A Minc Law article on the importance of brand reputation lists five main components that contribute to a company’s reputation:

1. Quality
2. Financial performance
3. Customer service
4. Workplace culture and
5. Reputation of the CEO

Source: Freepik

“Reputation is responsible for the soft power and social license for for-profit and non-profit organizations to operate.” – Tatiana Maia Lins – Makemake Corporate Reputation Consultant

Online reviews or ratings

Online reviews are one of the ways to measure a brand’s reputation.

Ogilvy Cannes study points out that even today, nearly 75% of customers cite word-of-mouth marketing as a critical factor in their purchasing decisions.

When it comes to online reviews, 92% of business-to-business (B2B) decision-makers are more likely to make a purchase after reading a trusted review, according to Kristen McCabe – Consumer Reviews – B2B Sales and Marketing Report. G2 (2018).

Negative reviews directly affect sales and the ability to attract and retain talent. It’s abundantly clear that brand perception and public sentiment impact the consumer decision-making process.

And not only. Negative online reviews also have a direct impact on a company’s bottom line, as 25% of a company’s market value can be related to its reputation, according to a 2015 survey by Deloitte.

More than monitoring online reviews and responding to demands in the shortest time possible, it is crucial to apply good practices to maintain brand health.

Best practices for brand reputation management

Brand reputation management is the art of keeping it positive.

No strategy can beat a bad, poor-quality product or service.

Assuming the product is good, the golden rule for managing brand reputation is to always be aware and listen to people.

Hootsuite shares important strategies to avoid damage when managing brand reputation. These practices also help improve your online reputation.

Brand recognition

Increase your brand recognition, with your aesthetic and voice.

Brand consistency

Keep your brand consistent by providing an excellent and engaging product or service and content.

Social guidelines and crisis management plan

Create social guidelines and a crisis management plan to know how to behave in the worst-case scenario.

Sense of community

Contribute to your community by offering genuine value and cultivating connections.

Brand-aligned partnerships

Approach partnerships with caution, making sure that the values of partner brands, influencers, or ambassadors are aligned with your brand values.

Social listening and brand monitoring

Practice social listening by engaging with comments and reactions. To do this, monitor mentions of your brand and products, and also analyze the reputation of your competitors.

Social Listening serves to gain relevant insights into:

• The behavior of the public;
• New business opportunities for the company;
• The level of customer satisfaction;
• Possible brand crises (preventing brand reputation crises);
• The evolution of the brand’s digital presence.

It is a cycle of continuous improvement of the user experience, composed of four steps: 1. Monitoring, 2. Listening, 3. Analysis and 4. New Actions.

Responsiveness

Be responsive. Nothing worse for a bad reputation than poor customer service.

Social feeling

Track social sentiment by monitoring the most common words used to talk about your brand.

Social defense program

Create a social advocacy program that rewards people who praise your brand digitally. This is because brand advocates help you connect with potential customers and reduce online noise, and can increase visibility by demonstrating your products on social media, positive online reviews, and driving more traffic to your products.

User Generated Content (UGC)

Share user-generated content. Original, brand-specific content created by customers and shared online influences brand awareness and acts as a trust signal.

Brand safety

Practice brand safety by ensuring that ads are not associated with inappropriate content that could damage the brand’s reputation.

How to manage and respond to customer reviews on platforms such as Google and TripAdvisor

According to Google itself, your customers’ reviews can provide valuable feedback for your business.

And your responses can help gain the trust of your customers, who, after reading them, may even update their reviews.

Consider criticism as an opportunity to improve both the product or service and the customer experience. And not as a problem to be solved.

Respond promptly

This is the number one recommendation regarding online reviews, as it shows that the company is attentive and cares about its customer’s experience.

Show that you are a real person

Sign with your name or initials, as this helps to convey an image of greater authenticity.

Analyze the common themes in complaints

By detecting the complaints, it is possible to identify the problem and act to solve it.

If you made a mistake, own up to it and apologize

It is not shameful or a sign of weakness to take responsibility for mistakes made and apologize. In doing so, show compassion and empathy. Be honest, and explain what you can and cannot do in the situation.

Respond to negative online reviews, avoiding online attacks and arguments with customers and promises you can’t keep.

Focus on understanding and solving the problem. And thank the customer for bringing the case to your attention. Source: Freepik

Write a useful, short and simple answer

There is no room for flourishes. Be objective. Write meaningful, readable, and polite answers.

Thank the commentators

Google suggests responding to positive comments when you have news or relevant information to share. You don’t have to thank each commenter publicly, as each reply reaches multiple customers.

Don’t be a salesman

Don’t offer incentives or advertise. What you can do is tell commenters something new about your company or share something they may not have known on their first visit.

Never share personal data

Suggest that the commenter contact you personally by email or phone to resolve the issue.

Investigate the reasons behind the negative impression

Check your records on the commentator and their experience with your company.

Hire a trademark or internet defamation lawyer

If so, consider contacting an experienced and specialized lawyer for the removal of defamatory negative content and mitigation of damages.

The importance of giving customers a say

Not having a strong online presence is NOT an option for a brand that wants to succeed and grow.

Hiding, deleting, ignoring or replying to customer comments with ready-made and “cold” phrases have only one consequence: irritating and driving customers away from your brand.

An angry customer impacts exponentially many more customers and non-customers, who may not become customers of your brand.

But by focusing on customers’ needs, wants, values, and opinions, you align brand experiences with these factors and thus help shape the customer’s perception of your brand.

Did you realize how it’s a never-ending cycle that feeds back on itself?

Maintain a good brand reputation to get positive online reviews

A brand’s positive reputation is one of its most desirable and valuable intangible assets.

In today’s context, reputation can change rapidly as a consequence of changing customer expectations or negative publicity.

Positive online reviews generate a positive brand reputation and vice versa.

Start by always behaving ethically and engaging with your customers and the wider community.

Do the right thing and be considerate of employees, customers, fans, followers, investors, suppliers, and other stakeholders.

Prioritize social listening to detect problems and complaints before they snowball, damaging the brand and, consequently, its reputation. Social listening also serves to anticipate problems.

A good reputation builds trust. And trust is the basis for any healthy relationship.