunities
Keeping up with your brand online can be difficult without the right tools. Google Alerts is a really proactive way to stay informed. This is a free service provided by Google that sends you notifications when keywords about your company are indexed by Google. You can select the words and decide how often you would like to receive notifications. Here is the link to set up your Google Alerts .
Twitter is one of the fastest growing social media outlets out there. Tweet Alarm allows you to get an alert every time someone “tweets” about your company. This simple notification can help you increase your follower interaction tremendously.
You can also try searching for your company. Try changing your geographic location in your search engine’s settings to see if other areas are pulling up different results (they will be). You should do this approximately once a week. It won’t take more than 5 minutes to do a simple sweep to see if your company is listed on websites, blogs, directories, or review sites that weren’t brought to your attention through Google Alerts or Twitter Alarm.
Blog
Blogging is a great opportunity for a company to create a positive brand image. It allows consumers to see a company on a more personal level. The content of your blog doesn’t have to be strictly promoting your company. In fact, content should be more directed towards information that your consumer would find beneficial. People who read your blog aren’t going to just strictly be potential customers; it will also be a mixer of new, old, and potential customers. Your content should reflect this ratio evenly.
Not only will a blog help promote your brand; it is a good resource for SEO too.
Keeping up with your brand can easily be compared to keeping up with your laundry. Doing a little maintenance and “cleaning” will make things easier in the long run. Letting your name get run through the mud with consumers for a long period of time will take a great deal of effort to repair compared to addressing each situation as it arises. As the old saying goes, treat your customers the way you want to be treated.
Be sure to check back frequently for more tips and tools. You might also find our article on 5 Things on Your Site that Make Your Business Look Bad beneficial to understanding your brand. Also check out an earlier article on Getting Positive Reviews Online for additional tips for positively influencing your brand’s online reputation.