Brands that belong in different industries can significantly benefit from social media reputation management. These days, consumers heavily depend upon the internet when choosing the company they will do business with. They will even use social media to gather vital information about the product or service of the company. Simply put, they will base their purchasing decision on the credibility and authority of the business, rather than listening to the company’s promotional content and marketing strategies.
What is Social Media Reputation Management?
Before, social media reputation management strategy strictly involved posting strategic content and tracking the different social media channels. While this is still a part of the more advanced management campaign, but there are more areas that a marketer will need to cover. You may have to monitor business discover apps, listing sites, review sites, etc. You will also need to stay on top of the various mentions on social media to craft a positive public perception of your business.
6 Secrets to a Successful Social Media Reputation Management
If you are new to this process, you could find it overwhelming. It isn’t straightforward and requires too much of your time and undivided attention. Here are some essential points that you need to keep in mind when handling your social media reputation management.
Posting Engaging Content
Regardless of the date and time, keeping your social media page fresh and updated is extremely important. You will have to post engaging and relevant content regularly. You should also share updates like news, links, photos, special offers, videos, and announcements. The method that you will use to handle your social media management is the key to your social media reputation. You will need to take some time to understand your audience’s behavior and engage in a delightful way but still follow the company’s guidelines. Providing your audience with relevant content regularly will go a long way. Remember to avoid shameless promotion. Sharing user-generated content could also improve your authority.
Resolving Issues that can Impact Your Social Media Reputation
Not all of the engagements that you will make on social media are positive. You are delusional if you think that you can please everyone. Fortunately, the customers are aware of this. As long as you handle a customer issue on social media appropriately, it will not have a damaging impact on your reputation. As a business, you should already have a protocol or procedure in place that aims to handle this situation. Your people should use this as their guide when communicating with the customers.
Remember that the clock is ticking the moment that the customer posted harmful content. You are losing your social media reputation every minute that you refuse to acknowledge it. Be apologetic to the customer and be honest. Poor reviews that are left unanswered is one of the reputation management mistakes you want to avoid. It sends signals to the customers that you are uninterested in their concerns.
How to Resolve Issues on Social Media?
Social media provides everyone an avenue where they can share their sentiment. It gave people a voice. Offer the customer an easier way to reach out to you. Learning how to address the negative reviews adequately takes time. Regardless of the method, you plan to take; it is necessary to discuss the customer’s concern. Clearly communicate the improvement and changes that you will make to give them the desired outcome. An effective resolution will not only improve your brand’s engagement rate but will also boost your trust rating. Customers don’t want to be viewed as simply numbers that will boost your key metrics. Remember that they are the driving force behind your success. Resolving the issues found in social media is necessary to advance your social media reputation management campaign.
Using Social Listening Tools
It will be difficult for you to track all the social mentions and conversations on this platform. It will be extra challenging if you are found on different channels. By using social listening tools, you can save a great deal of effort and time. You can streamline the originally laborious and time-consuming process. With programs such as Hootsuite, you can keep track of the reviews on social media, create personalized streams, track the conversations, and schedule your posts. Combining SMM with social media reputation management will allow you to be closer with your customers and listen to what they have to say.
Focus on Facebook and Google
Based on the data, 76% of the online reviews can be found on two major platforms: Facebook and Google. Consumers are using these channels to share their input and experience about the company. When developing your social media reputation management plan, you will need to monitor these two sites constantly. You need to have a comprehensive system in place to gather information, engage, and track them to get a clearer perspective of your online reputation.
Sharing Your Positive Reviews
Another good practice on social media reputation management would be sharing the glowing reviews you receive on other platforms. Share them on the social media page that you are managing. It would be best if you also considered adding this to your blog. Understand that user-generated content is more effective and powerful in creating sales than your promotional or marketing campaign. Moreover, constantly posting positive reviews in your social media profile will help in drowning out the negative feedback. It can also serve as social proof that can improve your lead conversion rate.
Convert Data to Insights
Brands successful in their social media reputation management campaign will draw insights from the comments and user-generated content. There’s a wealth of data that can be extracted from your social media. You can use this to support your reputation management goals and help make decisions that will help earn the trust of the existing customers and prospects. The new apps and programs will make it simpler to understand the customers’ sentiments and highlight some of the crucial keywords.
The Benefits of Social Media Reputation Management
Are you aware that about 71% of customers who experienced a positive engagement on social media will likely recommend the company to others? The current numbers show you how powerful social media is; therefore, you should not ignore and underestimate its importance.
It Improves Your Customer Satisfaction
The first-time clients will have loads of questions regarding your brand. Therefore, it is highly critical for you to leave a positive first impression. Try to share important pieces of information that will help you attract new customers. Use your social media to answer recurring questions. On the other hand, unsatisfied customers could be sharing negative reviews and information about your company. They will publicly share their experience with the company since they believe it is the best way to capture your attention. When you have an existing social media reputation management in place, you can improve their satisfaction. You can provide them with what they want depending on their circumstances. Moreover, it will also strengthen your trust rating and credibility in the online community.
It Encourages Honest Feedback
Negative reviews are not bad as long as you can address the problem right away. It provides an honest, unfiltered, and organic perception of the public about your company. It gives you a guideline on what direction you must take to improve your service offerings. If you have been receiving a particular comment about something, you will understand the strengths that you should capitalize on the weaknesses you need to repair. Social media reputation management enables you to see your business in the eye of your customers.
It Enhances Your Credibility
Another undeniable benefit of social media reputation management campaign is that it boosts your company’s online authority. The way you respond to every review will give the customer an idea of how professional you are. Simply put, an outstanding reputation in social media platforms boost your credibility. Your customer will recognize that their opinions matter highly to you, and you take their satisfaction seriously. They understand that they can count on you if ever there were some hiccups. Therefore, the possibility that they will choose you or your product is highly likely.
It Boosts Conversion Rate
An ideal social media reputation management strategy will help you with your lead generation and conversion rate. Since they will view you as someone trustworthy, professional, and credible, it will not take too much to encourage them to share their information with you. Moreover, it also shortens the buying cycle. The user-generated content found in social media will convince them that you are the best choice for them.
Every brand needs a strategy to advance its social media reputation. Remember that starting an argument with your client will only cause a damaging effect on your business. The adage ‘the customer is always right’ remains true to many industries. Some will probably choose to ignore the negative comments, but it sends a message to the customers that you don’t care about their welfare. You may think that it is just one client, but that unnoticed feedback will remain on the social platform for everyone to see.
Tags: Social media