5 Reputation Management Tips for Every Small Business

One of the most important aspects of online marketing for any modern business is your online reputation. Any old business can amass reviews on Yelp or Google, but Yelp is little more than a glorified protection racket, and while Google serves a million and one functions excellently, a business’ review score on its service is far from their most important metric. Both Yelp and Google are imperfect systems that can be and have been manipulated by unscrupulous users and business rivals.

For a small business to earn the kind of reputation that they need to help carry them into the big leagues of their industry, a comprehensive strategy for managing their reputation is required. This should involve more than just devising strategies for showing customers your best side at all times. You also need to think about how you will react to any inevitable bad press relating to your business; this is just as important as generating good press.

Establish a Presence in the Right Places

Most small businesses today have a social media presence. Social media is the most important marketing platform in the world right now. It not only makes it easy for businesses to distribute their marketing materials, but also to speak directly with customers, receive feedback on ideas, and stay abreast of the trends and fads that are most easily capitalised on.

Social media sites are an excellent way of reaching consumers and broadening your appeal. However, you should also seek to establish a presence on websites and online directories that are focused on business-to-business interactions. There will also inevitably be a range of websites that are relevant to your specific field or industry, establishing a presence on these can be hugely beneficial in helping you form new relationships and alliances.

Go Beyond Your Business Name

The name of any business is one of its most valuable assets, but it is far from the only one. In addition to your business’ name, the products and brands that you produce are just as important to your identity. When you are working on an SEO strategy, which is essential for maintaining control over your business’ reputation, you should make sure that your strategy places the same importance on your brands and products as it does upon the name of the business.

 Use Authorship

Using authorship means attributing your more substantial works, be they marketing materials, web pages, articles, or blog posts, to an individual author. Adding a name to these pieces emphasises that they were created by an individual in your business. Without any authorship, blog posts and articles written about your business for a particular audience can end up seeming very impersonal. You shouldn’t underestimate how much more receptive your audience will be to media that is personally attributed to an individual.

Knowing When (and How) to Say Sorry

No matter how well you run your business, or how much care and love you put into it, no one and nothing is perfect. When businesses do run into trouble, the important consideration is how they react. When you, or those who represent you, make serious mistakes, you need to show your willingness to acknowledge those mistakes and act to prevent them from happening again. Make sure that any apologies you issue are genuine, and that you don’t try to shift the blame.

Make it Easy for Customers to Contact You

Your website should contain several options for customers who wish to contact you and ask a question or make a complaint. Most businesses utilise a support desk ticketing system as a way of organising and coordinating their responses to customer enquiries. For small businesses, offering excellent customer service that’s on par with your bigger competitors will work wonders for your reputation.

Reputation management is a crucial consideration for small businesses. Manage your reputation properly and you will find it much easier to grow and develop.