Let’s start.

What is Social Media Risk Management?

Social media risk management is the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that arise from social media. The goal of social media risk management is to help businesses ensure that they can maintain control over their social media communications with consumers.

More than 60% of the world’s population uses social media. According to DataReportal, over 9 in 10 internet users now use social media each month. And there are no signs of slowing down either—according to the same source, the global active user total increased by an average of 9.6 users per second.

There’s no doubt that social media platforms offer huge opportunities to businesses. This is why 77% of businesses use social media to reach customers, according to Forbes. However, social media has become a marketing powerhouse for any brand, making risk management crucial for success.

What are the Risks of Social Media for Your Business?

Social media presence is a table stakes for businesses nowadays. However, social media platforms hold potential risks that businesses have to be aware of to be able to prevent them. Let’s look at some of the possible risks of social media for business management.

1. Brand and reputation

One of the most valuable assets for your brand is its reputation. This is why you need to be extremely careful, especially when it comes to social media. The nature of social media platforms allows users to voice their opinions and share their experiences — whether they might be positive or negative.

Customers can publicly make complaints about your products or services, which can jeopardize your brand reputation if not managed correctly. When it comes to negative customer feedback, putting things under the rug won’t solve the problem.

You have to address negative feedback quickly and prevent an avalanche of negative comments that can open up a bigger social media crisis, which can be hard to handle. Make sure to respond to the negative feedback publicly and then move to a private conversation.

During the holiday season, Glossier faced an increase in delayed orders, so its social media team had to deal with a lot of negative comments and complaints. The team was trying to acknowledge the comments and move the conversations to private messages.

2. Operational risks

Depending on the size of the company, there are one or multiple people in charge of social media management. Once again, this can represent a potential risk since having multiple accounts and people in charge can lead to misalignment, poor-quality content, or insufficient oversight.

Another potential disruption can arise if a person who had access to your social media platforms leaves the company. You need to have processes in place that address all the necessary steps, such as removing access to social channels that the person leaving has, having someone to replace that person and continue posting, and ensuring a smooth transition in the meantime.

The bottom line is that without clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and processes, you are facing additional social media risks.

3. Cyber security

Cyber security is one of the most popular topics nowadays—and rightfully so, given the increase in cyber attacks and the severity of consequences. According to PwC, 37% of organizations believe they are “highly” or “extremely” exposed to cyber risks.

There’s an increasing risk of malware distributed through social media platforms. The reason? Phishing attacks and social engineering have moved from email or phone to sophisticated attacks through social media, making brands extremely vulnerable.

If your social media channels get hacked or your passwords get into the wrong hands, you can face a security breach with long-lasting consequences, such as being locked out of your account, stolen customer data, or lack of control over spammy posts published on your channels.

This is why social media employee trainings are vital, to prevent this from happening. Raising awareness of the potential red flags and training employees on how to react in such situations can save you a lot of headaches in the future.

4. Legal risks

Depending on the industry you operate in, there are different aspects you need to take into account when it comes to social media risk management. Working in a regulated industry such as healthcare, pharma, banking, and insurance brings higher risks because defamatory comments or posts can attract legal penalties.

Another legal risk is reusing user-generated content (UGC) without permission, which can infringe copyright. The power of UGC has made it one of the most used tactics for repurposing user content. However, if you don’t have the right processes in place that cover copyright, you might face serious consequences. Taking care of copyright is especially important if you work with influencers.

One brand that often uses UGC is Starbucks. There’s no doubt that the coffee brand gets thousands of photos of customers enjoying their favorite drink, so they use that to their advantage to present more versatile content on social media while also keeping in mind copyright protection.

5. Compliance risks

The rise in popularity of social media has brought the necessity for social media compliance.

Social media compliance refers to rules and regulations set by social media platforms, regulatory bodies, and individual companies.

What does that mean? It means you have to adhere to the guidelines set by each platform, stay compliant with additional industry regulations, and respect internal compliance policies when using social media.

Social media nowadays have strict rules to prevent misuse of their platforms. To avoid compliance risks, make sure to regularly review the terms of service, community guidelines, and advertising policies of the social media channels you are using.

6. Financial risks

Social media marketing can be costly, so it’s important that it meets the goals and provides a return on investment. Businesses that use social media channels to boost posts have additional risks in terms of credit card safety, which once again emphasizes the need for a social media risk management plan.

While negative customer feedback shared on social media can seem naive, it can quickly turn into a whirlpool that can result in dissatisfied customers and negative business performance and even affect a company’s share price.

