Online Reputation Management: 5 Trends for 2020

Nowadays, the reputation of a brand increasingly influences the buying decision of potential customers. In a heavily digitalized society, companies are constantly being evaluated and receive public feedback via social media platforms at any time of day or night. Therefore it is especially important for brands today to actively work on the reputation of their own company and to introduce an effective management strategy.

After all, it is no longer just you who has an influence on the image of your business, for example through external communication, but also consumers and your employees. Companies should therefore no longer do without active reputation management, both online and offline. To control the public perception of a company, many businesses jump on the latest trends.

You ask yourself how you can improve your image with potential customers? These five trends in reputation management will help you manage the public perception of your company.

1. AI and IoT enable detailed and precise one-to-one marketing strategies and personalization

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly popular; on the other hand, the Internet of Things (IoT) will also play a greater role in the future. This is because marketers can rely on the help of IoT when using AI. For example, devices with sensors, cameras and other equipment can be used to collect and process more detailed data for AI and machine learning algorithms.

The customer experience can also be improved by using AI and IoT. This is because brands can use the information and insights to optimise customer engagement at each touchpoint. At the same time, brands can meet customer needs more accurately and precisely with relevant messages and offers.

2. Messaging is the most important channel for customer engagement

Many people nowadays prefer to communicate via text messages instead of a phone call or a personal conversation. Advertisers can also take advantage of this development. Because the arguments in favour of addressing customers via messaging are convincing from the consumer’s point of view on the one hand:

• Almost everyone has a smartphone and the majority of users are familiar with text messages
• Higher response rate: A company’s message appears alongside other text messages, for example from family and friends, and is therefore more likely to be noticed
• Mobile Support: Customers can easily contact a company via text message, no matter where they are. Customers can also receive support or optimal service on the road
• No waiting in queues: Messaging Apps offer immediate contact. If the company reacts slowly, the customer can put the smartphone aside and do other things while waiting for a response.

On the other hand, companies can also benefit from it as it is much more cost-effective than managing large call centers and messaging apps provide cost-effective global reach. Businesses can use them to share images, videos and emojis to make their customer interactions more interesting and personal.

3. Companies must invest more in the optimization of Google Properties

The reason for this trend is the increase in zero-click searches. These occur when someone searches for something but does not click on the results. This is because the data found in Google search results contains all the information needed. Clicking on a website is therefore no longer necessary. In many ways, this makes Google the “front door” to your business. As this trend continues to grow, companies need to rethink their website strategy. Instead of using Google to try to drive traffic to their sites, companies need to use their site to fill in the various Google properties with information and start to view Google as the primary way to interact with customers and prospects.

Google uses the information it retrieves from a company’s website to determine how that company will be ranked in searches. Google also determines what criteria and what information will appear in the results of your site. Companies that have structured data on their website make it easier for Google to access this information. Reputation management is equally important, as reviews and industry listings also play an important role in a company’s search ranking.

4. Google continues to dominate the review results

Google dominates the search engine market with a market share of 92.78 percent (as of October 2019). The search engine giant has thus also become the most important website for online ratings. In the long term, Google could thus displace rating portals such as Yelp and Tripadvisor. Social media platforms, too, do not yet enjoy the same level of customer confidence as Google. Just 43 percent trust a review in a social network.

5. “Wild data” is being tamed

In order to conduct reliable analysis for companies, so-called “wild data”, i.e. unfiltered, uncensored comments from consumers in reviews, social comments and surveys, must be sorted and made usable. These days, this data is indispensable for companies that want to improve the customer experience. In order to capitalize on the insights gained from “wild data”, companies need to deploy tools and technologies that are capable of capturing, storing, analyzing and taking action on this data. The introduction of such technologies tames the “wild data”, making it accessible, usable and extremely valuable to companies in all industries.