If someone asks you to sum up your reputation in three words what would you say ?
How would people describe your knowledge, judgement and behaviour.
Today reputation is the most valuable assest.
Think about the last time you bought a laptop, phone or any other thing online. First think you would check would be the specifications, images and its durability. After that you immediately move to reviews and checkout the negative one’s. If you find more people speaking negative about a product you are tend to become cautious.
No matter which product you buy, which book you read, which holiday place you select depends completely upon the reviews or what other people have to say about it.
Reputation is now the deciding factor of whether someone will buy from you or not. If you want to increase the number of sales, get more customer, generate more profits get better reviews.
Reputation marketing can be divided into two parts :
- Online reputation marketing
- Online reputation management.
Online Reputation Marketing :
It is more of a proactive approach. Where we tend to promote our positive reviews and testimonial of the brand, product or service. It helps in promoting and creating positive awareness about the particular brand. It supposed to be an important factor in deciding how much a consumer will trust you.
Ways to build a effective reputation marketing campaign :
- The most important thing that you need in order to build a reputation is a brand. Brand building is the first step to reputation marketing. It consist of what the brand stands for and what should it be known for.
- Promoting existing customer : Get reviews and share them. You need to touch and contact all the customers you have served previously and then ask them to give you a testimonial or leave a review. You won’t get it if you won’t ask for it.
- Get your previous customers involved : Collaborate with your previous customers, get them involved. You can do this in a number of ways by using polls, asking for suggestions, giving them a task. The aim is to help them remember you and then give them an opportunity to connect and share.
Online Reputation Management :
Research shows that if a customer is happy 20% of them will share but incase they are unhappy 100% of them will share. In todays age it has become really easy for your customer to raise query, concerns, ask doubts and also put out negative reviews. In such a case management of the reputation has become essential.
In order to manage your reputation use the following points :
- Be Available : if there’s a concern a negative incident be there to address and resolve it at the earliest. Customers, most of the time just want to be heard and be responded and treated quickly. Be available.
- Keep templates and holding statements ready : You need to have specific procedure and templates ready about how are you going to address the negative reviews and queries. As a brand it is important to have a single tone of communication. Treat every query equally and fairly.
- Take the conversations offline : Customer look forward to human touch. Connect to them, call them but get them offline.
The core of marketing lies in identifying your customer, knowing them better and being available for them. In today’s age credibility is critical.
People buy reputation.
People buy trust.
People buy brand.
Your reputation is your most precious asset, do take care of it.
Regards,
Haider Arsiwala