This is something Snapchat experienced when Kylie Jenner tweeted about not opening the app anymore, which resulted in $1.3 billion in stock losses, according to CNN.

7. Social and political risks

Businesses must be extremely careful about getting involved in social and political issues, as it might cause a crisis. Activists around the world use the power of social media as a way to amplify their messages, but they are also very vocal when it comes to companies that get involved in social or political issues.

The risk increases exponentially for companies that work on a global scale. The reason is simple: cultural differences make any social or political issue a very sensitive topic. That’s why it is crucial to have a better understanding of the local culture, social norms, and political environment to avoid any breach of local laws or customs.

7 Ways to Manage Risk on Social Media

Now that we’ve covered the most common social media risks, it’s time to address the ways to manage them but also prevent a similar scenario in the future.

1. Identify your goals and risks

Start by defining the goals you want to achieve through social media, as well as the potential risks your team needs to be aware of. Listing out the goals will set a solid foundation for the next steps.

2. Introduce a social media policy

Despite all the risks we’ve listed above, the biggest risk is not having a social media policy. A social media policy is a set of guidelines for social media use. It should define all the official brand channels, roles, and responsibilities of employees with social media access, and processes for all possible scenarios covering different social media risks. Also, your social media policy should not be set in stone. Make sure you review and update it regularly.

3. Train your employees

Good communication is key to effective social media risk management. Make sure your team is aware of the roles and responsibilities each member has, and they know how to act if they face a particular social media risk.

4. Monitor your social media accounts

Keeping tabs on all your channels is crucial for social media risk management. The sooner you spot some issues, the quicker you’ll be able to react and prevent a bigger crisis. While your social media team is in charge of managing social media channels, in some cases, the comments or feedback you receive might require involvement from other teams as well, such as customer support, marketing, or legal.

5. Perform social media audits regularly

In the never-ending cycle of posting new content, brands often forget to perform a social media audit. Besides the fact that it will help you evaluate each channel’s performance and understand your audience better, social media audits can also help you spot any inconsistencies in terms of branding, tone of voice, roles, and responsibilities, and inefficiencies that you need to solve to avoid any social media risks.

6. Respond to negative feedback

Leaving negative feedback unanswered can further provoke other negative comments that can slip out of your control. Instead of letting negative feedback fall on deaf ears, acknowledge the post or comment and take the conversation to a private message. However, this strategy will only work if you do your best to solve customer concerns and issues. Otherwise, it can bring even more negative comments.

7. Keep up with regulations and social media policies

The social media realm is constantly evolving, and as a result, all related regulations and policies are changing at the speed of light. Keeping up with the latest updates will ensure you avoid any social media risks.

Tools for Carrying out Social Media Risk Management

Looking for ways to carry out social media risk management but don’t know where to start? Let’s look at some of the tools that can help you.

#1 Social listening: Hootsuite

Social listening (or social media listening) is the process of tracking, analyzing, and responding to online conversations about your brand and industry. A social listening tool helps you understand your customers’ expectations and preferences. One of the tools that offers this proactive approach is Hootsuite. With Hootsuite Streams, you can find out what people are saying about your brand, monitor trends, and keep an eye on the competition.

In Streams, you can monitor the activity across all your accounts and engage with your audience. You can also create streams to mon your posts and engagement, as well as social topics, trends, and profiles.

Social listening features offered by Hootsuite:

• Monitor mentions, keywords, and hashtags to find out what customers want.
• Hop into relevant conversations across all your social networks to reinforce your brand as an industry leader.
• Set up feeds to identify and respond to negative feedback quickly.

#2 Consumer intelligence platform: Talkwalker

A customer intelligence platform collects and unifies customer data from various relevant data sources, giving brands data ready for analysis. To make data-driven decisions, you need to have strong insights backed by solid and reliable data.

Talkwalker brings together curated data from 30+ social networks, 150 million websites, and 100 customer feedback sources. The platform allows you to analyze customer feedback across all digital channels and get the actionable insights you need to improve customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty.

Consumer intelligence features offered by Talkwalker:

• Gain insights into customer preferences and pain points.
• Streamline data by consolidating social, review, survey, call, and customer care feedback in one location.
• Get insights faster through cutting-edge AI automation.
• Identify trends, patterns, and areas of concern.

#3 Social media protection: Proofpoint

Modern compliance and governance requirements include regulation for social media. Brands can face digital risks from using digital tools, platforms, and technologies and cyber security risks such as social engineering or phishing attacks. Proofpoint’s Social Media Protection software offers multi-channel content moderation, data loss prevention, and user protection, as well as comprehensive monitoring and automated remediation.

