Around 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations so if your business receives complaints or appears unfavorably online, the damage could be severe. For instance, around 60% of people say that reading a negative review or comment made them not want to buy products or services from this business. Maintaining a solid online reputation goes beyond reviews, of course. It extends to the way you represent yourself and interact with others. Make sure you create a sound strategy to boost your online presence in a positive way, paying attention to the following considerations.

Interact with Consumers and Opiners

Check up on social media mentions daily, ensuring you answer complaints immediately—failing to do so could lead to an angry customer who decides to share their negative experience on more than one social media channel. The Wharton School of Business actually suggests sending an automatic ‘thank you’ message and letting the person you will get back to them asap. This is a good way to appease customers until you can address their issue with the care and merit it deserves. If you direct complaints to your DMs, make sure that your response is public so that others can see that you have not left an upset customer in the lurch. Once you are dealing with the customer, deal with their complaints quickly and efficiently. If they are happy with your attention, ask them to leave a public statement about the fact that you dealt with their complaining well. Some may even remove their negative comment so make sure that they end the communication in as happy a state as possible.

Archive Your Social Media Communications

Most companies back up their emails to and from clients but backing up your digital and social media communications is vital; it could save your skin in the event of a lawsuit. Because you do not control social media servers and you never know whether or not vital communications can be eliminated, investing in a social media archiving service is a good idea. Dedicated platforms can archive communications from all your channels immediately in case you need them to respond to a customer in the future, handle a dispute, or defend your brand’s reputation.

Also Read: How Digital Technologies are Transforming Business Growth

Be Consistent with Your Social Media Content

Regularly post content and keep your social media accounts updated with respect to everything from your address and opening hours to holiday hours, news, and events. Your brand reputation very much depends on the extent to which your website and social media channels are reliable and consistent with your brand values. To stay on top of your programming, use software such as HootSuite, which allows you to upload content that you can program for posting on specific days and at specific times. Invest in quality visuals and create engaging, informative content that will be shared and commented on. Engage with audiences by responding to requests, answering questions about your content, and engaging in discussion about key points in blogs and news releases.

Your company’s reputation can be made or broken online so it is important to prioritize your digital presence in various ways. Firstly, be active on social media, answering queries and complaints quickly and efficiently and aiming to leave the customer in a happy state. Make sure to keep a reliable archive of all communications, investing in programs that will enable you to do so reliably. Finally, prioritize your content and keep your site and channels updated so that customers know they can find key information quickly and efficiently.

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