Online Reputation Management

Companies that specialize in online reputation management help companies connect with their customers and develop client loyalty. They help businesses create trust utilizing the full range of tools available on the internet, particularly those associated with Web 2.0.

By combining years of experience in advertising and marketing coupled with the power of the social web, these digital advocates are able to assist their clients in gaining useful insight into how their customers think and interact online. They then take that knowledge and create an effective strategy to optimize a company’s visibility, traffic, interaction and online branding and reputation.

They often have a strict processes for gaining maximum efficiency by focusing on the following areas:

Achieving Higher Visibility (Image Creation)

Increasing your visibility on the internet will serve to benefit both your online and offline business goals. The key here is to effectively utilize all available assets to include your company’s website, news releases, articles, images, and any other multi-media sources.

Raising Brand Awareness (Online Branding)

Increasing your online visibility also serves to publicize your brand online and increase the publics’ exposure to your branding strategies. The goal here is to be visible in a variety of contexts on the internet. Using your complete portfolio of online assets and being visible in multiple ways helps your brand message to be seen by your target audience and create brand equity and brand awareness.

Managing Reputation Online (Reputation Management)

Search engine results say a lot about your company, your brand and your reputation. Your online reputation is no longer about your website but rather about what internet users will see listed about your brand when conducting online searches. With the appearance of Web 2.0, consumers have become active players on the internet who can create, organize and broadcast information on their own through blogs, message boards, social news sites, taking part in wikis and through giving reviews of your products and services on consumer opinion platforms. If a company decides not to prioritize communicating on the internet, its customers and users will often do it for them effectively making them the voices of companies.

Digital Influence Networking (Digital Advocacy)

While traditional media still has the greatest influence on attitudes and consumer behaviors towards companies, the internet is increasingly important when looking at companies, brands, issues and products. Digital Advocacy Networks are created using multiple layers of communication with the goal of educating targeted audiences and mobilizing key constituencies online to advocate a company’s products and services (an on occasion to assist with an online or offline issue). A successful Digital Advocacy Network requires companies create meaningful digital interaction with a relevant and receptive target audience. In this context, conversations must be open, honest, two-way and ongoing. In many ways they resemble a conversation with a trusted friend. Advocates play a critical role in igniting enthusiasm among clients and potential clients who help a company build momentum while at the same time influencing the opinion of others in a person’s own personal networks.

Online Crisis Management (Crisis Communication)

For companies, crisis is defined as any situation that is threatening or could threaten a company, seriously disrupt business, damage reputation or negatively impact company profits or share value. Noted American businessman and philanthropist Warren Buffet has noted: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it”. Whether crisis occurs online or offline, the internet plays a key role in the successful resolution of the situation. In some instances direct intervention is necessary; in others the more indirect use of positive buzz is more appropriate. An effective Crisis Management Strategy involves optimizing all the tools available on the internet, particularly those associated with Web 2.0. Peer review, particularly online, is becoming increasingly important and the effective and timely creation of an online crisis management strategy is vital for any company’s success today.

An effective Online Reputation Management program will have the expertise to successfully manage all of your strategic communication needs, providing your company with a unified and positive branded image. It will require understanding what it takes to achieve your company’s online objectives; and by utilizing proper techniques, online reputation management can successfully manage your online reputation to help you achieve these goals . A properly executed reputation management program will have the knowledge and expertise across all marketing platforms to effectively make your company stand out from your competition, and organically grow your company’s presence on all relevant internet search platforms. To achieve these objectives, companies can use some of the following professional services:

· Image Creation

· Online Branding

· Reputation Management

· Digital Advocacy

· Crisis Communication