Social media protection features offered by Reputation:

• Find fraudulent social media accounts associated with your brand.
• Establish an approval workflow for social media posts.
• Implement content filtering and moderation.
• Define and enforce compliance policies and rules specific to your industry or regulatory standards.

Social Media Risk Management and Influencer Marketing

Once influencer marketing passed the point when it was only available for the biggest brands in the world, it became widely adopted among small and medium businesses. The rise of micro and nano influencers has brought new opportunities for brands and some potential risks you must be aware of.

Let’s look at some of the biggest influencer marketing risks and why you should always perform a risk assessment before an influencer partnership.

1. Fake or low-quality influencers

One of the biggest hurdles businesses face when working with influencers is the amount of fake or low-quality influencers. Whether they have fake followers or no experience, working with this type of influencer can endanger your reputation. Choosing the right influencers can be especially tricky for businesses that don’t have previous experience working with influencers and creators.

2. Lack of transparency

Another potential risk is the lack of transparency about the partnership, which can compromise the brand and the influencer’s integrity and erode customer trust. In some countries, influencers working with brands disclose their relationship when posting sponsored content. For example, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) mandates that influencers disclose their material connections with brands clearly and conspicuously, whether they received compensation or discounted/free products.

3. Low ROI

Tracking results from influencer marketing campaigns can be daunting. In some cases, the results come in the form of increased brand awareness, which is hard to quantify. In other cases, brands can face low conversion rates or poor quality leads because of choosing the wrong influencers, bad campaign setup, or not having the right tools to measure performance. Brands that had negative experiences in the past can falsely label influencer marketing as a low ROI customer acquisition tactic, which can be further from the truth. To overcome this risk, brands must put measurable KPIs in place, use UTM codes, and analytics tools or influencer marketing platforms to track performance.

4. Misaligned expectations

Another common risk when it comes to influencer marketing is misaligned expectations. Should the influencer post two posts and three stories? In what time frame? Is there a specific discount code they should use? The tone of voice? If you want to work with influencers, you must clearly define all your expectations so that both sides know what is expected of them and what they get in return.

5. Unexpected crisis

Due to the attention they get all the time, influencers are always in the spotlight. This can sometimes cause issues, especially if they make mistakes or post something inappropriate or offensive. We’ve witnessed the rise of ‘cancel culture’ in the last couple of years. People are quick to judge and condemn influencers publicly. While this can be devastating for influencers, it can also be hazardous for brands. Brands that work with controversial influencers might face backlash and criticism or even boycotts. This is why you need a crisis management plan that your team can follow and act quickly in case you encounter some unexpected crisis.

What are the Best Ways to Manage Influencer Marketing Risks?

Influencer marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all. However, some best practices can help you build a solid foundation and avoid influencer marketing risks in the future:

• Find the right influencers for your business – Whether you want to work with nano, micro, or macro influencers, there are plenty of creators out there you can partner with. However, you need to find the ones that share similar values and have a similar audience to the niche you are targeting.
• Set the expectations upfront – Covering all the aspects of the partnership upfront is critical so that both sides are aware of the expectations, KPIs, and deliverables. This way, you’ll eliminate every possibility of pointing fingers further down the road. Remember, the goal is to form long-term partnerships with influencers that bring results.
• Monitor posted content – Even after you agree on all the details, you must keep an eye on the published content to ensure it aligns with what you’ve agreed.
• Have a crisis management plan in place – The goal of having a crisis management plan is to reduce the risk of a crisis happening. And if you already face such a situation, knowing what steps to follow will help you act promptly and prevent further damage.
• Partner with an influencer marketing platform – If you want to get the benefits of influencer marketing without the heavy lifting, you need an influencer marketing platform. With Afluencer, you can meet the ideal influencers for your brand by setting criteria based on interests, followers, and channels. Besides this, it allows you to communicate with influencers through the platform and becomes your single source of truth for managing different influencers across different platforms. The best part is that you can track creators’ performance and make data-driven decisions.

Ready to Fuel Your Business with Influencer Marketing?

Social media is here to stay. Businesses can use it to their advantage, but they must first implement a proactive social media risk management strategy to identify and assess potential social media risks and prevent them from happening.

Influencer marketing, as one of the fastest-growing customer acquisition channels, also holds certain risks. However, working with an influencer marketing platform will help you reap all the benefits while staying compliant and protecting yourself from any potential risks. Curious to find out how?

