In this day and age, when we are spending a large proportion of our time online and surrounded by various electronic media, it is important for businesses to remember that their online reputation is the most accurate reflection of their actual reputation among consumers and competitors.
That is why brands should focus on managing their online reputation, claims social media specialist Melissa Agnes on the Business 2 Community website. She warns that brands with no online presence or those failing to monitor and manage their presence on the web are putting their business at risk.
As social media marketing becomes more mature and brands start to feel more confident about their activities on various social platforms, businesses need to focus on a few things. First of all, brands need to start monitoring what is being posted about them round-the-clock. Anything regarding the brand´s service, products or activity should be monitored, regardless of whether it comes from a competitor or a consumer.
Although establishing a presence on one of the major social networking sites is important, that is just the beginning. Brands need to develop their company website so that it provides constant high-quality content, such as blog posts that can boost search engine ranking and result in more traffic to the site. Building a solid brand reputation online takes time, so brands should be consistent in providing valuable information. However, once this has been achieved it can give the brand a lot of credibility, even if it receives negative reviews online, Agnes says.