It is totally normal to have questions about online reputation management, no matter if you’re a small company trying to build a reputation or a large corporation trying to repair a reputation after a scandal. Whatever your current situation is, hiring a service that specializes in promoting positive company reputation has many benefits.
Before taking the leap and investing time, money, and resources into reputation services, it is important to have your questions answered. You can start right here by reading up on these frequently asked questions regarding online reputation management in 2019.
How important is a business’s reputation in 2019?
Remember what happened to Paula Deen a few years ago? Well if you don’t, let us refresh your memory. Paula Deen, the southern belle of the Food Network and a well-known name around the world, worked for decades to build up her impressive career. She was on top of the world and one of the leaders of the world of food.
That is, until a scandal broke and nearly destroyed everything she had worked for. A video of Paula using a derogatory remark from 20 years ago was released, and her empire started to collapse. Something as insignificant as a video from decades in the past, not even recent video footage mind you, affected Deen’s reputation greatly.
Her profits saw a huge drop, people stopped dining in her restaurant, and her name became tarnished. Luckily, Deen has a solid team of reputation management professionals on her side and they were able to get her business back up and running after a while. This shows just how important a person’s – and business’s – reputation is.
What are the benefits of hiring a reputation management company?
Not only can a team of reputation management pros help your company in a time of crisis and scandal, they can promote your company in other ways. The top companies will provide a variety services, including high-quality content writing, search engine optimization strategies, data analysis, and social media management.
Can a negative reputation really do that much damage?
Absolutely. You already saw an example of this from the Paula Deen situation. Her empire crumbled in a matter of days, just because of a negative video that started circulating around the internet. Even if you think there is nothing negative about you or your company out in the world, you never know. Something could come up that you’re not entirely proud of.
But you need to remember that a bad rep doesn’t just come from a scandal. It can also come from negative customer reviews or a lack of a social media presence. No matter the reason for the negative reputation, it can cause some serious damage to your company’s brand.
How can I develop a reputation management strategy?
When you consult with a reputation management firm, you’ll be able to develop a solid strategy for brand promotion. Before anything can happen, the first step is data collection and analysis. In order to fix or build a reputation, you first need to know what customers are saying about you.