Start today! Find Micro-Influencers to Help Boost Your Social Media Game!

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]]> https://afluencer.com/brand-reputation-management/ Wed, 20 Dec 2023 04:47:44 +0000 https://afluencer.com/?p=24678 A recent survey showed that 58% of adults in the United States feel a company’s reputation is a major factor in purchasing a product or service. Brands feel this on their end of things, too. In a survey conducted by Deloitte, roughly 90% of over 300 executives surveyed ranked brand reputation as the most significant […]

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]]> A recent survey showed that 58% of adults in the United States feel a company’s reputation is a major factor in purchasing a product or service. Brands feel this on their end of things, too. In a survey conducted by Deloitte, roughly 90% of over 300 executives surveyed ranked brand reputation as the most significant risk area companies face.

In today’s digital age where consumers have instant access to information and platforms to express their opinions, building and maintaining brand reputation has become more important than ever. With review platforms, social media, and forums readily available, consumers can now share their opinions about a brand with a global audience. Positive reviews and recommendations can attract new customers, while negative comments scare away potential customers and harm your brand’s reputation.

When potential customers search for a brand, they often rely on the information they find online to make purchasing decisions. A brand with a positive reputation will naturally appear more reliable and trustworthy, thus increasing the likelihood of attracting and retaining customers.

By leveraging various strategies and techniques, you can safeguard your brand’s image, credibility, and trustworthiness among consumers. Brand reputation management not only helps build credibility and trust among consumers but also protects your brand from potential crises and negative publicity.

Here’s what you need to know about brand reputation management for 2024 and beyond.

What is brand reputation management?

Brand reputation management refers to a brand’s perception by consumers, stakeholders, and the public. It reflects the overall evaluation of a brand based on several factors like product quality, customer service, social responsibility, and brand messaging.

A positive brand reputation leads to consumer trust, loyalty, and purchase decisions. It can be measured through brand awareness, equity, and image. A strong brand reputation provides a competitive advantage, leading to increased customer loyalty and positive market positioning. On the other hand, a negative reputation can result in losing your customers’ trust and potentially a subsequent loss of sales.

Building and managing your brand reputation requires consistency, engaging with customers, and demonstrating transparency and accountability both internally and externally at your organization. Overall, brand reputation shapes a brand’s success, influencing customer perceptions, business performance, and long-term sustainability.

Measuring brand reputation

Measuring brand reputation is crucial for business success. It can help your company identify its strengths and weaknesses, make informed decisions, and build a positive image. By understanding brand reputation, companies can identify areas for improvement and assess how their brand is perceived by the target audience, stakeholders, and the general public.

Here are some of the common methods for measuring brand reputation:

Surveys

Surveys are a popular method for measuring brand reputation. They involve collecting feedback from customers or a target audience through a structured set of questions. Surveys can be conducted via online platforms, emails, phone calls, or in-person interviews. The questions can focus on various aspects, such as brand awareness, trust, satisfaction, perceived value, and overall brand reputation. Careful designing and analysis of surveys can provide valuable insights into brand perception.

Interviews

Interviews involve conducting one-on-one or group discussions with customers, stakeholders, or industry experts to understand their opinions and experiences with a brand. They may be structured or unstructured, according to the research objectives. This method enables in-depth exploration of brand reputation and allows for nuanced insights. Interviews can provide qualitative data and reveal context-specific information that surveys may not capture.

Social media monitoring

Monitoring social media platforms is essential for measuring brand reputation in the digital age. It involves analyzing social media conversations, posts, mentions, and comments related to a brand. Tools and analytics platforms can help track brand sentiment, customer feedback, and public discussions about the brand. Social media monitoring provides real-time data and enables brands to identify and manage potential reputation issues and engage with customers directly.

Media Coverage Analysis

Analyzing the types and extent of media coverage garnered by a brand across various publications and mediums can provide insights into brand reputation.

Repeat Purchase Rate

Businesses can gauge customer satisfaction and loyalty by determining the number of customers who make multiple purchases within a specific period and calculating the repeat purchase rate.

To track progress, companies most often establish key performance indicators (KPIs). Metrics like brand awareness, customer loyalty, and market share help assess brand reputation.  Analyzing media coverage and online reviews also provides insights into public perception. Regular monitoring and analysis of these KPIs help identify trends, evaluate branding strategies, and maintain and enhance brand reputation in the market.

