Tips for SMEs to Manage their Online Reputation

The potential and power of the Internet can be incredibly far-reaching, especially when it comes to your brand’s reputation. It only takes one piece of negative press, an ill-advised social media status or a single unfavourable review to dramatically alter your online standing. 

However, it is possible to manage your online reputation even if you don’t have a wealth of resources. The extensive and influential nature of the Internet might seem a bit daunting, but there is an opportunity to build, establish, promote and maintain a positive brand identity in a cost-effective and compelling way. 

Start with search engines

According to research, 93 per cent of online experiences start with a search engine. On top of that, 79 per cent of people will not scroll past the first page of results. Therefore, its make or break time when a prospective customer or potential client types your brand’s name into Google, Bing or Yahoo.

Developing and implementing a comprehensive SEO campaign can take quite a lot of time, but is well worth the effort, as it can notably improve your company’s online visibility and conceal any negative coverage. 

Come up with some names, keywords or phrases that relate to your business and find out what people are saying. From here, you’ll be able to create and curate the most appropriate SEO strategy. 

Move on to content creation

By approaching your online reputation in a pro-active and positive way, there is every chance you’ll be able to control and measure what your target audience is seeing. One of the best ways to do this is by creating compelling, appealing and useful content. 

There are various ways of reaching out to customers and clients through different types of content, from corporate blogs and factual case studies to engaging infographics and entertaining videos. 

This gives you the opportunity to become an authoritative, knowledgeable and trustworthy figure. As a result, the way your viewed by an interested and active audience will considerably change. 

Always monitor social media

Never before have you been able to interact with customers and clients in such an immediate and effective way. But just like SEO and content marketing, social media can have a huge impact on your online reputation. 

In order to succeed on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, every aspect of communication and networking needs to be carefully considered and monitored. 

What’s more, social media posts can easily go viral, meaning any regrettable status update or tweet can get out of control. On the other hand, successfully leveraging every resource at one’s disposal can transform your online reputation. 

These are just a few ways of managing your online reputation, but in many respects, it requires round-the-clock monitoring, maintenance and manipulation. A lot of the time, you won’t be able to control what is being said about your business, but there are still multiple opportunities to make a positive and powerful difference. 

Use our tips offered above to get to grips with your reputation and build a strategy based on round-the-clock monitoring.