Reputation Management for Social Success: A Complete Guide

With 4.76 billion people frequently using social media, users must exercise caution when sharing anything online. A single negative comment or viral post can damage a brand’s reputation, underscoring the importance of social media reputation management. This makes it important to take control of your online presence and ensure it accurately and favorably represents your brand. So, what is reputation management? We’re diving into the details so you know how to improve your brand’s perception on social media. 

What Is Reputation Management?

Reputation management involves directing and overseeing how individuals perceive your brand across social media platforms. The term ORM stands for “online reputation management,” specifically focusing on reputations within the digital space. This includes social media apps and review sites, among others. 

Your organization builds its online reputation based on feedback from your customers. Each piece of content that mentions your brand contributes to fortifying the existing bedrock of your reputation.

Without guidance and attentive management, your reputation tends to evolve independently. Regrettably, individuals are often more inclined to share negative consumer experiences rather than positive ones. Sometimes, people may also spread false information. Despite the majority of your customers holding you in high regard, there’s always a risk of developing a negative social media reputation.

If you’ve applied a strategy for managing online reputations, you’ll closely monitor mentions of your brand. Moreover, you will have a plan in place for addressing these mentions. You can actively amplify positive messages and address any criticism to prevent it from escalating into a potential crisis.

4 Examples of ORM: Top Businesses to Learn Tips From

Sometimes, the best way to learn is by following examples of those who have perfected their craft. Here are instances of companies that have excelled in managing their online reputations. Some successfully pivoted after coming under scrutiny. Others gained customer service accolades as soon as they arrived on the scene. Either way, here are four companies that have excelled in their online reputation marketing. 

Chipotle

When scores of customers were ill from tainted fruit in 2015, Chipotle came under fire. The situation resulted in extensive media coverage and declining sales. The public relations response from Chipotle was prompt. The company swiftly shut down all impacted establishments. 

To regain the confidence of its clientele, the business distributed complimentary meal tickets all around the country. This successful PR response (it’s difficult to turn down complimentary burritos!) assisted Chipotle in regaining its reputation as one of the nation’s most adored burrito bowl vendors.

Nike

Nike has taken strides to improve the internet consumer experience and sell shoes with a devoted following. The company commits to providing superior customer service. Notably, anyone may get support from the company’s client service Twitter account in Spanish, English, and French around the clock. Their tone and voice should also be friendly and trustworthy.

Patagonia

Few companies are as willing to support their claims as the outdoor clothing company Patagonia. The company’s commitment to the environment goes far beyond mere platitudes. For example, they give 1% of all sales to environmental charities and commit to using only recycled components by 2025. They’ve been outspoken supporters of initiatives to preserve public lands. With those consumers who share their values, this commitment has helped to forge a strong feeling of trust.

Through its Ironclad Guarantee, Patagonia also places a high priority on client happiness. Regardless of when they acquired it, buyers can return any Patagonia gear for a replacement, reimbursement, or repair thanks to this brand promise.

Adobe

Like Nike, Adobe’s X, formerly Twitter, account posts more than just promotional material. The company uses social listening to assist designers who experience technical difficulties, have inquiries, or require additional support. Through direct messages, their team replies to inquiries both publicly and privately. Since 2010, @AdobeCares has reacted more than 400,000 times. The company’s marketing plan impacts customer retention and addresses user needs. Canva, another competitor with rave five-star evaluations, has helped boost the company’s competition.

Common Tactics of Successful Reputation Management Companies

Maintaining a positive online reputation is more difficult than it may seem. This includes responding to unfavorable online reviews and remaining active on social media platforms.

To improve brand image, businesses can study the effective management tactics of these three reputation management companies:

• NP Digital: Connect with top brands to develop targeted and personalized strategies. Knowing what niche market follows you on social platforms like Instagram can help you cater your content to them. 
• NetReputation: They start with reputation analysis to develop a plan for property evolution and content creation. They also create publishing plans so clients can stay on track. Scheduling your Instagram posts and other social media content can make a huge difference in engagement.
• InboundJunction: ORM is only one of many services they provide, including public relations, search engine optimization, link building, blog management, product reviews, and more.

Having happy customers is greatly influenced by your brand’s internet reputation. These digital marketing case studies should help business owners like you identify clever strategies to raise brand recognition.

Why Online Reputation Management Is Important?

Let’s answer an important question: “Why online reputation management is important?”

ORM involves the oversight, control, and governance of digital discussions surrounding a brand, individual, or entity. Here are five key benefits of an effective ORM:

Positive Reviews Increase Profits and Boost Sales

Research shows that every star rating a company garners on platforms like Yelp can increase its revenue by 9%. Furthermore, 97% of consumers assert that positive reviews significantly influence their buying choices. These statistics underscore the financial importance of actively managing your online reputation.

