Online Reputation Management Simplified: A Brand’s Guide To Positive Online Image!

March 19, 2020March 19, 2020 David Thach

The tech-savvy and internet-dependent customers will look for everything online. Before they decide to buy a product or invest in a service, they want to know if the concerned company has good credentials and repute. Having a positive image of your company is not just critical for your branding goals but is necessary for sales and marketing. Today, you will find services that specialise in online reputation management in Australia, and you can expect them to work for your Australian brand from scratch. Simply called ORM, online reputation management is not a choice defined by the geographic location of a company. It’s a critical component of your online marketing strategy.

How does it work?

The primary goal of online reputation management is to promote good reviews, contents, and posts about a brand, and this obviously also means suppressing all sorts of negative reviews. Reputation management services don’t just do damage control, but they are responsible for maintaining that steady positive image, for which a wide range of strategies can be deployed. With effective planning, negative reviews, feedback, and other contents that are often posted by competitors, can be pushed down the search results, so when a consumer looks for the company, he only finds good reviews.

What’s the process of online reputation management?

There are strategies that are typical of an online reputation management campaign. These include –

1. SEO. Most users rely on Google to get information on brands. Search engine optimization aims at organically pushing negative comments to further pages in the search results so that only good content shows up. It is well known that most users don’t go beyond the first couple of pages on Google.

2. Content creation and management. The success of an ORM campaign depends largely on the content that’s being generated. Just like with SEO, it is of utmost importance to create content that is readable, relevant, and has the power to trend for the brand. Yes, the goal of online reputation management is promotion, but it doesn’t have to be obvious. The idea is to get targeted consumers to read the content.

3. Social media management. Social media has caused massive PR damage for many brands. Just a couple of bad reviews on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest are enough to damage years of credible work. A considerable part of ORM work is about managing social media. It could mean replying back to consumers, offering good content, and ensuring that these platforms are used for customer engagement.

4. Gathering reviews. Many online reputation management experts believe in the tactic of encouraging customers and people to write reviews. For instance, if you are at a restaurant, the restaurant may offer a 10% discount when you write a review for them on social media or a food aggregator app. Many companies dealing in online reputation management in Australia also rely on software and apps to keep an eye on reviews and mentions.

5. Monitoring other sites. There is little control that marketing experts have on what other people, brands, competitors, and websites write about their clients, but keeping a watch helps them use some of the other tools and strategies that we just talked about.

Is ORM expensive?

It would be unfair to put a price tag on online reputation management services. Many digital marketing companies have developed standard plans, for which clients pay a monthly fee, but others prefer to work in a customised manner, offering tailored solutions. There is no strict way to approach ORM, and most marketing agencies will first figure the extent of damage to online image and repute for a brand, and based on that, they can offer an estimate. What you can definitely expect is transparency, and since online reputation management work can continue for a while, you may have to pay an amount every month. At the very least, expect to pay for ORM for a period of at least three to six months for sustained results.

How to select the right online reputation management service?

There are a few basic tips that you can follow –

Make sure that the ORM service has experience and expertise in both SEO and social media marketing. Those two aspects, besides paid ads, are critical for ORM, as well.
Check their clientele. Experience is best evaluated through their work profile, and you can always ask for references.
Interest in your website and brand is another aspect to consider. Steer clear of online reputation management services that have a fixed package for every client.
Discuss their strategies. Beware of ORM services that often rely on black-hat SEO to get the work done. Insist on knowing their plan and make sure that you are informed on major decisions.
Reporting of results. Eventually, you would want to know what’s going on, and that’s measurable in real terms. Contrary to popular belief, online reputation management is scalable, so ask for reports.

Check online and shortlist a few ORM services today!