Online Reputation Management
Online Reputation
09.12.2008
In:
Social Media
Now your brand is increasingly dependent on what comes up when customers, reporters and other stakeholders type a company’s name into search engines such as Google.
Social network, blog and user-generated content (UGC) sites are growing thousands of times faster than any corporate website could ever hope to grow. With this exponential growth comes great attention from many different places, both good and bad.
As marketers and consumers continue to shift their research for products and services to the Web, businesses must take notice. They must start monitoring and listening to what is being said online about their company, products, services, brands and competitors.
For the first time, marketers and communication professionals are forced to address free-flowing discussions over which they have little to no control. Some still think these online conversations are isolated incidents having little effect on a company’s brand. Sometimes that’s the case. But in many situations, an informal exchange of information can influence the opinions of vast audiences and gain momentum at a rate previously unseen. In some industries, these two-way conversations generate more attention than expensive and established traditional media. The really savvy companies are capitalizing on the positive exposure to solidify their public perception.
It is imperative for companies to gain a clear picture of what is being said about them in cyberspace and who are the main influencers of these “conversations.” Capstrat’s Social Media Group spends a lot of time consulting on reputation and how to engage with an audience. We’ve developed a pragmatic approach to help tell our clients’ stories.
Online reputation assessment
Before you take action, it’s important to get a baseline evaluation of what people are already saying about you. We usually advocate a 360-degree overview of relevant conversations taking place online. This includes keywords, a review of themes and topics, an analysis to separate influencers from non-influencers, and finally, informed recommendations. We then create a media map to graphically represent how the pieces fit together. Next steps may include daily, weekly or monthly monitoring plans.
Daily, weekly or monthly online monitoring and analysis
After getting a baseline, you must continue to analyze and interpret the unpredictable public dialogue as it shifts and evolves. To audit multiple online sources, we developed the Capstrat Monitor™, a content aggregator that continuously tracks online conversations, whether they are happening via text, audio or video. That frees our experts to bring a critical eye to the ongoing conversation.
Reaction management plan and training
When a specific conversation demands a response, time is of the essence. The longer a company delays in responding, the bigger and possibly more devastating a story can become. When every minute counts, it’s imperative that companies have a documented reaction management plan so each person understands his or her responsibilities. We generally include recommendations to integrate the reaction plan with a corporate crisis plan and social media training to familiarize employees with terminology, the media landscape and potential pitfalls. Of course, the dialogue isn’t always negative. Online messages can also present a positive opportunity to capitalize on — if you’re prepared.
Social media outreach and engagement
Once you have a clear understanding of what’s being said about your organization, it’s time to start engaging in these conversations. But you’ll need to consider the influencers and how to engage them properly in these communities. You’ll also want to put safeguards in place to mitigate any risks. We believe engaging with your community is worth being transparent, and using previous analysis and research will allow you to truly understand the communities you are looking to engage with.
Bottom line
Building a successful brand takes time, money and care. As corporate scrutiny and peer-to-peer conversations grow, companies are missing out on new and untapped opportunities if they aren’t listening to and engaging with their target markets.
Are you?
