How to Manage Your Brand Reputation

The way consumers speak online about brands can be a driving force for sales or a detriment to them. If your brand doesn’t have a strong community or a decent reputation that makes buyers come back for more, then the chances of you making a conversion are significantly lower. Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the best ways to build awareness, and what better place is there to share personal thoughts and experiences than social media?

Everyone knows that to build a brand you need to post regularly, build your identity, and engage with customers online; thankfully, there are a few statistics you can pay attention to that can provide some insight into your current reputation based on these efforts. Below is a list of small strategies that you or your company can employ to help manage your brand and keep it in your consumers’ good graces:

1. Monitor the airwaves! What are users saying? Use tools to gather listening data from a variety of platforms to better understand the current reputation of your brand. There are several social listening tools available for marketers (Sprout, Hootsuite, etc.) that will let you easily track the highs and lows of your brand’s perception as you engage in conversations and interact with groups online.

2. Check on data from reviews and testimonials. Customers usually have two reasons for leaving reviews: the experience was overwhelmingly positive, or they weren’t happy with the service. By sorting through your consumers’ reviews, you can find specific patterns that are harmful to your brand’s reputation and work to resolve them.

3. Keep your posts engaging, positive, and consistent. If the energy of your posts is helpful or optimistic, then consumers will associate those traits with the brand. Stay away from any negativity as this may be off-putting to users or easier to tie to the brand.

4. Watch your competitors. What are they saying? How is their audience reacting? Look for ways in which they are lacking - what demands of the audience aren’t being met? If you watch your competitors’ reputations closely, then you could find ways to better your own brand that would fill in those gaps their audience is looking for.

Brand reputation is one of the most impactful factors in determining the success of your product. Social media is a powerhouse for awareness and engagement, and by using the marketing tools available, your company can keep a close eye on your brand and work with the online community to garner trust and loyalty. Reach out to Ranalli Marketing for a free 30-minute consult at info@ranallimarketing.com.