Reputation management seems to be becoming a thing of the past. The era of responding to crises with reactive strategies is over; now is the time to discover how a brand can use a proactive approach to transform its reputation into a valuable marketing strategy. There are several steps you can take to launch and maintain an effective reputation strategy, and regardless of the size of your organization or its resources, each of these steps plays a role in increasing lead generation and customer retention.
Reputation is built on aligning user-generated content with the brand’s message, so it’s essential to know where this content is being shared. The number of channels available to foster this interaction is constantly growing, and more ways to share online mean that brands need to identify these channels and quickly join the ongoing conversation before unsupervised content has a chance to impact brand perception.
To find out where these current and potential customers are, there are a few questions to consider:
How would I start my search to find this product or service? What kind of search terms would I use?
If I didn't know any brands, how would I find the best options?
If I were a dissatisfied customer, where would I share my opinion?
If I were satisfied and wanted to recommend an organization or an offer to others, where would I go?
Where are my competitors being discussed, or where do they interact with their customers?
These simple questions help brands identify countless channels that offer opportunities to engage with current customers and prospects. By identifying the platforms customers use to research their purchases, the team can pinpoint additional opportunities where increased visibility can help reach consumers with a more defined purchase intent. The opportunity to build a more effective relationship with the public, to listen to customer feedback, and to engage with customers who are dissatisfied with competitors is immense.