Brand reputation management strategies to follow

Brand reputation management is essential for businesses in today’s competitive landscape. With the rise of social media platforms, a company’s reputation can be easily tarnished or enhanced within seconds. Therefore, having effective strategies in place is essential to protect and strengthen a brand’s reputation. To effectively manage brand reputation, businesses must actively monitor their online presence, prioritize transparency, and maintain strong customer relationships.

1. Monitor your online reputation regularly

Regularly monitor your brand’s online presence and respond to any negative comments or reviews. It helps you to stay informed about what people are saying, helps you address any negative comments or reviews promptly, maintains a positive image, and builds credibility with customers. Sometimes, you may find fake or inauthentic reviews that are harming your reputation. Platforms like Amazon have strict policies against fake reviews, which means that reporting them can give your product pages a boost in their visibility.

2. Respond promptly and professionally

Responding to complaints promptly is crucial to maintaining your brand’s reputation. Acknowledging the issue and offering a solution or a way to rectify the situation ensures customer satisfaction, builds brand credibility, and generates positive word-of-mouth while mitigating potential damage on social media platforms.

3. Create quality content

Blog posts, videos, and social media updates are all avenues to create quality content that can improve your brand’s reputation by showcasing expertise, credibility, and value to the audience. It helps build trust and loyalty among your customers, attract new ones, and help you gain recognition as a reputable and authoritative source in the industry.

4. Engage with your audience

Engaging with your audience can foster a sense of connection and build a loyal community, thus improving your brand’s reputation. Be prompt to respond to comments and messages from your audience and engage with them – it’s a way to show that you value their opinions. Moreover, engaging with your audience creates a positive perception of your brand and enhances trust and credibility.

5. Work with influencers

The power of reviews in influencer marketing cannot be emphasized enough. Collaborations with influencers can be an effective strategy to reach a wider audience base and improve your brand’s reputation. With the growth of AI, the influencer marketing landscape for brands is quickly changing. With access to data-driven insights, the influencer-selection process can be automated enhancing campaign performance and ensuring authenticity and relevance -in influencer partnerships.

6. Have a crisis management plan in place

Have a plan in place to address any negative situations that may arise. It allows your company to respond quickly and effectively to unforeseen events, and address the crisis promptly and transparently, while minimizing damage, regaining trust, and maintaining a positive public image.

7. Be transparent and honest

To build trust and credibility with your audience, it’s integral to willingly and openly share information. It shows that you value integrity and can lead to heightened customer loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and a strong brand reputation. If you make a mistake, be sure to own up to it and offer a solution.

8. Provide excellent customer service

High-quality customer service can not only help you retain customers but also attract new ones by ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty. Positive experiences lead to repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations, contributing to a good brand image. On the other hand, poor customer service can quickly damage your brand’s reputation and deter potential customers.

Online reputation management tools

Online reputation management (ORM) tools allow individuals, businesses, and brands to monitor, analyze, and improve their online presence to promote positive content and mitigate negative reviews or comments. With so many different tools available, it can be difficult to know which ones are worth investing in. To help you choose, we’ve compiled a list of the top online reputation management tools.

Google Alerts

A free tool that lets you monitor the web for mentions of your brand, name, or competitors, Google Alerts lets you set up alerts for keywords and receive email notifications when new content is published. This is a great way to stay up-to-date on your online presence and respond to negative comments quickly.

For instance, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo use Google Alerts to monitor their brand reputation and track any emerging trends in the beverage industry. Southwest Airlines uses the tool to stay up-to-date on potential flight disruptions or any negative comments about their service.

BrandYourself

BrandYourself is a comprehensive online reputation management platform that helps you improve your online reputation and control what people see when they search for you. With BrandYourself, you can monitor your online reputation, track social media mentions, and improve your search engine results.

Along with scanning the Google search results of their clients, BrandYourself also uses CleanPost and CleanImage Technology to scan for potentially damaging or polarizing content on client profiles. This makes their reputation management services extremely effective.

ReviewTrackers

ReviewTrackers is a review management and reputation monitoring tool that assists businesses in tracking, analyzing, and responding to customer feedback across multiple review platforms. It gives businesses the ability to aggregate reviews from sites like Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor, and respond to them all from one central dashboard.

When you use ReviewTrackers, your business gets an alert whenever a new review is posted, so you can respond quickly and efficiently.

Hootsuite Insights

Hootsuite Insights is a social listening tool that helps businesses monitor social media channels for mentions of their brand, competitors, or industry trends. With Hootsuite Insights, you can identify and respond to negative comments or reviews quickly and also gather insights about your overall social media performance.

