Though it has long been recognized that social media makes a great marketing platform, partially because of its viral nature, that is not its only purpose. It is becoming more and more recognized as a means to connect to customers and to answer customer questions and providing customer service.
Though it sometimes might lead to negative exposure, it is also a perfect means for informing customers and potential customers about potential negatives such as a product recall, or lack of availability of a particular product.
Two aspects of social media make it imperative to keep a positive online presence. These two aspects include:
- Reviews and recommendations
- Appearance of social media in search engines
A negative reputation can filter through these two aspects of social media to totally ruin a company in a matter of a very short time. On the converse, it is also possible to establish a positive reputation in a short period of time as well.
There is a specific method in maintaining a positive reputation, meaning a reputation management agency is equipped to best do handle the procedures. They have the expertise and experience to do the best job in this area.
#Reviews and Recommendations
A new aspect to social media is the reviews and recommendations wherein satisfied customers are able to share with their friends and contacts. With the speed that information is spread, it means almost instantaneous approval for good service and products.
In the same vein, if your customer service is perceived as being less than the best, or your product does not meet expectations that too will flood the internet in a matter of minutes. This means you have to keep up appearances at all costs. You may wish to obtain the services of a reputation management agency to best do this.
You need to do whatever it takes to give a good impression of yourself and your company. This can be done with blogs, posts to forums, or articles on the subjects related to your business. The branding of yourself and your company can be enhanced by efforts to relate to customers and potential customers.
#Appearance of Social Media in Search Engines
It used to be that social media didn’t show up in search engines. Now, they do. Since the numbers of posts and the speeds with which they appear are so great, they can rise to the top of search engine rankings quite rapidly. A relevant keyword search may show several entries to Twitter and other such sites.
If your reputation is only positive, this can be a big advantage to you. A negative one, however, can lead to heartache and the need for a major repair job. To counter the negatives at the top of the ranking, you will need to have many positives that rank above them. This means using good SEO techniques to get that ranking.
#Handling Negative Comments
Negative comments will occur. They may or may not be justified. If they are justified, the thing to do is to apologize for the difficulty and admit your part in it. This should be done as soon as possible. These negatives will still be showing but your comments let customers think you are willing to do what you have to do to correct the situation. You should then set about getting positive comments that will rank higher and get the negatives off the first page.
About the Author!
Jason Bishop realizes the importance of reputation management. He has written extensively on the subject and covers all aspects in his writing. Click here to learn more on how to manage and maintain a positive reputation online.