A timely article by Channel Insider considers the increasing important subject of online reputation management by companies who are facing an ever-increasing array of social media sites where bad reviews or comments can quickly damage a brand's reputation. Resources such as Twitter and Facebook are being used as marketing channels by companies wishing to take advantage of the potentially huge market these services reach, but at the same time they need to be aware of what people are saying about them.

As the author says, it’s important for companies to either have an employee who monitors and manages online reputation issues across all social channels, or that this work is outsourced to a specialist company to regularly monitor for negative commentary. Then, if any is found, action needs to be taken to combat it by researching the situation, deciding what action - if any - is required, and then to tackle the problem in the most effective manner.

In many cases, this can mean dealing with the problem head on and ideally to turn it around to be seen in a positive light. Some key areas to consider when dealing with your online reputation management are outlined, such as not to get defensive, and preferably to pre-empt any potential issues by developing a proactive customer service approach and to promote and share good news stories. This area is becoming more specialised and important for many companies now to help them tackle the social media marketplace.

Labels: reputation management

An interesting article from The Boston Globe explains how more companies are starting to embrace the online community and include negative feedback from customers on their websites, as well as positive ones. The main example given is for the Bank of America who have now decided to be open to criticism on their products and services, however harsh it may be.

This trend reflects the growing use of consumer opinion sites, or comments made on discussion forums or blogs. The new attitude of these companies is that it's better to have some awareness and control of these negative comments as well as to balance off all the positive ones that it receives (although of course it's human nature to make complaints rather than pass praise).

Such a move provides a challenge to companies who want to protect their brand and implement reputation management strategies online. It does give them a chance to respond and may well attract more criticism directly to the corporate site rather than through other channels. Of course the same issues remain as always, with the opportunities for competitors to pitch in or for the company to provide their own positive reviews!

Labels: reputation management, social networks