In case of a crisis or negative publicity, Hootsuite Insights enables you to stay on top of the situation. By monitoring conversations and sentiments, you can identify issues early and respond promptly to address customer concerns or mitigate any damage to your brand reputation.

Reputology

Reputology is a review management platform that focuses on helping businesses manage their online reviews from one place. With Reputology, businesses can monitor reviews on multiple platforms, respond to feedback, and gather customer insights.

Did you know, over 80% of consumers expect a response within 24 hours of their post?  Using Reputology, you can get automated email notifications to stay on top of new reviews and reply directly from the tool’s interface.

Megan L, Marketing, FRSG (FSR Magazine) says “Reputology acts as a gauge on how we are doing, letting us know whether or not employees are doing their job well. It helps point out key areas where we are—-or aren’t—doing well, based on customer responses”.

Yext

Yext is a tool that enables businesses to manage their online presence across several directories and review platforms. With Yext, businesses can update their information (like hours, locations, and contact information) on all platforms from one central location.

Yext helps businesses keep their online information accurate and up-to-date in hundreds of directories and online platforms, which is an essential element of reputation management. The tool can also help your business engage with customers, address their concerns and issues quickly, and build a positive brand reputation.

SEMrush

SEMrush is primarily a search engine optimization (SEO) tool, but it also offers features for online reputation management. With SEMrush, businesses can monitor brand mentions, track online reviews, and analyze their search engine results pages (SERPs) to see where they rank compared to competitors.

Esther Gimenez, Senior SEO & UX Consultant, Annalect, says “What I appreciate most about Semrush is that it covers all areas of search with its tools so I can have a 360-degree view of my projects.”

Mention

A social media and web monitoring tool, Mention, as the name suggests, allows businesses to track mentions of their brand, competitors, and trends across different platforms. This includes social media, blogs, forums, and news sites. With Mention, businesses can respond to negative comments and reviews quickly, as well as identify influencers who might be able to help promote their brand.

Another useful feature: businesses can track mentions of their competitors’ brand names. This information can be used to identify areas where the brand can differentiate itself and improve its competitive position.

Chatmeter

Chatmeter is an AI-powered platform specifically designed for multi-location businesses. It allows businesses to manage and monitor their online reviews and reputation across multiple locations and review platforms. Chatmeter’s website states “Our fully-integrated solutions make it easy for you to elevate your customer experience and reputation at scale.”

Hundreds of multi-location brands worldwide use Chatmeter; these include Brookshire Brothers, Rise Brands, BrightView, and more.

BirdEye

BirdEye is a comprehensive online reputation management platform that includes features for review management, listing management, social media monitoring, and customer surveys. It allows businesses to listen to customer feedback, engage with customers, and improve their online reputation.

With so many online reputation management tools available, businesses and individuals have no excuse not to be actively managing their online presence. By investing in these tools, you can ensure that your online reputation remains positive and your business continues to grow.

Aaron Novello, Team Leader of The Novello Group, says “Birdeye gives our company instant credibility and makes getting reviews easier. We’ve seen an increase in customers contacting us directly from online, which gets our foot in the door. Birdeye also helps us build trust with customers, which is invaluable.”

Building an authentic brand reputation

Building an authentic brand reputation is crucial for the long-term success of any business. Customers today are highly discerning and are more likely to engage with brands that have a transparent reputation with a commitment to quality, ethical practices, and good customer service.

“Your brand’s reputation matters a lot. 87% of buyers take reputation into account when purchasing a product or service. Building a reputation starts with trust.” – Kate Bourgoin, The Customer Whisperer

The first management step to building an authentic brand reputation is to define your brand values. Brand values are what you stand for as a business. They are the guiding principles that shape the actions and decisions of your company. Determine your mission, vision, and core values, and ensure they align with your business goals and resonate with your target audience.

To build an authentic brand reputation, you need to know your target audience and ensure your product and service quality speaks for your brand. Does your audience value sustainability? Are they looking to engage with brands that are environmentally and socially responsible? Understanding your audience’s needs, values, and preferences helps you to create content that resonates with them and builds a connection.

Consistency is key

So focus on keeping your branding consistent across all online and offline channels – from your website to social pages. Your tone of voice, imagery, typography, and overall brand aesthetic should all be consistent. A consistent brand helps build trust and recognition.

Engaging with your audience is another crucial element of building an authentic brand reputation. Respond to comments and questions, and make sure you are transparent in your communication. Address customer concerns, and take criticism constructively.

