Online reputation management is the process of monitoring and influencing how your business is perceived online, with the goal of neutralizing negative sentiments and promoting positive ones.
This usually involves responding to bad reviews, removing unfavorable search results, and correcting misinformation about your business.
ORM overlaps with digital public relations (DPR ), but the emphasis is on defending your reputation rather than proactively building a good brand image.
Why reputation management is important for your company
Online reputation management is important because shop it helps ensure that consumers view your business more favorably. And, therefore, they are more likely to engage with you.
Nearly 60% of U.S. consumers said they would avoid buying from a brand they found unreliable.
Here are some other reasons why reputation management is crucial for your business:
- It influences purchasing decisions . 59% of shoppers say they do online research before making a purchase. And 97% of consumers check product reviews before buying. So you could lose customers based on how your brand appears online.
- It helps you deal with negative reviews . Negative reviews are inevitable, but monitoring your online presence can help you turn them around. Customers whose social media complaints were handled in less than five minutes tended to spend more on future purchases.
- Provide valuable information . If you receive the same complaint repeatedly, there is probably an underlying problem to fix. Start gathering useful information about your products, services, or overall customer experience by reading reviews.
Examples of ORM failures
Let’s review real examples of ORM failures so define your purpose and goals you can see how they affect real companies.
United Airlines
United Airlines lost more than $1 billion in market value after a video of a passenger being dragged off an overbooked flight went viral.
The video racked up more than 1 million mentions online in one day and more than 100 million views. Many viewers criticized the CEO’s lack of action in a crisis of public perception.
This crisis happened in 2017, but it is still commonly mentioned in ORM conversations today.
Nestlé
Nestlé also faced a resounding failure in brand reputation management when Greenpeace accused them online of harmful environmental practices.
Instead of addressing the issue head-on, Nestlé reportedly asked YouTube to remove the Greenpeace video.
The company had to temporarily shut down its public page due to negative comments that included an altered version of the KitKat logo that read “Killer.”
It only takes one negative story to create an online reputation nightmare. That’s why it’s best to proactively manage your brand image and have a plan in place in case of a crisis.
Online Reputation Management Media Channels
To effectively manage your online reputation, you need to monitor and act across multiple channels (platforms that allow you to interact with your audience).
Let’s explore the four main types:
Payment methods
Paid media is any form of online content singapore number that requires payment to feature your brand. This includes Google ads , social media ads , PPC ads , sponsored posts, and influencer promotions.
This channel allows you to gain exposure in highly relevant places (for example, on your audience’s favorite sites) and gives you complete control over your messaging.
For example, some people have accused Airbnb of harming the local economy.
