Importance of Online reputation management (ORM)

Win Customers through Online Reputation Management (ORM)

Online reputation management (ORM) is an important function to manage your brand or company’s profile online and on social media. Basically ORM helps to improve and monitor your digital presence. It analyzes your potential customers and what information will they get about your product or brand whenever they use Google search or social media.

With the growing popularity of third party reviews on websites, social media, and other online platforms, strong online reputation management is important for your business.

The online world has become a powerful platform for people out there to share and express their feelings and that is why companies need to be proactive and reactive to manage their online presence.

The concept of online reputation management 

ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT plays an important role in reducing the number of negative reviews about your company/product. Through the concept of ORM, a brand can insert new and relevant content that pushes away the unwanted content down in the search ranking. In some ways it also impacts the company’s bottom line and customer loyalty. An effective online reputation management strategy provides you with new opportunities and insights on increasing brand awareness and the love for it. It helps you build upon your existing customer base online along with attracting new customers on to your social media profiles.

Why ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT is important for your business

• Business is all about building an image and improving it every day. It is important to make sure your brand is interesting and fascinating to attract new customers.
• Before buying anything online, customers look for reviews online to know the brand, product, and its functioning. The preference of your customers largely depends on the search results.
• Anyone can give reviews online, even your competitors can write negative reviews to spoil your reputation online. Online reputation management helps you to overcome all this.
• With the help of ORM you can eliminate the negative content that is untrue; this helps in painting the right picture in front of the customer. 
• Online reputation management helps you improve the reviews and feedback about your brand and create a positive brand image. Customers usually pay more attention to a brand that has a positive feedback and reviews online. This helps to generate sales as well.
• Online reputation management boosts the search engine optimization of your company.

A survey indicates that there are 90% of customers who read online reviews before purchasing anything, therefore ORM becomes paramount today.

How to check your reputation online? 

Before taking any steps, you need to analyze the online presence of your company. You can check your online reputation with the help of this checklist:-

• Search your company or product name online and look at the top listing. Can you find your company or product name in the top 5 listings? If not then you have to improve your search ranking. You have to make sure that your company has a positive impression on Google or any other search panel.
• Check if the information provided about your company or product is correct on Google search. For better visibility, you can list your company on Google my business account.\
• Keep an eye on all your social media accounts. When was the last post you have posted? How many followers do you have? What kind of engagement you are building?
• Do your posts represent your brand or not?
• Look at the average response time of your followers.
• Keep an eye on your Facebook and Google feedbacks & reviews. Check how many new followers you have made on these accounts.  Make sure you respond to each feedback and review.
• If there is a complaint that has come up on any of your social media handles, address it first. 

What makes online reputation management an integral part of your digital promoting strategy? 

Brands need to watch, evaluate and improve their product’s perception in the minds of the consumer by keeping a note of the below-mentioned parameters.  

• Improvement in the site's ranking
• Ratings
• Search profiles.
• Better brand acknowledgment via Social media, third-party review sites, web journals, and blogs.
• Presence of improved Social media
• More followers
• Conversions through social media

This is one of the key reasons why modern organizations consider ORM an important fundamental for their business.

Let’s discuss four particular digital marketing channels associated with ORM

Let’s understand the PESO model:

1. Paid: The channel in which cash is paid to put the messaging out, and control its appropriation. 

2. Earned: The distributed inclusion of an undertaking or an individual's message by an effective third-party, for example, a writer, blogger, exchange analyst or an industry influencer. 

3. Shared or social media: The go along sharing and remarking upon your message by the network through social channels. 

4. Owned: The messages you compose, distribute, and control through your own, committed blog or other channels.

Paid Media 

Paid media incorporates all advertising endeavors that require payment to highlight your business on outside websites and networks. This incorporates PPC advertisement with Google Ad Words, show advertisements on Facebook, and supported posts on industry/influencer web journals and blogs. Paid media expands your range and directs people to your web properties by building new associations with accomplices and clients.

Earned Media 

Earned media portrays the presence of your business on external web elements for which you didn't pay. It expects you to stand apart from your competition with extraordinary content, service, or products that customers also think is worth sharing, reviewing, referencing, and reposting. 

Social Media

Pages and profiles on social media are "an augmentation of your image and make additional avenues for individuals to the interface”.  When it comes to social properties, it's critical to dedicate the assets and resources to remain active on them by participating in discussions and distributing new content consistently. Video content, interesting contests, and tying up with Micro-Influencers can help boost your visibility, reach and engagement levels.

Owned Properties 

Your business sites and online journals are properties owned by you, which implies you have full power over them. Obviously, the more properties you own, the higher your odds to successfully formulate your digital marketing presence. 

Online reputation management requires regular monitoring; it is not a one-day activity. Online reputation management will help your business in the long term if you keep an eye on your activities and the activities done by your competitors.