Understanding Online Reputation Management

In the modern digital era, online reputation is gaining crucial significance. Thanks to the widespread use of the Internet, social networks, and messengers, more and more users share their feedback about various brands, products, or services promptly and easily each day. Consequently, reputation management in search engines, as well as understanding its sentiment, becomes a top priority for management. Today’s material will explain what online reputation is, how to determine online sentiment, and most importantly, how these actions can significantly increase customer loyalty (and hence profitability).

What is Online Reputation

Reputation is the impression that a personal brand or company makes on others. Online reputation, accordingly, is the image created in the digital space. Speaking of the importance of this indicator, it should be noted that, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) data, a company’s market value is directly linked to its reputation by 25%. Moreover, the globally renowned investor and business magnate Warren Buffet very clearly pointed out that “it takes about 20 years to build a reputation and only five minutes to ruin it.” And when it comes to digital reputation, it may take just 60 seconds.

Currently, online reputation management is carried out in several formats:

• SERM (Search Engine Reputation Management) focuses on continuous monitoring and influencing public opinion about the brand online. Its primary goal is to handle negative search results and reviews in the online space. SERM CEO reputation is built through search engine optimization, media content optimization, blogging, and social media management.
• ORM (Online Reputation Management) involves creating and/or improving web identity to maintain a positive online image. In other words, it maximizes positive and neutral content while minimizing negatives.
• SMRM (Social Media Reputation Management) relies on analysis and monitoring what your audience is saying and thinking about your brand in social media.

Why Online Reputation Management Matters

The nature of information flows online changes rapidly and unpredictably, ranging from enthusiastic brand reviews to fake news circulating on social media and Facebook, to maliciously crafted negative feedback from competitors. Moreover, 84% of people are inclined to believe all reviews they read online. This means that a well-established positive reputation can bring additional profits, while a bad reputation can lead to catastrophic losses for websites.

In addition to that:

• Online reputation management offers an extra advantage. Particularly, creating a positive impression about a brand not only helps it stand out among competitors but also expands its customer base. It significantly facilitates building and maintaining long-term relationships with both the target audience and contractors and partners.
• Managing online reputation is crucial for maintaining and safeguarding the online image. Responding to positive recommendations, mentions, or even negative comments can improve interactions and demonstrate the importance of every user to the brand. Timely tracking of negative feedback and handling it properly minimizes its impact on users and safeguards the company’s image.

The reputation of a brand depends on many factors, including a comprehensive approach to online image management and selecting the right format for engaging with the audience, including the target audience. One of the most critical tasks for any modern business is online reputation management, increasing brand visibility through positive reviews, and building and maintaining a positive reputation. Additionally, it’s crucial to correctly identify the tone of communications and adjust it promptly, especially when dealing with dissatisfied customers or facing information attacks.

Basic Steps of Online Reputation Management

In a very general sense, all brand image work on the internet can be divided into three stages:

1. Current situation assessment: At this stage, it is essential to qualitatively and comprehensively understand how the cold audience and existing customers perceive the company or personal brand. This involves conducting a comprehensive analysis of search engine results, identifying strengths and weaknesses, pinpointing sources of negative reviews, and determining a list of platforms for publishing positive content. Additionally, it is advisable to conduct a competitive analysis using automated tools or seeking help from professionals.
2. Measures for restoration and strengthening: This is an ongoing process aimed at improving the current situation, which includes enhancing the published content, developing a new marketing strategy, and other actions focused on optimizing search engine results. Special attention should be given to working with feedback platforms and social media, considering both the overall number of followers and their sentiment, response speed, and the completeness of replies to comments. For instance, according to data from the Clutch platform, the vast majority of users expect a response to their messages within a day. Consequently, delayed responses may trigger additional waves of negativity and reinforce existing sentiments. On the other hand, a swift response can significantly improve the situation and prevent conflicts from escalating.
3. Effectiveness verification of the taken steps: To implement this stage, monitoring is essential. Smaller brands may suffice with self-tracking of information, but for the vast majority of companies, a combined approach is necessary, where the use of specialized services is combined with a comprehensive evaluation of the situation by professionals

