In the past, companies were able to carefully nurture their brand identities, taking special attention to ensure each piece of communication sent the right message. ย Today, however, in our new socially interconnected world, these brands that have been built up over years can be easily damaged in seconds, taking a battering from the reality of immediate communications.
Why should you invest in a digital marketing strategy?
Given the sheer volume of earned media and word-of-mouth communications, companies are now embarking into what is being called โOnline Reputation Management.โ ย To help protect your businesses online reputation, let us recommend the following five tips:
1. ย Acknowledge the crisis โ quickly!
When the unexpected happens, customers and clients need to hear directly from the source of the problem. ย A well-crafted, honest and well-meaning response is required within minutes.
2. Donโt make fake apologies
How many times have you been told Company ABC is โterribly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused?โ ย Repeating the corporate mumbo-jumbo comes across as lazy and uninspired. ย Be honest. ย Be fair. ย Call it what it is.
Learn how to properly respond to Google reviews.
3. Develop channels of communication
Using a blog, Facebook or Twitter (or other applicable social networks) will help reassure customers and vendors of any problems and your plans to resolve them. ย You can use video, text pictures, and chat rooms as democratic means of managing your response.
4. Establish a Crisis Communications Response Strategy
Having a process in placeย beforeย the crisis happens will greatly improve your responseย whenย it happens.
5. Become influential & change perceptions
In our social world, if you do not write, take speaking engagements, talk to your audiences and connect, you become irrelevant. ย Use the channels to focus the conversation around your brand, so when a problem does happen, you have more control over the perception.