Finally, measuring and tweaking your brand efforts is essential to understand whether you are meeting your objectives. Tweak your approach where necessary to maintain brand relevance and authenticity.

Building an authentic brand reputation is a long-term undertaking, but it is worthwhile. Remember that your brand’s destiny is in your hands. Platforms like Afluencer can help you partner with relevant influencers to help you along in your journey to improved brand reputation. Install the Afluencer app for Shopify here.

Frequently Asked Questions: Brand Reputation Management

Which businesses need to manage their online reputation?

Any business present on the internet needs to manage its online reputation. But certain domains demand a stronger presence than others. For example, ecommerce and service industries like hotels, entertainment, and healthcare need it more.

You can begin by googling your company’s name and adding “reviews” at the end of the search. Or your online reputation management software can help you figure this out.

How can I learn what customers are saying online about my brand?

You can begin by googling your company’s name and adding “reviews” at the end of the search. Or your online reputation management software can help you figure this out.

How does reputation affect a company’s profits?

Up to 82% of American customers check reviews online before purchasing a product. If your reviews are mostly negative, it will affect the sales and thus your profit margins.

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]]> https://afluencer.com/influencer-partnerships-benefits-key-to-success/ Sun, 25 Jul 2021 01:00:00 +0000 https://afluencer.com/?p=7950 Brands are pumping more and more dollars into the influencer marketing arena, but for what reason? Insider Intelligence estimates that by 2022, brands will be spending $15 billion on influencer marketing. There’s been a significant shift in how brands advertise their products and services online. While banners and posters are great for awareness, consumers are […]

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]]> https://afluencer.com/ways-to-cultivate-your-brands-image/ Wed, 30 Sep 2020 23:18:55 +0000 https://afluencer.com/?p=6484 Nowadays due to the internet and social media, people all around the world are more linked than ever before. This means that brands have had to develop new strategies for promoting themselves unlike in the past when the image of a brand was easier to craft and maintain. People were buying their products even if […]

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]]> Nowadays due to the internet and social media, people all around the world are more linked than ever before. This means that brands have had to develop new strategies for promoting themselves unlike in the past when the image of a brand was easier to craft and maintain. People were buying their products even if the companies were isolated.

In today’s modern reality people are expecting more from a company. They want to understand and relate to the brand, which is why a brand’s engagement with its customers is crucial to developing a loyal customer base. This has led to a merging of both old and new strategies as brands search for the best way to connect with their audience and establish a connection.

Core Values Are Very Important

Core values are very important for one company to maintain its integrity. A lot of companies claim many things they don’t actually believe in. But people are more informed nowadays. They can recognize the true quality of brands. And brands that are shown to be hypocritical in regards to their core values will quickly lose support and end up tarnishing their image. Companies that show their beliefs and motives through their actions will reach a higher level of trust with their customers. People appreciate honesty and so standing by your values as a company will lead to success. The customers will gladly show you support if they recognize that your company truly espouses the values they put forward.

Build a Relationship with Your Customers

With your clientele, you need to be engaging and relatable. The customers, especially the younger ones, need to relate to the beliefs and the actions of your brand. Your brand’s image must naturally present itself and it needs to show the customers that it’s not just a meaningless logo. Your brand must be unique and show your customers that it really cares for what it’s promoting. Don’t push your brand too hard on your customers. Let them discover naturally and engage and realize the authenticity of your product.

Partnership with Other Professionals

In life and business alike, the relationships you build often play a major part in presenting your place in the circles of society. If you have friends in higher places then people tend to perceive you with more respect. It is similar to promoting your company’s brand too. If you make a partnership with another well-recognized and respected brand your brand will also be more acknowledged by the customers. That’s why companies are showing their collaboration with each other it stands as social proof of the quality of your brand. It’s always a good idea to partner with other professionals to promote your brand’s image and engage larger groups of people.

Create a Unique Voice for Your Brand

Creating a unique voice is very important for making your brand’s image stand out. A brand voice makes your brand distinctive and recognizable, and it affects the decisions of your customers. Your brand’s voice needs to be inspiring and memorable, so people can identify with your ideas. Although it depends on your goals, it’s usually a good idea to make your voice as natural as possible. Addressing your customers as people who are close to you helps to foster a relatable relationship that builds trust.

