Do you want to protect your business from vicious online attacks?
A bad review going viral is every business owner’s worst nightmare.
The problem is most companies don’t understand how fast a reputation crisis can sink your business. With most of your customers shopping online, your reputation is worth guarding like gold.
Your customers are already talking about your business online whether you’re paying attention or not. If you’re not intentionally managing online reputation conversations then you’re letting random people decide your business future.
There is good news. An online reputation management plan will turn those online conversations into your biggest competitive advantage.
Online reputation management services are now table stakes in the digital age, whether you’re trying to clean up negative reviews, contain crisis communications, or build trust with your audience. An online reputation management plan is no longer optional, it’s a business necessity.
Monitoring includes understanding your legal rights as well. The right to be forgotten in the UK has also been recognized and allows people or businesses to request certain information be removed from search results giving an additional layer of protection over your business online presence.
What you’ll discover:
- What Is A Reputation Management Plan?
- Why Your Business Needs This Yesterday
- The Complete Step-By-Step Blueprint
- Monitoring Tools That Actually Work
- Crisis Response Strategies That Save Businesses
What Is A Reputation Management Plan?
Your online reputation management plan is the umbrella that protects your business from online attacks.
It is a strategic approach to managing, influencing, and optimizing how your brand is seen online. Think of it as your business 24/7 digital bodyguard watching over your business’s reputation online.
But there is one crucial misperception about reputation management plans…
Most people think a reputation management plan is the same as online reviews response management.
It’s not. A good plan includes a holistic strategy that covers 24/7 online monitoring, review response management, proactive content creation, crisis response, negative content removal, and social media engagement to maintain your business online reputation.
The difference between businesses that survive a reputation attack and those that don’t is the ones that had a plan in place first.
Why Your Business Needs This Yesterday
The statistics are enough to give you nightmares…
The average business has 94% of their potential customers turning away at the door due to negative reviews online. Research shows that 94% of consumers say a negative review or social media comment has convinced them to avoid a company. That means almost every single person that stops at your door is doing so because of online reviews.
The horror doesn’t stop there. One bad review can cost your business 30 customers and stop 97% of consumers from using a local business.
So what is really going on here? Two things…
One, Your competitors are actively trying to undermine your reputation. Reputation attacks are a part of the game in hyper-competitive industries like financial services, technology and healthcare.
Two, 84% of executives now rank brand and reputation risk as their #1 external risk higher than even cybersecurity and regulatory risks. Businesses that are still wondering if they need an online reputation management plan are already one step behind. Most of these companies are in the news because they failed to manage their online narrative and their brands.
The Complete Step-By-Step Blueprint
The good news is creating an online reputation management plan doesn’t take a rocket scientist.
You just need a solid process to follow and it will keep your business protected 24/7.
Here’s how to create a rock-solid reputation management plan.
Step 1: Audit Your Current Online Presence
Before you can clean up your online reputation you have to know what is already out there.
Do a search of your business name, owner names, locations and variations of each on Google, Bing and social media platforms.
Go through the first 3 pages of results and take note of what you find. This will include positive online content about your business, negative content about your business, neutral mentions of your business and areas where you may be missing content.
The key here is to start with a baseline assessment. Then you will know exactly what you need to work on when setting up monitoring alerts and response protocols.
Step 2: Set Up Monitoring Systems
If you can’t measure it you can’t manage it.
Successful businesses use the right combination of free and paid tools to monitor their online brand presence.
Google alerts is a great free option to start with but you will want to invest in paid monitoring tools that provide more insights and real time alerts.
What you need to monitor is anything and everything that mentions your business name, key staff and terms across search results, social media, review sites, news outlets, industry forums and competitor sites.
Step 3: Create Your Content Strategy
Here’s the biggest mistake most businesses make…
They focus entirely on reputation damage control at the expense of building new positive content that will naturally push negative content down in search results.
So your proactive content strategy needs to include regular blogging and optimizing for your brand terms, social media posts that reflect your brand values, customer success stories and testimonials, thought leadership content in your industry and video content to humanize your brand.
Step 4: Develop Response Protocols
Fast and smart response is critical during a reputation crisis.
It is worth pre-preparing your response templates for negative reviews, social media complaints, negative news coverage, false and misleading information and employee complaints/grievances.
Your response should always be professional, empathetic and focused on offering solutions. Never argue or get defensive online it only makes matters worse.
Monitoring Tools That Actually Work
You can’t manage your online reputation without good monitoring tools.
The right tools can make or break your online reputation management plan.
Free Tools: Google Alerts, social media notifications, Google My Business Insights
Professional Tools: Brand monitoring platforms, social listening tools, review management systems
The key to effective monitoring tools is to use a combination of free and paid tools that fit your budget and provide actionable insights instead of generic data dumps.
Most SMBs start with free tools and upgrade as they scale. The key is to start monitoring now – every day you wait you are exposing your business to potential online reputation damage.
Crisis Response Strategies That Save Businesses
The first 24 hours of a reputation crisis determines the fate of your business.
The golden rules to follow during crisis response are: Respond immediately (silence is guilt), take responsibility (even for things out of your control), offer solutions (not just apologies), follow up (ensure the complainant is satisfied), and finally learn and improve (always try to use feedback to improve processes).
A business that handles a negative situation in the right way usually creates more positive reputation impact than if the negative event had never happened.
Remember your customers respect a business that owns their mistakes and always tries to make it right.
Key Takeaways
Online reputation management is no longer optional, it’s a survival skill in the digital age.
Successful modern businesses don’t leave their reputation to chance. They are actively and proactively managing their online presence. An online reputation management plan is no longer an option, it’s a business necessity.
Start today with a basic monitoring system, audit your current online presence and create response protocols. Your future self will thank you when you are ready for the next online crisis.
Because when it comes to your business in the digital age, your online reputation is not just part of your business…
Your online reputation is your business.
William Gall is a seasoned attorney specializing in civil litigation and family law. With a legal career spanning over two decades, William has built a reputation for his meticulous attention to detail and his unwavering commitment to justice. In addition to practicing law, he is a prolific writer, contributing regularly to various legal blogs where he shares his insights on current legal trends, case law, and best practices. His articles are well-regarded in the legal community for their thorough research and practical advice, making complex legal concepts accessible to both legal professionals and the general public.