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Why You Need Social Media Marketing and Online Reputation Management

Social media and online reputation management (ORM) are defined as the process of tracking, monitoring, and (if you’re feeling lucky) eliminating negative social media and reviews about your business to improve your name or standing. When done correctly, social media and online reputation management build credibility to customers and trust in your brand.

So, what does that mean? Numbers talk:

• 81% of buyers do some online research before making a purchase. The way you appear online will make or break their final decision.
• 58% of consumers tend to share their positive brand experience on social media platforms.
• 88% of consumers will determine if your business is reliable enough by reading reviews.
• 94% of customers say that a negative review convinced them not to do business with a brand.

Social media and online reputation management are so much greater than just monitoring and “listening” to what people are saying about your brand and how they are engaging. It’s the new word-of-mouth marketing as others will view positive interactions and positive reviews as endorsements of your business.

While there may be no magic delete button for all negative reviews, there are ways to handle them that can still show your business in a positive light. Below is an example of how a company dealt with a negative social campaign, initially mismanaging it and turning the negativity into something positive.

Challenge: Greenpeace accused Nestle of sourcing palm oil from a known supplier who used unsustainable forest clearing to make their product and then made a video about it. When Nestle failed to react to the rising crisis via social media and then worsened the situation by asking YouTube to remove the Greenpeace video, social media users critically altered the Kit Kat logo. They then posted it in response to their outrage of Nestle’s initial response, forcing them to temporarily shut down its public pages.

Strategy: Nestle quickly worked on righting the wrong by creating near term and long-term strategies. They quickly suspended the palm oil sourcing, hired a third party to certify its palm oil suppliers’ sustainability, and had them liaise with Greenpeace. The longer-term strategy was properly managing digital and social media, which is a 24/7 job.

The Lesson: Though unmanaged social media and bad reviews for your business might not make front-page news, they can harm your business and turn customers away.

If you don’t know your online reputation or have not paid much attention, it’s a good idea to get an audit. An online audit or intel report will give you a clear picture and understanding of where your business is currently and opportunities for improvement.

Once you have an overview of your online reputation, put together a strategy. Depending on how your online landscape looks, the approach most likely should involve an outside group of professionals.

Four final tips for your social media and online reputation management strategy:

1. Don’t be afraid to respond to negative comments or reviews, but be constructive.
2. Encourage writing positive reviews, and don’t be afraid to ask.
3. Invest in tools and people to help manage, monitor, and improve your social media and online reviews.
4. Keep an ear to the ground, monitor your mentions, and manage them effectively.

Digital Air Strike is the leader in monitoring and managing social media and online reputations for businesses. Whether you are in good shape and just need help to keep the positive social vibes and review momentum going or dealing with a negative reputation that needs improvement, we are your team of social and reputation experts – your digital watchtower.

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We’ll show you how to protect and improve your online reputation with a custom analysis. Request a free intel report now.