There are many things that an online reputation management company can do for you, one of which is to ensure that, if your brand does come under attack, the damage is as low as possible. One of the key ways they do this, is by putting you in control of the narrative. You have to be realistic in the world of the internet, which means accepting that you can’t control what people say. But you can encourage them to say it to your face instead of behind your back. This is what an online reputation management company will try to do for you.
The Benefits of Direct Communication
When people have the chance to talk to you directly online, they will generally take that opportunity. This is because they want a response. Indeed, Twitter rants and Facebook rumbles usually only happen when the business about which the complaint is doesn’t have pages that they can post to directly.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that people will say positive things about you. Hence, when something negative does appear, a reputation management company will also take a few actions to mitigate the damage. They do this by boosting positive elements of your business, including positive reviews that have been posted before. But they will also share funny images, new blogs about your brand or industry, or anything else that may be perceived as interesting and of positive quality.
Meanwhile, they will monitor and track your reputation, to make sure that when something negative is posted, it will be addressed straight away. They will further reinforce all those positive things, while at the same time showing you what type of response is appropriate to the negative comment or review. A simple Google Alert is all that is needed to make sure you never miss a mention again, positive or negative.
How to Find an Online Reputation Management Company
Essentially, what your reputation management company will do is be your partner in making sure that you know what is going on. They will provide you with real time update on what is being said about you. They should also offer you unlimited keywords monitoring, with unlimited results. If you have any mentions, you should receive the direct link to that instantly, and they have to track all of the internet for you. In so doing, they ensure you know what is happening at all time. These, therefore, are the key features you should look for in a reputation management company.
There is another very important thing to look for, and that is the company’s own reputation. If they can’t be easy to find and if they don’t have an excellent name online, then you should avoid them. After all, you couldn’t trust someone to manage your reputation, if they can’t manage their own. A little bit of online research is all it will take for you to figure out just how good and respected they are, enabling you to pick the one to work with.