Values are the number one priority when it comes to reputation management. Whether you receive a positive or negative review, the more truthful and authentic you can be, the better.
Most of the time, when people think of building a brand reputation, they think of large corporations like Coca-Cola or Nike. While Coca-Cola and Nike are known worldwide, small and medium-sized businesses are just as influential in their small communities.
There’s that one restaurant in town that everyone enjoys going to on Friday nights or that one coffee shop that gets the most community traffic. Why? Because they’ve built their brand reputation through creating a positive experience. And when people enjoy the experience, they’re going to talk about it.
While word-of-mouth will always be the best advertising, the internet and social media have made reputation management a part of everyday life, both in leaving reviews for businesses you’ve interacted with and in managing reviews as an entrepreneur.
A Step Above the Rest
If you really want to stand out as a business owner, take the time to reply to all reviews, positive and negative. It’s the perfect opportunity to let your customers know that you hear them and appreciate them.
Think of reviews in comparison to comments on a social media post. Social media is an easy way for you to be social. So is engaging with your customers in reviews.
Pay attention to the positive reviews to learn what your customers liked best about your business, services, and products—and give them more of that.
Pay attention to the negative reviews to learn what your customers didn’t like about your business, services, and products—and use it as an opportunity to remove products, change policies, and grow as an organization.
Embrace Criticism and Address Concerns, the Right Way
You can quickly turn a negative review into a positive experience for everyone. Admitting when you’re wrong and owning up to mistakes shows that you live by your values and run your business through integrity.
People appreciate being taken care of when something goes wrong—we’re all human, so at some point, something will go wrong.
Monitoring your reputation is an excellent opportunity to bring in new business. Immediacy has immense value, and customers appreciate that someone is there to make improvements.