Companies with numerous positive ratings for their products or services tend to attract a larger customer base. This underscores the pivotal role of ORM in today’s digitally-driven society.

Online reviews about your business and its products have a far-reaching impact. This spreads rapidly through digital channels, surpassing the reach of traditional word-of-mouth recommendations. This underscores the rationale for investing in ORM marketing. Excessive negative content can detrimentally affect sales and the return on investment (ROI). If you require assistance building or repairing your online reputation, consider contacting a professional ORM service.

Reputable companies often don’t need to allocate excessive resources to advertising efforts compared to smaller brands. This further underscores the importance of effective ORM in today’s competitive landscape.

Boost Your SEO Efforts With Online Reviews & Customer Feedback

Your site’s visibility will decline if your company cannot generate interest among its target audience. When it comes to on-page SEO, even when you’ve done your part, it’s only one aspect of the whole picture. A reputation management company offers the advantage of raising brand awareness.

Online reviews make up 15% of the ranking variables in Google’s Local Pack. This underlines how crucial ORM is. Google values user-generated content (UGC). Increasing the number of customer feedback on Google and other review websites is one of the most successful tactics.

Any ORM service provider would tell you that your Google Business Profile (GMP) should integrate UGC. You raise the credibility of your brand and increase your click-through rate (CTR) by doing this. Your local ranks eventually improve.

Facilitates Your Social Media Marketing (SMM) Strategy

ORM and search engine marketing (SEM) heavily depend on effective social media utilization. Companies should formulate a successful social media strategy to manage their brand’s reputation proactively. This strategy should enhance accessibility for existing and potential customers while fostering a more customer-centric approach.

Research indicates that by not actively engaging with your clients, you could experience an increase in customer churn by 15%. When visitor engagement remains minimal, people may perceive your brand as another profit-focused entity.

In the present landscape, 46% of businesses employ social media as a primary tool for ORM. Others leverage platforms like blogs, news websites, and review sites to achieve similar objectives.

Customer Feedback Boosts Brand Loyalty

Businesses can boost customer loyalty by actively monitoring customer feedback and social media comments. Swiftly addressing concerns presents valuable opportunities to forge robust customer relationships.

By staying attuned to conversations and providing constructive solutions, you gain a deeper understanding of customer experiences and public perception. This Instagram customer service can heighten loyalty and transform customers into brand advocates.

Given the sheer volume of online activity, leverage technological solutions and ORM services to manage your online presence effectively. Keeping up with everything that transpires online is otherwise an impossible task.

Creates Solid Social Proof

ORM plays a pivotal role in swiftly establishing social proof for your brand. User-generated content (UGC) carries significant weight, not only in the eyes of search engines but also for individuals seeking credibility. A mere one or two-star rating on a review can deter people from delving further into your company.

Conversely, garnering three to five stars can effortlessly sway a casual observer into becoming your next customer. This vividly illustrates the significance of proactive ORM in digital marketing. You can effectively bolster your social proof through ORM by prominently featuring client logos, showcasing customer reviews, etc.

Best Reputation Management Software

Reputation management software empowers brands to improve their online reputation by actively monitoring and controlling brand discussions across various media platforms. The software automatically notifies brands of all comments, mentions, and Instagram reviews, whether they are positive reviews or negative reviews. It enables brands to respond promptly to customer feedback, addressing them before they harm the brand’s reputation. It also encourages positive content.

Let’s check out three of the most popular online reputation software:

Statusbrew

Statusbrew, an ORM tool designed for companies of all sizes, simplifies the process of monitoring customer reviews and online reputation. The software automatically assesses the tone of conversations, allowing you to respond promptly to negative comments.

A Unified Inbox conveniently monitors and addresses all engagements across different networks. It covers platforms like the App Store, Play Store, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, GMB, and Facebook.

Your reputation manager can swiftly browse crucial brand conversations using intuitive perspectives. You can use the automation option to delete, hide, and auto-reply to comments, saving you the manual effort each time.

Podium

Podium stands out as another excellent choice among the top web applications for managing reviews. Users can acquire new reviews and manage them efficiently after posting. This review management platform encourages customers to share their feedback through text messaging. 

Moreover, you can send personalized SMS messages to request reviews from clients. Customers can effortlessly submit their reviews by clicking a link in the message and specifying their preferred websites, such as Google or Facebook, for publication.

Podium offers another significant benefit by providing in-depth insights into your reviews. You can analyze your reviews to identify patterns in both positive and negative reviews to enhance your business operations. 

Additionally, Podium includes a web chat widget that prompts users to input their names and mobile numbers. This allows you to respond to their inquiries via text messaging—a practical method for clients to reach out.

BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo isn’t your typical research tool. By using parameters such as domain, word count, country, and keywords, BuzzSumo allows you to explore content in depth. You can establish notifications to track backlinks, mentions of competition, and brand references. Furthermore, BuzzSumo presents the performance of your search term on websites like Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter.

Challenges of Managing Online Reputations 

Success with ORM is becoming increasingly elusive with each passing day. Awareness of the challenges does not guarantee their resolution. This is largely attributed to the pervasive influence of the internet. You can obtain information easily with the assistance of translation applications. Moreover, with language no longer an obstacle, positive experiences can be effortlessly shared.

There are numerous difficulties, and the same applies to the tactics employed. Avoid relying on a single approach that promises to address all problems simultaneously. Formulate a distinct strategy to tackle each challenge individually.

Online Review Sites 

Online opinions are valuable. Millions of individuals worldwide visit these websites, valuing user reviews of products over advertisements and marketing. On the basis of these reviews, people make purchases.

But not every review equals another. Some clients have high standards and will leave bad reviews for minor inconveniences. Others, who might not even be clients, participate for amusement since these platforms offer anonymity.

Separating genuine reviews from fake ones is crucial for ORMs. Take the genuine ones seriously since they draw attention to actual product problems. Address any unfavorable feedback directly rather than brushing it off. Respond using a user account rather than a brand account and share uplifting tales.

Social Network

Review sites are social platforms whose main purpose is to connect consumers. Users of popular social networks are from diverse racial, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds.

When a brand receives criticism on these platforms, it frequently generates bad press. If a user provides evidence to support their claims of a bad product experience, the bad reputation will spread.

Use images to lessen the impact of negative comments on social media. Use the popularity of visual content on social networks to your advantage. Share expertly taken product images that blend art and commerce to increase conversion rates. This strategy is a potent instrument for repairing a damaged brand image.

Selecting the Right Tools

ORM tools are widely available. But not all of them are excellent. To improve the performance of your ORM campaign, choose the appropriate tools. The most effective tools provide several services from a single platform. Both free and paid tools are available. Free tools offer limited functionality, so businesses typically choose paid products.

One paid tool, Yotpo, is essential for e-commerce firms because it compiles consumer internet reviews. Another paid tool that aids in audience selection is Rankur. Its cutting-edge reporting capabilities give brands a bird’s-eye view of how each customer subgroup perceives them.

Industry Reputation 

One brand may find itself held accountable for another brand’s mistakes. World Economic Forum (WEF) emphasizes building trust in the corporate world. Often, companies within a particular industry behave poorly or mishandle issues. This can make it difficult for other businesses in the same niche to earn the trust of their customers.

This underscores the significance of companies maintaining not only their reputation but also the reputation of the industry. Monitor not only negative reviews about your company but also those about other companies in your sector. When encountering such comments, respond by emphasizing that your brand is an exception to the rule.

2 ORM Tips for Instagram Influencers

Managing and strategically strengthening one’s online reputation is essential for navigating the digital world as an influencer. The following are crucial strategies Instagram influencers might use:

1. Run a Reputation Analysis

In the internet era, every tweet, post, and comment actively contributes to shaping an influencer’s online reputation. Influencers can monitor mentions of their name or brand online using tools like Google Alerts or Mention. It’s crucial to tally the mentions and comprehend the sentiment associated with them. 

Are they positive, negative, or neutral? By analyzing this data, influencers can actively acquire a comprehensive grasp of their internet reputation. This evaluation of their current online presence serves as the foundation for all future ORM strategies. This enables influencers to address challenges and emphasize their strengths.

2. Bring Consistency to Your Content Creation

Today’s online audience exhibits heightened discernment, seeking sincere and authentic content. Influencers must maintain a consistent posting schedule while preserving authenticity. Whether it’s scheduled Instagram posts, videos, or tweets, all content should align with your brand and core values. This commitment to honesty nurtures trust and loyalty among followers, ultimately enhancing an influencer’s reputation.

Manage Your Online Reputations With Path Social

In the rapidly evolving digital world, an influencer’s current reputation plays a pivotal role.

It serves as the foundation on which we build influence, trust, and credibility. Proactively managing online image entails addressing criticism and collaborating with reputable companies to establish genuine connections with their audience.

Maintaining a positive online reputation is of utmost importance. With effective reputation management strategies, brands, and influencers can safeguard their standing and ensure a prosperous future in the digital realm.

Elevate your projects and achieve significant progress effortlessly with Path Social’s formidable capabilities. Whether you’re just starting your Instagram journey or already occupy a prominent position, Path Social can be your ultimate companion. Their adept team seamlessly handles your content management requirements and amplifies your influence.

Are you looking for effective tools and strategies to grow on Instagram? Check out Path Social’s resources and get started today!