Your business’ reputation is the foundation upon which trust in your brand is built. It has elevated brands from the humblest of beginnings to multinational household names with a global reach and 8 figure turnover.
However, as we race towards the 2020s reputation management (and particularly digital reputation management) have become more important than ever. Here we’ll look at some of the reasons why your business should make digital reputation management a priority this year…
People turn to search engines when they need answers. What will the results say about you?
We live in an age of micro-moments; fleeting but intent-rich moments where people have been conditioned to instinctively reach for their smartphones to interrogate a search engine. They might be reaching for their phones to learn something, to buy something or to do something… But if this micro moment brings them into contact with your brand, there’s nowhere to hide. If you have what they’re looking for, they’re less likely to blindly trust you when they have the resources at their disposal to quickly and easily find out if you’re worthy of that trust. In an era when your customers are more well informed and digitally savvy than ever, digital reputation management takes on a new level of importance.
Customers value transparency
Gone are the days when businesses could get away with keeping secrets from consumers. Today’s customer wants nothing short of total transparency, and if they don’t get it from you, they can find a competitor who can offer it in a heartbeat. The more you’re willing to make the narrative of your business digitally available to your customers, the more they are likely to trust in you.
56% of people find something online that solidifies their decision to do business with a person or brand.
Online content can make all the difference to your customers’ relationship with your brand
Online content allows you to control the narrative around your brand. It can establish your knowledge, expertise and authority while helping to build trust and value in your brand. The more content you put out there, the better your SEO. And the better your SEO, the easier it is to craft a narrative through search engine results. In fact 56% of people find something online that solidifies their decision to do business with a person or brand.
Just remember…
Customers value what others say about you more than what you say about you
Social proof is one of the most authentic and powerful forms of digital reputation management out there. No matter how sterling your online reputation, consumers take anything brands say about themselves with a large grain of salt. However, when they see authentic reviews and comments about your brand, their trust in you is increased exponentially.
Address digital reputation management, and you’ll be one step ahead of the competition
Even in 2019, while 58% of executives believe that online reputation management should be addressed, but only 15% actually take the steps to address it. Thus, if you’re putting more effort into your online reputation than competing brands, there’s little or no reason why consumers should choose your competitors over you.
How we can help
Morris Mclane offer a bespoke suite of digital reputation management solutions to businesses of all shapes and sizes. If you’re ready to take control of your online reputation, click here to get to know us a little better.