While reputation management is most commonly seen through celebrity-to-consumer and business-to-consumer relations lenses, the tool is needed for and capable of much more.
Whether we’re discussing personal or company brands, reputation management is critical.
According to Reputation X, when selecting what businesses to work with, “85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.” Regarding personal reputations, Electro IQ noted, “45% [of respondents] have found something online that made them decide against doing business with someone.”
This begs the question: Why do reputation and its management matter so much?
In a digitally powered and electronically-centered society, we are confronted by an overabundance of social connections, tastemakers, vendors, industry leaders, and local, national, and international businesses. At the same time, more than ever, shoppers are looking for advice and insight from fellow consumers—whether from personal connections, social media posts, or digital reviews.
Especially as many of us are chronically online, your reputation within these channels and more can quickly cause you to sink to the bottom of the barrel or help you rise to the top. A demonstrated history of consumer trust and a positive presence will likely make your business, while one viral critique gone unchecked might break it.
Ensuring that this skilled art is handled with the utmost care is why brand management and industry experts are critical for all brands. However, it’s still essential to have a baseline understanding of reputation management principles that will likely impact your brand.
With a society as multifaceted and ever-changing as ours, it can feel impossible to know where to start. R Public Relations founder, Emily Reynolds Bergh, recommends beginning with:
1. How to manage your brand’s reputation across multiple platforms.
2. How to respond to negative reviews or public backlash.
3. Effective strategies for building and maintaining a positive online reputation.
Photo credit: Mariia Shalabaieva | Unsplash
How Do I Manage My Brand’s Reputation Across Multiple Platforms?
Managing a brand’s reputation is not as straightforward as it once was. In addition to word of mouth, we must now consider and tend to various modes and platforms, such as social media apps and review websites, each having distinct but equally important opportunities and threats.
Regardless of the channel, it’s crucial to craft and publish messaging that is as consistent as possible. While complex, this ensures that a brand presents an aligned front to the public and its reputation is cohesive and clear.
Numerous software programs, like Sprout Social, can contribute to making multi-platform management a more straightforward task. These programs allow brands to monitor mentions, set up alerts, respond to reviews, track audience sentiment, and automate responses to common queries. However, a more personalized approach to sensitive questions and comments is crucial.
How Do I Respond to Negative Reviews or Public Backlash?
Brands must focus on proactivity across all platforms—swiftly and strategically responding to positive or negative feedback.
In particular, negatively associated comments, reviews, and content of any kind should be prioritized and given special attention, as doing so can reduce the chance of it leaving lasting damage.
In addition to quick responses, customers expect to be addressed honestly and authentically. According to Forbes, “[Authenticity] can’t be faked. Gen-Z’s ability to quickly identify and call out performative or superficial attempts at authenticity means that companies must demonstrate a genuine commitment to their stated values through consistent actions and transparent communications.”
In their quest for greater connection and transparency with the brands they invest in, consumers desire to be met with respect, empathy, and concern, and a desire to grow and evolve. “I typically consider how I would personally approach a feedback-oriented discussion with a loved one and use that to guide my approach to authentic action,” says Bergh.
For example, it’s always important to discuss the matter privately, acknowledge and validate concerns, maintain a growth mindset, and be willing to apologize and offer creative solutions. Oftentimes, an honestly and effectively addressed conflict can earn a brand even more trust than consistently flawless experiences.
These approaches prioritize authentic connection and can be implemented into the reputation management strategies of most brands, whether personal or business.
Photo credit: Jackson Sophat | Unsplash
What Are the Most Effective Strategies for Building and Maintaining a Positive Online Reputation?
In the same way that responding to criticism and negative feedback with honesty is an effective tool when addressing negativity or backlash, it is also essential to create brand advocates and bolster trust.
Bergh states, “An effective reputation management strategy should incorporate proactive and reactive approaches. Generating and establishing a positive reputation for any brand begins with proactively building authenticity, credibility, trust, and expertise among peers, consumers, and potential customers.”
Every campaign requires a personalized approach, so this can be executed in a variety of ways, such as curating and sharing valuable educational content on social media, blogs, or e-newsletters, consistently pursuing positive testimonials from peers and consumers in real-time, establishing positive relationships with tastemakers, or distributing authentic and carefully crafted messaging when faced with potential backlash.
Once this rapport is established, brands can incorporate reactive tactics, too. These strategies range from monitoring for harmful commentary to addressing negative reviews directly, and they work best when accompanied by prompt, empathetic, transparent, and solution-oriented messaging.
When brands make these fundamental steps a key ingredient in their cultures and overall foundations, they actively decrease the likelihood of a critical reputation-centered crisis.
In today’s digital world, reputation management is more than mitigating damage—it’s about authentically connecting with consumers, building trust, and establishing your brand’s unique identity.
Your brand must stand out with news cycles moving faster and social media noisier than ever. There’s no better way to do this than to set yourself apart with a relatable and reliable reputation.