Reputation on the Internet and Its Sentiment

When discussing the online image of a personal brand or company, it’s impossible not to mention a crucial parameter – sentiment. Essentially, sentiment refers to the mood conveyed by publications and other materials. Broadly speaking, sentiment can be neutral, positive, or negative, but it is further divided into nuances. Tracking sentiment not only helps to control the current situation but also aids in understanding the effectiveness of reputation management efforts, making adjustments to the marketing strategy, devising effective measures to maintain the brand image, and gauging the demand for specific products and services.

Can Sentiment Online be Altered?

It is vital to understand that online reputation depends not only on whether customers like the brand or not but also on the perception of the potential target audience when they search online. Consequently, neglecting to manage sentiment leaves reputation control in the hands of dissatisfied users or competitors. As search engines increasingly rely on reviews, and local search becomes an integral part of online marketing, reputation management is expected to hold even greater importance in the future. So, can sentiment online be changed, and how can it be done effectively? One can start with simple tips provided by Google for businesses:

• Be courteous and avoid personal attacks. This recommendation not only promotes better interactions but also helps in defining the tone of voice. Engaging in disputes with disgruntled customers through insults seldom leads to favorable outcomes. Respond with helpful and clear answers that align with the local culture’s norms and policies.
• Keep responses concise and straightforward. While some users may require more elaborate answers, such communication is better suited for offline or private conversations. Start with simplicity.
• Thank reviewers. Respond to positive feedback by complementing it with new or relevant information.

In addition to these tips, specialists at ADVES emphasize the importance of often overlooked recommendations:

1. Set up and maintain proper accounts. The first step in creating a positive online reputation is ensuring you have accounts on major review platforms and other websites where your customers or potential clients can leave comments. This allows you to receive accurate information, provides space for publishing positive content, and facilitates mention monitoring.
2. Be active on social media. Social media platforms are often the best portals for engaging with customers, enabling easy access to answers to their questions or additional information about your brand, and allowing them to provide feedback.
3. Maximize social media usage. Merely being active on social media is insufficient. To safeguard your reputation, it’s crucial to use all built-in features wisely, such as setting up automatic alert streams that notify you whenever someone posts messages on specific topics or keywords (e.g., your company name or product trademarks).
4. Respond promptly. Regardless of how well a company is managed, instances of dissatisfaction and negative reviews are inevitable. It is essential to respond promptly and skillfully to such messages, allowing customers to witness the company’s customer communication policy. Even in cases where false information is spread, it’s advisable not to delete the information but rather to provide evidence of the falsification.
5. Be proactive rather than just reactive. The best approach to reputation management is to be proactive rather than reactive. Encourage customers to post positive reviews and share positivity more often 

Conclusion

When discussing what brand reputation is, it is essential to mention the most crucial aspect: it is a metric that can constantly change, depending on both management actions and external factors. A positive image is often perceived by users as a norm. At the same time, negative impacts not only result in significant losses but also leave a lasting negative impact over time. 

For instance, United Airlines lost over 1 billion dollars in market value after a video of forcibly removing a passenger from an overcrowded flight went viral, amassing over 1 million online mentions in a single day and garnering more than 100 million views. The crisis occurred in 2017, but it continues to be regularly mentioned to this day.

Similarly, Nestlé’s clash with Greenpeace led to the temporary closure of its public page due to negative comments, including a modified version of the KitKat logo with the word “Killer” added.

Mistakes in reputation management, as well as a lack of understanding in determining the sentiment’s negativity, can cost a company dearly. On the other hand, proper and consistent work in this direction can not only prevent reputational crises but also improve positioning, products, and services, undoubtedly leading to increased user loyalty and profits. If you want high-quality and effective online reputation management for your personal brand or company, contact us today and discover the power of skillfully created reputation.