Social media’s dominance can encourage brands to be active and vigilant in protecting their online reputation
In today’s digital age, social media has become a critical component of brand reputation management. A single tweet, Facebook post, or Instagram story can quickly go viral and impact a brand’s reputation, either positively or negatively. In some cases, it can make or break the future of a brand. As a result, it is crucial for brands to monitor their online presence and take action to protect their reputation.
The customer is always online
Reviews are powerful decision-making tools for both brands and consumers. Brands can use them to strategize messaging and plan out services based on the pulse of their market.
Social media has completely changed the way brands manage their reputation. In the past, a negative customer experience might have resulted in a complaint to customer service or negative word-of-mouth within a small community. Now, the Internet is a huge complaint desk for anyone to see. Negative customer experiences can quickly spread to thousands or even millions of people, causing significant damage to a brand’s reputation.
Social media has given customers a platform to voice their opinions, whether positive or negative, and share their experiences with the world. Social media has made it easy for customers to share their experiences, either by tagging the brand in a post or using a branded hashtag.
To effectively manage their reputation on social media, brands need to be proactive in monitoring their online presence. This means regularly checking their social media channels, setting up alerts for brand mentions, and using social media listening tools to monitor social media sentiment about their brand.
Knowing user sentiment about your brand is especially important if you’ve just released or are preparing for a new campaign. Say your brand has decided to launch an app. It’s good to have a sense of user experience during launch to see if any bugs need to be fixed, log-in processes are smooth, and so on.
Collecting feedback from your target audience helps you know if you’ve met objectives set at the beginning of a project and contextualize metrics such as engagement. From there, more informed decisions can be made for a better customer experience.
Shoring up defenses
No brand is immune from bad reviews. Whether it’s a 1-star rating, a lengthy complaint, or a full-blown boycott, companies need to be prepared for how to deal with negative feedback.
Going viral—especially for negative customer experiences—can be an overnight thing. A 2022 study by Invoca showed that 76% of clients are more likely to stop using a service or working with a company after one bad incident. One of the most critical aspects of monitoring social media is responding to potential issues quickly. By doing so, brands can show their customers that they are taking their concerns seriously and working to address them. In some cases, it may be necessary to take the conversation offline to address the issue more fully. However, it is essential to follow up publicly to show that the issue has been resolved.
The way a brand handles bad reviews can speak volumes. In 2020, ReviewTrackers found that 94% of customers have avoided a business with bad reviews and 65% said at least one company they reviewed never even responded. However, 45% of clients are more likely to do business with a brand that responds to negative reviews.
That is a huge opportunity for brands to grab in improving the customer experience and potentially boosting engagement. In a time of personalized service, making the customer feel like they matter builds brand image, loyalty, and reputation.
Keeping an eye and ear out on your brand’s social media reputation is an essential tool for businesses, both big and small. By regularly checking social media channels, setting up alerts for brand mentions, and using social media listening tools, brands can identify potential issues and respond quickly to address them. By doing so, they can protect their reputation and build a strong brand that resonates with customers.
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M2.0 is a communications agency in the Philippines that offers a range of PR and social media marketing services to help brands engage their target audience. Visit our case studies page to know more about our work.
