Did you know that reputation management can either make or break a business? You may be wondering why this is, and the answer to that is simple. Well, to begin with, reputation management is meant to be the effort of influencing how and what people think of a specific brand or person.

If you’re interested in reputation management for small businesses and why it’s essential, then make sure to keep reading to learn more! We at Paton Marketing understand how crucial it can be to manage your online presence for your business carefully.

People are continuously checking out your business online, and you’ll want to make sure they end up thinking optimistic about your business. But, don’t worry because thanks to this excellent blog, you’ll be able to gain insight about everything you’ll need to know about reputation management. How cool is that?

Reputation Management? It mostly Happens Online!

If you have a small business, you’ll want to pay close attention to where reputation management occurs the most. This can drastically change the way people perceive your business if you don’t act fast on where it can happen the most.

So, with that being said, you’ll want to keep in mind that reputation management often occurs more online rather than offline. This is mainly because we constantly communicate online, either with friends, family, or businesses.

According to Reputation X, “A vast amount of communication happens online. It’s inevitable, therefore, reputation management happens mostly in the online space; in fact, the terms reputation management and online reputation management are now virtually synonymous.”

It can’t be denied that we’re using the internet for multiple purposes, even more so now than ever before! This just intensifies how important understanding reputation management is for small businesses specifically.

Encourage Your Customers to Leave Reviews!

One of the best ways to increase reputation management for your small business is by encouraging your customers to leave reviews. Suppose you’re able to get even a small number of customers to leave positive reviews about the company. In that case, it can make potential customers want to check your business out for themselves!

According to Wordstream, “97% of consumers who read online reviews also read businesses’ responses to online reviews. Good, bad, or somewhere in between—a key part of reputation management responds to every review in a thoughtful manner. Indeed, nearly one-third of consumers will judge you based on whether or not you respond to your customers’ reviews.”

So, you’ll want to take note that every single review that you get will need to be responded to immediately. No matter how good or bad they are, responding to each one will let others see that you’re professional and that you welcome every single review!

Social Media Platforms – Your Best Friend

Guess what? Since you have a small business, you’ll want to increase your following as much as possible, and one of the best ways to do that is by adding your business on multiple social media platforms. This can include Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and any others that you can think of!

If you don’t feel comfortable adding your business to all of those social media platforms, then pick at least two platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Did you know that people are beginning to find new businesses they’re interested in over Facebook? This means that being a small business that uses Facebook can allow organic followers to come to you.

But, you’ll want to fill out as much information as possible so your viewers could turn into customers. Information that belongs on your Facebook for your business account is:

  • Photos – make sure to add a cover photo and a profile photo to draw in customers and potential customers. Try to make them as eye-catching and high-quality as possible to attract people to want to visit your Facebook page.
  • Location – adding your complete address for your business is an excellent opportunity for people to see how close they are to you, and it answers their questions of where you’re located without having to ask around for it.
  • Phone number – you don’t want to forget to add your number for the business since this allows viewers to click on your Facebook page and go directly to your number if they have any questions or concerns.
  • Description of your business – incorporating a description of your business’s services or products is a perfect way to draw people to your business. Make sure to add as much detail as possible.
  • Add Categories – it may be helpful to add specific categories that relate to your business which can help your business show up for different audiences throughout Facebook.

It’s Time to Manage Your Business Reputation Today!

Managing your business reputation online is more critical now than ever. COVID-19 has made more people turn to the internet for various reasons such as work, school, meetings, food, groceries, and much more! Since this increased the number of people using the internet, it only makes sense that businesses include reputation management into their daily strategies.

You’ll want to look over this guide to help manage your business’s reputation and make sure that viewers will want to become total customers. This can be done by including multiple strategies and tactics that are ethical to make people think positively about your business and your values as a business.

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can grow as a business, please keep an eye out for more insightful blogs from yours truly, Paton Marketing!