Last week, I attended a seminar on Online Reputation Management in downtown Toronto. The main discussion in the seminar was whether online reputation management is dead or not. Important reputation management figures were cited, including Don Sorensen, President of Big Blue Robot Digital Marketing Firm. I share similar sentiments as Sorenson, who argues that “online reputation management is very much alive and inevitable in this digital age; it’s time for companies to improve their reputation management strategy or suffer the consequences…”
Before attending the seminar, it never crossed my mind that people would actually think the term ‘online reputation management’ was a thing of the past. My thoughts are completely the opposite. In fact, I felt privileged to write about it in this feature blog and express my concern.
Online Reputation Management should be a priority for every business and individual with an online presence; I can’t stress that enough. Building a positive reputation can take years to achieve and that all can be washed away by one bad or false review that was not properly managed.
The web is a free forum where people are free to post all of their thoughts and feelings, and unfortunately businesses are often on the receiving end of these attacks. But with the right online reputation management tactics, slanderous comments and negative reviews can be managed and contained.
So why invest in reputation management? Why do I believe that online reputation management is alive and kicking? In a nutshell, it’s a well-known fact that 74% of internet users will look the other way to the competition based on a single bad review. In a separate study done by Global Trust in Advertising, 70% of global consumers have indicated that they would trust a stranger and their review when making a purchasing decision. These are very solid facts with impactful implications.
Develop a system to ensure your biggest fans are louder than your biggest enemies; the payoff is worth it. That will mean you will have to have someone on call that can monitor your online reputation, asses the risks, and suggest proper measures to perform damage control and prevent a future occurrence. Whether that person is in-house or outside, they need to be able to communicate with C-Level executives and other decision makers to ensure that the solution is good for the entire company.
About iRISEmedia
iRISEmedia.com is a web design, social media marketing, search engine marketing, and online reputation management firm in Toronto, Canada. Our team helps clients increase their reach and profitability by developing and implementing customized and targeted online and social media marketing strategies. We service clients in Toronto, Ontario, the GTA and throughout Canada as well as globally.
