Your company is facing a crisis. How can you use online reputation management tools to save your brand?

Crises don't usually arise from communication, but honest, transparent and timely communication during a crisis can make all the difference to corporate reputation. "Tools" are important, but you need to be clear on why you're using them and what you're looking for. There some key ways to use online tools for reputation management: - Social listening: Gauging sentiment and identifying key topics people are talking about will inform your response to the crisis. Use tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social. - News tracking: While social media and news sites are more or less integrated these days, it doesn't hurt to have some Google Alerts set up. - Review platforms: Depending on your sector, consider platforms like Trustpilot or others.

1. Ensure you don't become the last person to know that someone's talking about you and your organization. Use your monitoring tools to alert you for all comments on social media, blogs, online reviews, and other platforms. 2. Respond to all reviews - positive or negative. If negative, ensure that you do so with empathy and action, even ones you feel come from trolls. You will telegraph to everyone who reads it that you care and put the false reviewer on notice without increasing the online animosity and vitriol. 3. Own your Internet presence. Even if you don't generate business directly from social media sites and other online platforms, value you and your organization's reputation as it appears in the virtual world.

Assurez-vous d'être informé de tout ce qui se dit sur vous. De ne pas être la dernière personne informée. Utilisez des outils de veille et d'alerte de tous les commentaires sur les réseaux sociaux, les blogs, les critiques en ligne et d'autres plateformes. Le cas échéant charger un collaborateur de cette mission. Répondez aux commentaires chaque fois que possible. Restez ma?tre de votre présence sur Internet. Produisez du contenu de qualité et valorisez votre réputation et celle de votre organisation, telle qu'elle appara?t dans le monde virtuel, pour contrebalancer avec l'action de trolls éventuels. Choisissez votre terrain de communication, ne subissez pas. Ne soyez pas en réaction permanente.

When a crisis hits, knowing what people think/react is crucial. Online Reputation Management Tools act as real-time radar, revealing how the brand is perceived. This vital information guides us through the storm. Sentiment analysis helps us anticipate and address problems before they explode. Addressing concerns quickly shows transparency and care for your audience. ORM tools are essential and empower to adapt our communication based on sentiment. Whether it's calming things down, expressing empathy, or highlighting positive aspects, aligning your communication with online feelings is key for next steps and to rebuild the trust.

Analyze the level of damage caused, focus on strong internal communication, adjust your social media response plan, maintain transparency when handling public issues, reinstate trust and core corporate values.

Popular myth number one: Contrary to popular belief, Ostriches do not bury their head in the sand. The expression believed to have originated in ancient Rome, when people avoided problems by just looking away. Popular myth number two: This is the age of active social listening and being agile. Although, both the above statements have little in common, there’s a strong connection. Most companies shy away from responding to online criticism. They feel, by staying silent the problem will fade away. But the Internet has a strong memory and erasing digital footprints is easier said than done— though most companies have now mastered the art of erasing or blocking information that’s not in their favour. A more prudent way: Own up!

In my experience, many businesses are still wary of responding to online criticism and feedback, especially when it's negative. They feel as though any response to online feedback adds validity to the complaint itself and it's "best to ignore"- but that's far from the truth. Businesses need to develop a system and practice around agreed upon language (customizable to the situation) for responding to online feedback/reviews. The average consumer is looking at online reviews and other customer perspectives before making a decision, and an active and responsive business can make the difference between someone saying yes or no to your business. Be authentic, be responsive, and be timely in your responses.

To address online feedback: - Promptly acknowledge the issue. - Express empathy. - Apologize if necessary. - Offer a solution or explanation transparently, invite further communication, and maintain professionalism. - Monitor and follow up to ensure resolution. This approach demonstrates accountability, empathy, and a commitment to customer satisfaction, helping to preserve the company's reputation.

It’s also important how you respond to your customer feedback. Sometimes, automated answers or vague, broad answers will not contribute to a comeback from a PR crisis. It’s an internal commitment a company must take in being open, honest and able to respond to the received feedback to the point. Just acknowledging and thanking for a feedback doesn’t mean you’re going to actually change something. Having internal learnings, an action plan and a follow-up with what you actually did based on the feedback proves commitment to listen, change and improve.

The single biggest way to diffuse a situation is to acknowledge and own your customers’ frustration. This acknowledgment builds trust, and trust builds loyalty.

Think of online reputation management like protecting a brand's image during tough times. Positive SEO is like a superpower in this situation. It helps make good things about the brand more visible online, so even if there are some bad things being said, the positive stuff shines brighter. It's like putting on a superhero cape for the brand, making sure people see the good side and feel good about it, even when things get a bit rocky.

