The internet is a very large place, and it keeps growing and changing every day. It is both exciting and frightening at the same time. Today, more people than ever are able to voice their opinion and to have their opinion heard. As a business, this means that reputation management is as important online as it is offline. There are numerous approaches to this practice, but the most effective ones focus on proactive rather than reactive methods, and a variety of other practices. In this article, we’re going to share with you some of the best practices we’ve learned over the years.

Study your search engine presence

A big part of your online presence is a direct consequence of your search engine ranking on various keywords. This is why it is important to invest some time into determining your strengths and weaknesses in this domain. All businesses will have a set of related keywords that may pertain to their industry, location, products, services, and some other factors. If you understand these keywords and how you rank in the search results, you are able to apply a force multiplier to your online marketing efforts and improve your reputation within your particular field.

Have consistent usernames across social media platforms

By having the same username across all your social media platforms, you not only ensure that users will be able to find you easily, you also improve your website’s SEO. However, you might not find the perfect username right away, so it’s important to be versatile. Underscores, shortened usernames, periods, and other methods can be used to find a name that fits all platforms. Once the profiles are up, you can add links to them on your website, and use them as a way to talk directly to your customers.

Use social media carefully

Social media is an essential tool for reputation management, but it can also be your biggest foil. If not handled properly, a minor complaint could turn into a PR disaster. There are plenty of examples out there, and we’ve covered a few on our blog, where even large, well-established brands mismanaged a public reaction and it turned into a fiasco. The rules are fairly simple, however. Make sure that you answer all complaints in a polite and expedient manner. Do not try to ignore problems, as they may escalate. The age-old adage, “the customer is always right” is particularly true here, since the speed and reach of a single sentence is lighting fast. Besides that, social media is a wonderful tool to put out the brand image that you want and connect with your customers.

Make use of press releases

Press releases have also been changed by the online world. Nowadays, sending out a press release is much faster and much more convenient, so you should make use of it if you have the chance. It will allow you to build authority and reach segments of your market faster than you would through SEO or traditional content marketing.

Contact a Milwaukee Area Reputation Management and Online Listings Management Company for More Information

Reputation management is a fairly vast field of practice, which can have a steep learning curve. Over the years, we’ve helped many companies establish an online presence that accurately reflects their brand and values, and which naturally draws in customers. When combined with other online marketing avenues, reputation management can be a force multiplier that improves your social media presence, SEO, and overall reach. If you are interested in outsourcing the reputation management for your business in Milwaukee, contact us today and one of our team members will be happy to discuss your options.