Your online reputation is a big deal even if you are a small business. As you read this, someone may be voting your products down. Why only the other day we saw a post on a freelancer site offering to pay people to vote on Amazon.
Social media have become the preferred sites for consumers to comment on their experiences. Humans being what we are, we only comment on the exceptional. Few people are going to take the trouble to say nice things about you on your blog.
However, the one-in-a-hundred mistake we all make can cause them to rip our reputation into tatters. It follows we have to watch our social media platforms carefully. Have you noticed how well Google has been ranking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook recently?
What to Do When You Get Slammed On Social Media
Your response will be in the public domain unless you block it and that’s a bad thing to do. It is far better to be open and honest. If you messed up, say sorry and offer to make amends. Your reputation will improve.
However, if you think the criticism is unjust you have a perfect right to say so too. Just make sure you explain your position clearly, and politely. Those fans you had who were dithering will come back to you if your case is strong.
However It Is Far Better to Proactively Protect Your Reputation
If a few customers are going to take the trouble to say positive things about you, then it is up to you to close the gap. Here are three steps you can take in that direction.
1: Get to grips with your brand.
Your brand is everywhere it has a mention including news articles, videos, and other social media posts about you on the internet. You absolutely have to monitor all of these and manage the information.
2: Get a handle on who you are
Your brand is not what your company thinks about itself. Your brand is not the logo propped up on your desk. It is in the mind of your market. This is the brand you need to understand, protect.
Building a reputation is easier than damage control
Don’t wait until something breaks and then you have to fix it. Reputation management is an ongoing process that will be with you throughout your life. You can take a dip if you are riding high. Otherwise, a bad run of luck could sink you.
Facebook is a case in point, not to mention a case of the biter bit by its own systems. It is hanging in there not because it was right or wrong. It is hanging in there because it has always understood its market’s mind.