Divulgar a??es positivas da organiza??o é imprescindível para conquistar uma reputa??o positiva da companhia. Práticas sociais, voltadas para a comunidade, que visem contribuir com o bem-estar ou proporcionar atividades voltadas à educa??o, conscientiza??o, vulnerabilidade e desenvolvimento s?o essenciais e geram engajamento positivo. Essas a??es, sejam campanhas solidárias, ambientais, oficinas educacionais, entre outros, devem ser divulgadas no site institucional, blog, em newsletter, e dependendo da abrangência da a??o para a comunidade, também pode ser divulgada para a imprensa.

Positive content should be left for after the crisis. Continuing to pump out positive corporate messages during a time when there are people who are potentially negatively impacted could be seen as insensitive and out of touch. It's better to pause, focus on the communications needed at the time and then rebuild afterwards with positive content.

Transparent Communication: Openly address the crisis, acknowledge the issue, and communicate transparently about the steps your company is taking to resolve it. Transparency builds trust. Empathetic Messaging: Express genuine empathy for those affected by the crisis. Use compassionate language in your communications to show that you understand and care about the impact on your customers and stakeholders. Highlight Positive Actions: Showcase the positive actions your company is taking to address the crisis. Emphasize any corrective measures, improvements, or initiatives that demonstrate your commitment to resolving the issue.

Rebuilding trust takes time. Create positive and informative content about your brand and use content distribution tools to share positive stories or updates across various online platforms. Engage with stakeholders and share updates, concerns and actively participate in conversations. Leverage influencers to share positive stories and testimonials about your brand. Create and promote positive content to push down negative search results.

In the digital world, reviews are like the currents that can either propel your brand forward or pull it under. Use online reputation management tools to keep a vigilant eye on reviews across platforms like Google, Yelp, and Amazon. Respond promptly and thoughtfully to both positive and negative feedback, showing your commitment to customer satisfaction. Encourage happy customers to share their experiences; their positive reviews are lifeboats that keep your brand afloat in troubled waters. Showcasing these reviews on your website or social media channels can bolster your reputation, improve ratings, and positively influence potential customers.

Display positive reviews on your website or social media to build trust and attract new customers. Encourage more reviews and identify emerging problems using ORM tools. Understand the sentiment behind reviews and incentivize positive ones. Track your reputation score and compare your performance with competitors. Leverage ORM tools strategically to turn negative reviews into valuable tools for building trust and improving your online reputation. Always acknowledge feedback promptly.

To effectively manage a crisis and salvage the reputation of your company using online tools, start by employing robust monitoring and analysis tools to track sentiments and trends. Utilize social media monitoring to stay ahead of potential issues, and implement analytics tools for a comprehensive understanding of online dynamics. Simultaneously, establish a crisis communication platform to streamline internal and external communication, ensuring real-time updates and coordinated responses. Employ customer feedback tools to promptly address concerns, showcase transparency, and actively manage your online image through reputation management tools.

Additionally, foster internal collaboration using project management and communication tools, enabling swift decision-making and coordinated efforts to mitigate the crisis. Leverage content distribution platforms to disseminate official statements across various online channels, maintaining consistent messaging. Engage employees as advocates through advocacy tools, empowering them to share positive messages and counteract negativity. Post-crisis, conduct a thorough analysis using data analytics tools to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement, adapting crisis management strategies for future resilience.

Cont. By strategically utilizing these online management tools, your company can navigate a crisis, uphold its reputation, and emerge stronger in the aftermath.

Monitoring competitors gives you and your team an edge over the norm. It helps businesses to see things through another lens especially from competitors who are in the same kine of business. Monitoring competitors should be consistent and data driven not just for research reports. Feedbacks and new insights gotten from the monitored reports should be analyzed critically and adjustments applied where necessary to build a stronger edge above your competitors. As the traditional saying goes "Marketing is War" - "You snooze , you loose"! Be Intentional about every decision to be taken and about every data generated.

I work in performance marketing and it’s actually astonishing how little some businesses know about their competitors. Or what differentiates themselves from their competitors. Reviews are perhaps one of the biggest social trust points, but also where you can glean feedback from. If customers have a common thing they admire about a competitor’s service/product, then ‘usually’ this will be the same for your business. Likewise with any common pain points. How does a competitor handles their reviews and online feedback. Is there anything they’re doing great or that you could improve upon? Be proactive. Make your service/product a no brainer by using this second hand feedback and channeling this into improving your service/product.

