5 Advantages That Speak For Online Reputation Management
No medium since time immemorial is better and faster suited for research on products, people, brands and companies than the Internet. The search results consist of articles, private and commercial blog posts, forum entries, online ratings, video formats or entries in the respective social media. From this kaleidoscope of information, the opinion about a person or a company is very quickly assembled. And “opinion” in this context means “reputation” for brands or individuals.
Reputation and image are among the most important decision-making tools for online consumers, as they are sometimes the only factors that enable them to assess the quality and seriousness of offers. Online Reputation Management (ORM), in this case, is a discipline that deals with the influencing and controlling of an individual’s or a company’s brand reputation online.
Here are 5 advantages that speak for online reputation management.
1. Increases Confidence in the Brand
For companies, brands or celebrities, reputation is a very precious commodity whose fate cannot be left up to chance. On the contrary, reputation has become a very hard currency on the opinion and news markets, and as such an active online reputation management and a digital strategy is needed to protect, or even better to constantly increase trust in a brand or company.
2. Reputation Increases the Market Value
With an initial reputation analysis, the status quo with regard to the perception of an individual, brand or company in the public or media is first examined. From this, the first measures for active online reputation management can then be derived. In individual cases, this may mean that negative online entries must be dealt with immediately, and a destroyed reputation must be completely rebuilt or a low positive reputation must be stimulated. Any shift in emphasis towards a higher reputation automatically increases the market value of a person or company. Of course, active online reputation management is a closed-loop process.
3. Reputation Offers Competitive Advantages
The advantages of professional online reputation management are obvious. Not only can the reputation on the Internet (Earned Media/Owned Media/Paid Media) be improved within a short time, but positive reporting or appreciation of users on the Internet automatically leads to an increase in organic ranking, i.e. better findability in search engines such as Google. And a higher organic ranking is in itself a decisive competitive advantage.
4. Sales Increase Through Positive Reputation
Since many users plan their purchases on the Internet and 85% of their purchasing decisions are made by gathering information on the Web, it can be argued that the positive reputation of a brand can have a major influence on users’ purchasing decisions. And in times when products and services are becoming more and more similar, this is perhaps a crucial factor. Online Reputation Management thus becomes an important addition to online marketing in the company.
5. Reputation Management Supports Recruiting
A positive image not only attracts customers but it is equally important in attracting employees. Having professional staff is a foundation of a successful workforce. A good online reputation drives in applications in high volume for any job openings. In every industry, top individuals are hunted by the companies. And a qualified candidate will always do the research before applying to your company or before they accept any position at your company. To hire the best talents to work with you, developing and maintaining a positive image is crucial.
