Building a Positive Brand Reputation with Social Media

It’s no secret that social media is slowly taking over the world of marketing. Three thirds of adults in the U.S. have at least one social network account.

Social platforms provide consumers with a megaphone that they can use however they choose with a global scale reach. While brands have always been wary of negative publicity, they are now faced with instant and permanent effects of their consumers engaging online.

Social media is a powerful tool for marketing purposes, but it also has a flip side. When mishandled, one negative comment, blog or social media post can have long-lasting damaging effects on reputation. Thankfully there is a way to manage all the negative content, with reputation management.

A brand reputation management strategy is pro-active approach to monitoring and managing a company’s reputation online. Companies can go through the process of monitoring their brand on their own or they can use various tools, contract experts or agencies that will search the web for brand mentions.

No brand wants or expects to be faced with a social media crisis, but it’s important to have a plan in place. By actively managing your reputation online, it becomes much easier to contain and even avoid negative publicity. Here are some tips for creating and maintaining a positive brand image:

Project a positive image — Whenever your company is doing, building or organizing something interesting, share it with your audience. This builds goodwill and a stronger bond between consumers and brands.

Incentivize and reward — Social media is a great place to set up giveaways and promotions. These are always entertaining and engaging for customers.

Talk to your audience and ask questions — Start conversations with or between your followers and get insights from your prospects and brand ambassadors. You might find bits of information that you couldn’t have otherwise; and it can help you build a better image for your brand.

Listen — You may have your own perception of your brand’s reputation, but it’s the customers that shape the public perception. Listen to your customers to spot both positive and negative developments.

Try a brand reputation management service — There are different services that can make it easier for you to monitor your brand online. Especially if you don’t have the time to look for mentions of your company on your own, these tools will make your reputation management process much easier.