Analisar o que a concorrência está fazendo é fundamental, se est?o expandindo, focando num segmento novo, inclusive pra observar o que fizeram e funcionou e o que n?o funcionou. Monitorar a concorrência é a chance de fazer algo melhor ou simplesmente n?o jogar energia em algo que já foi testando e n?o validado pelo target. Monitorar a concorrência faz parte do trabalho de um gestor.

El monitoreo de tus competidores es fundamental para comprender su posición en el mercado, identificar sus fortalezas y debilidades, y desarrollar estrategias efectivas. Algunas de las razones para monitorear a tus competidores incluyen: entender su exposición en medios y redes sociales, conocer a su público objetivo, identificar estrategias exitosas, anticipar sus movimientos futuros y comprender mejor tu industria y público objetivo.

Ce qui est valable pour votre entreprise et vos clients l'est aussi pour vos concurrents. Rester à l'écoute de son marché permet de se tenir informé des opportunités. Un concurrent qui traite mal ses clients... est potentiellement une entreprise qui se fragilise et pour vous, une opportunité de développer votre chiffre d'affaires.

Evaluating performance and measuring the effectiveness of online reputation management (ORM) efforts are critical aspects of maintaining a positive brand image and understanding how your audience perceives your business. Many ORM tools offer customizable reports, enabling you to tailor the data to your specific needs. Whether you're presenting results to stakeholders or internal teams, these reports can provide a clear overview of your online reputation management performance

Nothing can be promoted from an organisation if the substance of the values and benefits being promoted are not realistically built in the products, services and therefore fully represented in the performance of the entity. One cannot heal an outer perception without repairing and/or being convinced of the integrity of organisation’s “commercial promise”. You are what you can deliver in a persistent way.

Para evaluar tu marca y tu rendimiento en una crisis, es fundamental medir el impacto de la crisis en la reputación de tu marca. Esto implica analizar lo que se dice o se busca de tu marca durante la crisis, quién habla de tu marca, la percepción de tu marca durante y después de la crisis, y el tiempo que tardan las discusiones relacionadas con la crisis en estabilizarse o disminuir.

Think of online reputation management tools as your crisis command center. They provide a bird’s-eye view of your brand’s online health. Use these tools to track key metrics over time, offering a clear picture of how your reputation management strategies are performing. Analyzing this data helps you identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. It's about celebrating the wins, learning from setbacks, and continuously adjusting your strategy. By evaluating your performance regularly, you can adapt more swiftly, making informed decisions that safeguard your brand's reputation even in the most challenging times.

Evaluating the performance is digging into the root cause of the issue. This will allow the company to strategize accordingly.

I would like to add, based on my experience that in the face of a crisis, it's essential to engage in proactive measures that extend beyond immediate reputation management. This involves an introspective look into company practices, a commitment to tangible improvements, and transparent communication with stakeholders. By doing so, trust can be rebuilt over time, with the company demonstrating a clear, consistent commitment to its values and the quality it stands for.

It’s imperative you keep employees up to date, they should be getting the company perspective and updates regularly. In some crises your employees are targeted by media for an inside scoop/ take on the crisis. They can be approached via their social presence or door stopped at the office. Make sure in your internal communications that you are explicit about the company media/PR policy, share the public official statement internally for their wider context (they often get asked by family and friends) and advise employees whom they should redirect the reporters to eg media enquiry email.

Tools are valuable but they can't save your company's reputation in a crisis. Your CEO must be on board to "tell it fast, tell it fully and tell it first." Easier said than done, but it works. There are many examples of those who did it right and those who didn't.

Don't wait for a crisis to manage your online reputation. You should be investing in PR and building your brand/company reputation all year round. Therefore, when a crisis hits, your established reputation becomes a shield, garnering support and understanding from stakeholders. The investment in continuous communication and relationship-building pays off in times of uncertainty, providing a platform to transparently address challenges and showcase resilience. In a world where perception is reality, an always-on approach isn't just an option – it's a proactive measure that fortifies your professional brand and safeguards against unexpected storms.

In my experience during a crisis, I would do the following: take responsibility if there is a need for ownership, especially in case of a misunderstanding or a mistake by the brand. This needs to happen fast (timely action), and then engaging/informing your stakeholders—i.e., management, employees, and/or customers. Finally, try to stay as transparent as possible. Crises are part and parcel of corporate governance—do not shy away from them. Handle them with care, be it online or offline