In today’s digital world, online reputation management (ORM) has become a critical component of marketing. With so many platforms available for consumers to share opinions and reviews, it’s more important than ever for businesses to have programs and resources to protect and strengthen their reputation online. We’ll explain the role an ORM strategy plays in enhancing your brand’s reputation online—and how they can help you gain an edge on the competition.
What is the role of an online reputation management strategy?
The primary goal of an online reputation management program—which is executed by an online reputation management specialist—is to build and maintain a positive online presence for a business. Monitoring and responding to online reviews and comments, creating and publishing positive content, and optimizing search engine results to ensure that positive content ranks higher than negative content are all key components.
An online reputation management specialist must have a strong understanding of search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing. They must also have excellent communication skills to effectively communicate with clients and customers online.
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Why do you need an online reputation management strategy?
There are many benefits to adding an ORM program to your marketing strategy. Here are some of the top reasons your business needs an online reputation management specialist.
Protect your reputation
With so many online review outlets such as Google Business Profiles and Yelp, it is easier than ever for individuals to share their opinions about a business online. This includes negative reviews, comments, and social media posts that can damage the reputation of your business if left unaddressed.
An online reputation management specialist can help protect you by monitoring and responding to negative comments and reviews. This can prevent negative comments from spreading, reducing long-term damage to your business’ reputation. Responding to both positive and negative reviews in a thoughtful way that encourages a reviewer to reach out via phone or email to discuss further is best practice.
Improve your online presence
Content creation is a key component of online reputation management. This might include blog posts, social media posts, and other forms of short- and long-form organic content that highlight the strengths of your business. Optimizing search engine results helps to ensure that positive content outranks negative content.
Increase trust and credibility
A positive online reputation can help increase trust and credibility with potential customers. An online reputation management specialist can build and maintain a positive online presence, which establish your business as a trustworthy and credible source and lead to increases conversions and sales.
Stay ahead of the competition
Online reputation management specialists also monitor your competition’s online reputation and identify areas of opportunity. By analyzing the competition, an ORM specialist can provide key business insights into what competitors are doing well and what areas they may be struggling with (poor phone etiquette, long appointment wait times, or higher-than-average prices)— which can ultimately be used to craft strategies that help you stay ahead.
Save time and resources
Managing your online reputation can be time consuming and resource intensive. Working with an agency that specializes in online reputation management frees up your time and resources to focus on other areas of your business and is often more cost-effective than hiring someone in-house.
Are you ready to protect your reputation and stay ahead of the competition? Drop us a line.
