Your online reputation can be your strongest asset or your biggest liability. In today’s digital age, online referrals are a powerful tool and sometimes it takes one negative comment or bout of bad feedback to damage your organization’s reputation. This is why it’s imperative for business owners to refine their online reputation management strategies.

Importance of Online Reviews to your B2B Business

In a study conducted by TripAdvisor, 98 percent of business-to-business (B2B) consumers say that an organization’s online presence can greatly affect their decision to purchase. A related research from TurnTo also revealed that 90 percent of user-generated content (UGC) impacts purchasing behavior. 

Modern business owners have enjoyed the positive impact digital innovations and technological advancements have had on some of today’s most burgeoning industries. Currently, more than 90 percent of organizations turn to the internet to look for essential products and services they need to keep their operation successful. On the other hand, nearly 70 percent of businesses consider online reviews as the most reliable trust indicator. To this end, it’s necessary to find ways to generate positive reviews.

While staying proactive is one way to maintain a positive online reputation, there are other actionable steps to consider. Here are some key pointers to help you get started with your online reputation management:

Review Management Tips

You get online reviews from consumers who rate your business based on the quality of your products and services. However, there are ways to speed up the process.

•  Invest in the right tools. It’s difficult to track your brand presence without the right technology and tools on hand. You can start with reputation management software. Some of the other tools to consider are social listening software or social media scheduling online tools. These types of tools offer you the benefits of automation and help to streamline your process.

•  Encourage reviews. Stay proactive and engage with your audience. One way to do this is through email marketing. Keep in touch with your clients. Ask them about their experience doing business with you. The key here is to let them know you value their feedback. You should also be systematic and timeous in your approach – ask them to review your company just after they’ve been delighted by your excellent customer service.

•  Respond to every bit of feedback. More than 53 percent of consumers expect businesses to respond to their reviews. Acknowledging and engaging in feedback reflects how your brand values its customers to both your current and future consumers. Your responsiveness to this feedback encourages others to review your services.

In addition, pay close attention to your negative reviews. Respond professionally without getting defensive and apologize for whatever happened that has disappointed or angered your consumer. Provide an explanation only when necessary and focus on ways to resolve the incident. This gesture not only promotes excellent customer service but may encourage the customer to alter or remove their negative feedback altogether.

Content Marketing: An Effective Way to Optimize your Online Reputation Management Strategy

Content marketing remains a most effective way to boost your brand’s presence and online reputation. A core objective of content marketing is to provide valuable, relevant information while highlighting the company’s unique selling points. This is often achieved by effectively managing optimized blog posts that improve traffic and provide value to the reader.

Content Marketing Tips

Here is how to optimize your online reputation management campaign through content marketing:

•  Your blog site is a good platform on which to promote your services through informative articles. It’s also a great way to showcase your accolades and industry awards. You can provide case studies or introduce new products and services via a blog too.

•  Your content marketing must be optimized by employing smart search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. Focus on the competitive keywords you want to rank for and include them in your copy. The idea is to boost your visibility.

•  Encourage your audience and interested parties to participate in your blog. You can do this by engaging with them through multi-party conversations.

The objective here is to make your content marketing strategy support your online reputation.  Build your brand authority while you move your audience to action. Produce more content that shows the strongest points of your business. An optimized content plan can create positive engagement and when necessary, help regain your momentum from negative remarks.

Using PPC Advertising to Counter Negative Remarks

One of the advantages of pay-per-click (PPC) over SEO is that a carefully planned PPC campaign generates faster results. PPC campaigns can promote your brand’s presence and quickly take action against negative commentary.

Key Takeaways When Using PPC to Boost Your Brand Presence and Online Reputation:

•  To obtain the best results, you need to be careful with your keywords. Use relevant and competitive keywords for your site that promote positive content. Create ad copy focusing on the company’s best features and unique value proposition.

•  Another effective way to use PPC is to build microsites focusing on specific issues or common complaints. Find ways to create ad copy that addresses your industry’s current challenges and obstacles with a positive spin.

Keep in mind that pay-per-click advertising is one of the most advanced online marketing strategies that will require the extensive knowledge and expertise of PPC Consultants. Otherwise, you may end up wasting money and resources on ads that produce inconsistent results and offer you no value. To be sure, it’s imperative to hire a trusted digital marketing agency with proven performance to guide you through building and deploying strategic PPC campaigns.

Getting Professional Help from Experts

Managing your brand’s presence and online reputation takes time and effort. The problem with many organizations is a tendency to overlook some of the most important and easily-actionable items when it comes to brand reputation. Many business owners find they don’t have the time to invest in learning the intricacies of digital marketing and reputation management. For this reason many organizations invest in the services of online reputation management companies. 

Partnering with an online reputation management company makes reputation management easy. As a business owner you can focus on your business operations and rest easy that your online reputation is being handled with care and professionalism. 

When deciding on an online reputation management company choose wisely by investigating each of the candidates proven results. During the initial consultation, they should give you an overview of their methodologies and emphasize the value of each solution they will implement.

Final Words

Managing your online reputation should naturally form part of your digital marketing efforts. However, this is an on-going process and it’s important to regularly monitor your online presence. A lot to ask of a business owner or small team with many other important responsibilities. 

Any negative commentary about your brand or services can significantly affect your organization. By employing a small business seo company who understands online reputation management for B2B businesses you will find consumer concerns quickly resolved. Giving your brand the means to manage these situations reflects positively on your business both online and offline. In addition, having a spotless brand reputation means more opportunities to grow your business.