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]]> https://afluencer.com/why-you-should-use-video-email-marketing/ Wed, 12 Aug 2020 23:12:15 +0000 https://afluencer.com/?p=5545 It’s not unusual for an individual to receive over 100 emails per day. Even though email marketing is a valuable asset, it’s still proving a challenge to stand out in a crowded inbox. Video email marketing may be the way to accomplish this. This strategy can provide you with a new way to engage with […]

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]]> It’s not unusual for an individual to receive over 100 emails per day. Even though email marketing is a valuable asset, it’s still proving a challenge to stand out in a crowded inbox. Video email marketing may be the way to accomplish this.

This strategy can provide you with a new way to engage with your subscribers. It also offers a creative alternative to providing your audience with value and entertainment.

Video email marketing can be implemented as a strategy by using embedded HTML5 videos in your emails. They would feature a link to a video through a play button — increasing your subscribers’ engagement.

Using videos also offers you a chance to effectively and instantly communicate with your subscribers. Over 90% of marketers consider video email marketing a very important part of a marketing strategy.

Here are the 4 main reasons why marketers include video email in their marketing campaigns:

1. Videos in your email boost click-through rates

Including the word “video” in the email subject line has been shown to increase the open rate by nearly 20%. And it also enhances the click-through rate by as much as 65%.

Having “video” in the subject line makes people curious about the video. It then has them consider the importance of the video content.

Additionally, including a video in your marketing email has also been shown to lower the unsubscribe rate by a massive 75%!

2. Video content grabs (and keeps) the attention of your audience

Moving pictures and videos make your subscribers pay more attention than regular static images will. Including a video in an email is a quick and effective way to increase the reading time a person will spend on your email as well as the amount of time they spent to analyze the email and watch the video.

3. Marketing Through Video Emails Convey Information Better

Videos have been shown to facilitate a better understanding of information. Our brains tend to process visual information much faster, which means that when you include a video in your email or newsletter, your subscribers will absorb the information contained in the video faster than if that information was simply in text form.

More than half of consumers prefer to see video content from the brands they like as opposed to other forms of communication.

4. Videos Help Build Trust with Your Audience

Videos help give your brand a voice and a personality in a deeper way than other forms of communication. This is why video email marketing is such an important strategy to help build trust as well as establish a connection with your audience.

Videos help your subscribers gain a better understanding of a feel for the person or team that represents the brand.
Creating video content that is free and useful will go a long way towards establishing trust in your customer base.

You can also share personal stories, a peek into the daily life in your company, video journals, and other personalized video content. People don’t trust things they don’t know and understand. This type of genuine content helps to humanize your brand which is an essential part of the trust-building process.

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]]> https://afluencer.com/how-to-start-an-online-business/ Mon, 11 May 2020 19:51:08 +0000 https://afluencer.com/?p=3989 With the coronavirus pandemic resulting in social distancing measures, many businesses are having to shift their attention to online revenue options. But how do you start an online business when all your business efforts have until now been managed offline? It can be challenging – like most things when attempted for the first time. However, […]

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]]> With the coronavirus pandemic resulting in social distancing measures, many businesses are having to shift their attention to online revenue options. But how do you start an online business when all your business efforts have until now been managed offline?

It can be challenging – like most things when attempted for the first time. However, we have created a nifty little infographic to guide you around getting started with your brand new online business.

So take a look at the infographic to get started with your online business. And if you have any social media accounts, then why not share this content with your own followers. They may also be in the same boat as you and will surely appreciate the online business startup tips.

Now here it is again without the awesome graphics.

How to Start Your Online Business

Fill A Need

To boost your chances of success, try to find a solution to a problem people have been searching for. Then turn it into a product or service.

Write A Sales Copy

When writing your sales copy, you need to focus on how your product or service is uniquely able to solve people’s problems or make their lives better.

Get A Website Made

Once you’ve got your product and sales copy, it’s time to start introducing your brand to the world by building a website for your online business.

Driving Website Traffic

Depending on your marketing strategy, you can either drive organic traffic through social media marketing and SEO or paid traffic through PPC campaigns.

Gain Reputation

Provide the information people have been trying to find online for free. This, in turn, will establish you as an authority on the niche while improving your search rankings.

Brand Awareness

To put your brand really out there, you need to give your brand awareness a boost, by finding the right influencers and reaching out to them for partnership.

So there you have it. Hopefully, this quick guide has answered your questions on how to start an online business. If you’re thinking about starting an influencer marketing campaign then you should strongly consider signing up with us.

When you sign up for one of our 3 brand membership packages, you get our expert influencer marketing team on your side. We will help get you noticed by featuring your brand, products, and services. We will also personally introduce you to top influencers in your chosen niche.

So what are you waiting for?

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