Who’s Really In Control?????

A reputation is all a company has to be successful.  The fact is that people are talking about companies (good or bad) whether they like it or not and it is crucial that attention is given to those conversations.  Building a good reputation is the first step, but the final task is to maintain that reputation.  Consider a good reputation like enrolling in a class.  You start off with an A, but it takes effort to maintain that A.  Companies lost control of their reputation when they are trying to maintain control, if that makes sense.  The focus is not to wipe the conversations away, but too get involved in those conversations and turn the bad into good.  Ted Leberecht, in his lecture, 3 Ways to (usefully) Lose Control of Your Brand, put it perfectly.  Companies need “more control over the loss of control.  Companies must focus on ways to manage the conversation online.  You can’t erase what is already out there, you can’t undo what is already done."

Stop and Listen!!!!!

How did we lose control of this?  How can we fix this?  Questions that companies ask themselves after their companies are in the pits.  An online real time presence is crucial in maintaining a “good” reputation.  It is much easier to “control” a situation if you are involved in it from the first day.  A reputation came be damaged in a click of a button.  Companies must implement online marketing managers that are available to engage in these conversations.  If a bad reputation doesn’t have room to fester it is much easier to control.

How did we lose control of this?

Become Buddies with Online Influencers

Identify the online community “heavy hitters.”  These are the people who have the biggest influence on consumers.  They will either push consumers away or pull consumers in.  Start engaging with the big influences; make them feel like they are a part of the company.  Word of mouth is very powerful.  Cater to those influencers as they are the strongest marketing tools.

Word of mouth is very powerful. 

You Can’t Please Everyone, Get Over it.

It is impossible to please everyone.  It is certain that companies will receive negative reviews.  Companies can’t control who reads the reviews and comments or who the information is shared with.  The key is to minimize the negative impact and this can be done by implementing online reputation management (ORM).  This system acts as a barrier to keep the negative publicity from ruining the company.  Managing the online reputation allows the company to control how their image and the company are perceived.  Once the information is put out, it can’t be undone. Again, the key is to minimize the effects of the bad online conversations.

Key Points:

• Listen to you consumers comments and reviews
• Know your online heavy hitters (big influencers)
• You can’t undo what is done, but you can manage the outcome
• You can’t please everyone, unwanted online conversations will happen. Be prepared!

(All accolades and credit for this blog post are for Ebony Jones who is the author and creator of this post.)