The reputation that follows your business, how people talk about it, and the first things that come to mind when they think of your brand can be more powerful than any advertisement or marketing strategy, so it might seem. A bad launch, publicity on a particularly bad customer engagement, or even a few negative reviews can taint how the public sees your business. So, what can you do to change the story about your business?
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Foster positivity
It’s a lot easier for customers to pick out negative reviews and responses when they are the easiest ones to see. Take the time to Google your brand and look at the results on review sites. If they are swinging a little too negative, then you can balance it out by getting some positive reviews in there. The chances are that your happy customers or clients would be happy enough to leave their thoughts: you just need to ask them. More people will actively go out of their way to share negative opinions, but your happy customers might respond well to a polite request.
Handle the negative
Negative reviews, posts, and articles can happen, and how you deal with them depends on the substance of the matter. You don’t want to go swinging into arguments with every negative review, but taking the time to address them and to offer to handle legitimate complaints privately can show your customers that you do care about their satisfaction, even if you can’t happily resolve every case. Reputation management services can help you take a harder line against falsehoods posted against your business, too.
Win the PR war
There’s a chance that you do a lot of things that could potentially net you some brand awareness and positivity in the eyes of the customer. This could include new product launches, winning awards for the company, working with nonprofits, or otherwise. Without a PR agency to help take advantage of the event to get the spotlight on your business, however, who knows if anyone is going to notice? Make sure that you’re always trying to get that attention with the help of professionals who know how to manage it.
Get some influencers on side
You don’t have to always try and grab the spotlight for yourself. Sometimes, you can make use of the spotlight that’s already on someone else. Influencer marketing has proven to be effective because influencers really do have some sway over the opinions and thoughts of their audiences. Working with the right influencers, you can have your products and services shown off in the best light. What’s more, you don’t have to work to build the audience, they come ready-made with the influencer. Choosing the right one is crucial, however, as the influencer’s audience needs to fit an audience that will actually convert into sales.
Above all else, you have to make sure that you’re able to live up to the brand that your business projects. Otherwise, your customers are going to see through the facade and your reputation will only start to suffer again.