If a brand does not make use of a PR company nor have a strategy in place to take care of its reputation, now is the best time to make some
much-needed changes.
Why? Well,
TripAdvisor-Ipsos MORI study found that “97% of [business owners said that] online reputation management is important to their business.”
But why do these organisations care so much about their reputation? How does it affect their business?
Let’s dive in:
1. Reputation management improves customer loyalty
Consumers today make their shopping choices based on reviews and word-of-mouth, which means that if you manage your reputation accordingly, and ensure you uphold your brand’s image, it is
guaranteed that consumers will keep coming back to your business.
By managing your business’s reputation, you will be able to understand
what your audience is saying about your brand and
where most of the conversation is taking place.
So, if consumers aren’t happy, you can make the necessary changes to resolve their issues, which ensures that they feel valued. This can potentially lead to them talking up your brand, and making your reputation look even better!
Additionally, resolving issues and responding to negative commentary makes your business seem professional and trustworthy, as it doesn’t hide away or remove the problem; it is responsive and engaging.
2. It helps your business maintain a professional image
Having a bad reputation will influence the way consumers view your business. You might have great products and excellent service, but if your reputation is damaged and there is nothing done to fix it, your brand will end up looking
extremely unprofessional.
Being and looking professional is
vital to the success of a brand. People tend to steer clear of companies with negative reviews and those that, quite frankly, seem
shady. Therefore, regardless of what the image your brand is going for is, professionalism is the one thing that all consumers look for in a brand.
3. Reputation management helps your brand stand out from the crowd
It’s important to make your brand stand out from competitors, and managing and maintaining a good reputation will allow you to do just that. This is because, although there are other brands that sell the same or similar products as your brand, a good reputation and branding will make people pay more attention to your products or services.
For example, the PR team at Starbucks takes really good care of the company’s reputation by making the public aware of its excellent loyalty programme, all wrapped up in their user-friendly app. What makes this brand stand out in particular is its popular speciality beverages, such as Iced Caramel Cloud Macchiato, Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino and Blonde Roast.
Because of how unique these products are, and how well they are presented and hyped up to consumers and the media, customers will choose Starbucks over other coffee shops — and it’s all because of the brand’s reputation.
The data acquired from brand monitoring offers you the opportunity to turn problems into opportunities. Learn more in our blog,
How brand monitoring can help you beat competitors.