Helpful tips to help business owners manage their online reputation

Successfully manage your online reputation.

1. Set Up Online Accounts and Monitor Them

At the very least, your company should have a Twitter, Facebook and Google+ account. For many high-tech, B2B and other professional businesses, you may also want to set up a Linkedin account. If you sell visually oriented products, Pinterest, Flickr and Instagram may also be useful. Finally, if you want to benefit from shared videos, consider Vimeo and YouTube.

2. Don’t Neglect These Accounts

Simply having these social media accounts is not enough. Once you have them set up, it is important you build them to develop your audience. Use your social media accounts to interact with customers and increase your influence.

3. Consider Brands and Products

If you have specific brand or product names, you may want to develop web pages, social media profiles and materials to help claim and reserve those names.

4. Protect Individuals Associated with the Business

Develop a social media presence for the names of your owners, founders and executives, especially if their names are unique.

5. Read Posts and Reviews Carefully

Typically, the first reaction to a bad review is to get mad, or to argue. However, neither approach is productive. Instead, read the review as carefully as possible. It may be raising a problem that needs to be acknowledged and addressed.

6. Address Any Issues

If there has been a negative review, address the issue and find out what the problem was that caused it. This will allow you to turn a potential disaster into an opportunity to connect with existing and potential customers.

7. Blog

Blogging can greatly help with site’s rankings and provides content for social media accounts. It can also help to build and maintain your company’s reputation and give you a platform where you can respond to any allegations made about your company.

8. Listen

When you respond to bad reviews or online complaints, remember to listen to what your customers are saying with an open mind. You may find that there is a weakness in your company that needs addressing. Always try to be flexible, and come up with creative ways to give your customers what they want without creating more problems.

9. Apologize

If you, or your company does something wrong, own up to it and make a genuine apology. This can quickly help to diffuse a situation and move the process towards a speedy solution.

10. Do Not Argue

It doesn’t matter how bad the review is, show your class by thanking the reviewer. Write a short note of appreciation, thanking them for taking the time to provide feedback. If you take the time to be professional and personal, your response may actually gain some new customers for your business.

11. Make an Investment in Your Reputation Management

Developing and maintaining a social media reputation requires an investment in both time and money. Many small businesses either ignore reputation management completely, or attempt to do it themselves on a shoestring budget and an as needed, or as time allows basis.

However, a social media reputation is a vital element of almost any business and not simply something, which is nice to have. Additionally, if you do not have adequate experience interacting with online communities, doing it yourself may not be the best idea. If you do not have the experience, or time to do it properly, or simply don’t know how, make an investment and hire an online reputation management service to take care of it for you.

While proactive online reputation management may cost a little to set up and put in place, it will save you time and money in the end.

Your online reputation is very important.

With so many consumers reading, posting and sharing business reviews on websites such as Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor and Foursquare, it is critical that every business manages and monitors their online reviews, as they play a major part in shaping your business online reputation.