How to Build an Online Reputation for Small Businesses

In a world swarmed by online businesses with low prices, how much does your online reputation matter?

As a small business owner, you are already familiar with the concept of reputation. Most notably, people running brick-and-mortar businesses know exactly how much each customer’s opinion of their business matters. As reputation is always important, your online reputation could make or break your business.

There are three building blocks of any successful online reputation that your small business can leverage to become an online authority.

Content Channel

Right from the start, recognize that not all content is created equal, and the most important step to becoming an online authority is creating quality content.

Small businesses can create this content through blog posts. Believe it or not, some of the most trusted brands consistently publish content on their own blogs.

What’s so special about a blog? First of all, search engines see this as an added value to any website’s reputation. Plus, having a blog gives you a dedicated place that your audience can visit at any time to read about you or latest developments around your product, business or industry.

Most importantly, producing blog posts means that you’ll have a channel to provide your audience with solutions to some of their problems. Don’t create shallow content that exists solely to promote your own business; providing readers with actionable solutions to relevant issues can boost your reputation as a business.

Social Media

There are a couple of factors to consider when it comes to social media marketing. Your reputation depends on your activity on any given social platform. It’s hard for your audience to care about your social media profiles if you’re not using them.

Engagement is one of the biggest challenges for small business owners, for the simple reason that they think a corporate approach is the way to go. While your message and communication should certainly be professional, you shouldn’t be afraid to insert a bit of humanity into your social media accounts. Engagement is generated when there is a dialogue between the brand and their followers. Ignite discussions by appealing to people’s desire to chat, share and laugh.

Reviews

While the aspect of managing your business’ reviews seems abstract, it’s also one of the more important ones for your online reputation. If you are a stranger to the world of digital marketing, there’s a chance you don’t think that online reviews are impactful.

Digital word of mouth has become one of the most persuasive forms of marketing to the modern consumer. Moreover, it tends to have a massive impact on the decision-making process for the average person. Even with the cheapest product on the market, a few negative reviews can have a damaging effect on your sales.

The world of online reputation management and digital media marketing can seem intimidating at first. Plenty of small business owners are trying to wrap their heads around these concepts and wondering how their own experience with a physical store will translate into a digital media marketing strategy.