Our customers are increasingly online, reading online news, sharing favorite products and services on social media, and reviewing brands online. So it’s vital for us entrepreneurs to understand how our businesses are discussed online. We may be completely unaware of a negative news story or bad review about our product or service that is turning away potential customers if we don’t regularly monitor our online reputation.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can use to monitor your online reputation
- Use Google Strategically
- Regularly Research Social Media
Use Google Strategically
One easy and effective way to monitor your company’s online reputation is to strategically search for it on Google. Select “Tools” and then the dropdown arrow next to “Any Time” to choose a time range (Past Week, Month, Year, etc.) for results. If you want to see all media mentions of your company, click on “All” after selecting the date range.
Don’t ignore negative articles about your company or online reviews that express dissatisfaction with your products or services. Respond publicly to negative news stories and to every negative review with an offer to make amends. Proactivity is key!
Regularly Research Social Media
It’s critical to monitor your brand’s reputation on social media, as a negative post can quickly go viral and harm your company’s reputation. On Facebook, type your company’s name (in quotation marks) into the search bar. Then select “Posts” to see public posts that mention your brand. Respond to any negative posts by directing them to your company’s customer service email or phone number. Respond to negative Facebook reviews.
Look up your brand’s hashtags on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to see what people are saying about it. Examine the mentions and “like” the positive ones and respond to the negative ones (again, directing the person to reach out to your customer service department to fix any issues). Monitor social media mentions daily or weekly to ensure you can respond to negative posts and resolve issues before they cause reputational damage.
To Sum Up
In an increasingly online world, it’s critical to monitor online conversations about your company. Use Google to find online mentions of your brand and social media to see what customers are saying about it. Keeping an eye out for negative news stories or posts will help you address them before they harm your company’s reputation.