crayons & marketers

Warren Buffet once said that it takes twenty years to build a reputation and about five minutes to ruin it. And never has that been more true than now.

In recent years, the popularity of social media and online review sites has skyrocketed. Consumers are looking to one another online to determine the quality and credibility of a business, and relying less on your website as their primary source of information.

And it works in your favor if the feedback is positive, because nothing sells a product like a satisfied customer. But, with the good, comes the bad – the possibility of negative feedback.  And nothing can ruin you faster than a string on unanswered customer woes.

For that reason, managing your online reputation needs to become one of your top priorities.

What is an online reputation?

Your online reputation is your digital footprint. It’s what people perceive about your business, true or false, from the information made available to them online.  Some factors you can control, like your website and social media posts, but others you can’t – like customer reviews.

And if you haven’t been on the receiving end of an angry rant by a dissatisfied customer, that day may still come, and the last thing you want to do is be caught unprepared.

Ignore it and it won’t go away

If you’re like me, you were taught to ignore the kid making silly faces in class, or to pretend that the cool kids weren’t shooting spit balls at your head.

But in business, ignorance is not bliss, and failing to be proactive in managing what is said about your business, or you for that matter, online could have big consequences, and erode the reputation that you’ve worked so hard to create.

What should you do?

Again, make developing a good online reputation a priority. While there are some factors you cannot control, there are many you can.

• Be intentional about getting good information about your business out there. Use a well optimized website, social media, and other online marketing channels to deliver a clear and consistent stream of valuable information, proving that you’re competent and qualified to do what you do, and are worthy of consideration.
• Monitor your social media sites. Acknowledge tweets, posts, and reviews from customers. Make every effort to respond accordingly and quickly, even to the negative feedback (within reason).
• And because it’s impossible to know every time your business is mentioned online, consider using social media listening tools to keep track of what people are saying about you, and where, so that you can get involved in the conversation before too much damage is done.

Final thought

Remember, we function in a search society where we’re all Googled before anyone attempts to interact with us.  Do what you can to increase the chances that the information displayed in search results will speak well of your business.

Side note:  Finding no information about you can be just as harmful as finding negative press, so make every digital impression count.  Don’t just join the conversation, start it.