Online Reputation Management (ORM) is a crucial activity for businesses on social media platforms, as it helps to improve their brand image, earn respect and trust. ORM enables companies to communicate their mission, vision and objectives more effectively. According to research, 40% of digital marketers monitor their company's brand daily, while 21% do it every hour. From a business point of view, ignoring even one negative review or comment can quickly become a major issue for the entire organization.
Therefore, companies must have an online reputation management process in place. Nowadays, most people do research online before making a purchase, and customers are more likely to forgive a mistake if the brand has an overall positive reputation. Whenever an unsatisfied customer posts a negative review or angry comment on social media, online reputation management comes into play. A key element of ORM is tracking and responding to brand mentions across various digital touchpoints.
Most companies (70%) rely on internal employees to manage their brand reputation online. In other words, managing your online reputation means taking a proactive approach to the information people find on the Internet. Online reputation management service providers like ORM Expert understand that reputation management is the top priority for most brands nowadays. Brands that strive to maintain a good reputation online are better prepared to handle any crisis.
While both public relations and reputation management have the same goal of presenting the company in the best light, the main difference between them is how they intend to achieve that goal. Internal resources are a preferred option for monitoring online reputation because employees are familiar with the company and can spend time promoting a positive online brand image at a lower cost. Beal stated that there is a direct correlation between having a clean brand reputation and experiencing positive sales in a company. Companies can only choose to hire a PR agency after they have experienced a negative online review or after generating negative press coverage.
Tools such as Google Alerts, Reputology, and Yext can be set up easily and at no cost to companies that are simply looking for a tool that will notify them when their brand is shown negatively online. Social media gives businesses the opportunity to have direct conversations with customers, according to Shannon Wilkinson, executive director of Reputation Communications, an ORM agency in New York. Knowing what needs to be improved is essential for anyone providing ORM services. By responding quickly and emphatically to people's online questions, your brand will be able to satisfy your shoppers and build a positive online reputation with both current and future customers.
