The secrets to ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT · Being proactive in your reputation management can keep complaints or defamatory content from hurting your business in a number of ways

The secrets to

ONLINE REPUTATION

MANAGEMENT

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The secrets to online reputation management

Does your business or medical practice have a reputation management plan in place? Many companies don’t, which leaves them vulnerable to the effects of potentially damaging reviews or comments online.

If you wait until you have a crisis on hand to develop your response strategy, it’s already too late. Companies of any size need to be proactive about building an online reputation that can withstand criticism and any damage arising from negative feedback.

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Why do you need a reputation management plan?

The Internet has changed the way we do business and communicate with customers or patients. Until a few years ago, online communication was still mostly “top down.” But now, consumers are able to express their opinions in a powerful way, and if you aren’t paying attention, negative comments and reviews can hurt your business.

Current and potential customers expect to see businesses interacting on social media, and user-generated content — such as patient reviews — is a must when you’re trying to attract new patients. Many people will evaluate a business by how it conducts itself online before ever deciding to do business with you in person.

No matter how big or small your business, you should always expect consumers to talk about you online — whether they’re discussing your products, your service, or the overall experience they have with your company.

In myhumble opinion...

In myhumble opinion...

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The impact of negative customer comments

If you own a public-facing business, you’re likely already aware that negative comments spread farther and faster than positive experiences. In fact, negative interactions spread to twice as many people as positive interactions. A dissatisfied customer will tell 9 to 15 people about their experience, and 13 percent of dissatisfied customers will tell more than 20 people, according to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs.

But unfortunately, when unhappy customers or patients complain, they aren’t likely to speak with you directly and give you the chance to rectify the situation. Only about four percent of dissatisfied customers will share their experience directly with the company; the rest will share their negative experience with others — up to 15 people.

Someone posting a negative comment about your business or an unfavorable online review isn’t a matter of if, but of when.

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Developing a proactive reputation management plan

Being proactive in your reputation management can keep complaints or defamatory content from hurting your business in a number of ways. Not only do loyal brand advocates often rush to a business’s defense when necessary, but proactively soliciting positive user-generated content will help diminish the impact of any negative content.

Solicit positive reviews on a regular basis Asking satisfied customers for reviews should be a regular part of your business practices. Any staff members who routinely interact with customers or patients should be trained in identifying those who are happy with your services and asking them to leave a positive online review.

Make this as easy as possible for customers to do. Send them an email with links to your Facebook page, Google My Business page, or other online review sites.

Staff members can leave positive reviews as well. They should speak to their experience working for the organization and not try to pass themselves off as a customer unless they have actually received your services themselves. When staff members post reviews, ask them to do so from home or another location. Some sites may flag multiple reviews that are posted from the same IP address.

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Adopt an aggressive SEO strategySearch engine optimization is too important to be ignored. Increasing positive content on your own site as well as positive user-generated content on other sites will increase the likelihood that only positive content will appear on the first and second pages of Google search engine results. The average user will not scroll past the first 5 listings on the first page of Google results, and research indicates that 91 percent of users will not click past the first page.

Make positive content generation a regular business practice so that negative content doesn’t make it to the first page of Google. This positive content can live on your site or on third-party sites. Build relationships with bloggers and key influencers in your industry by providing free services or sample products in exchange for an honest review on their websites, and when you receive a positive review, publish it on a review page on your own site.

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Build a loyal following

Given the massive scope of online communication, transparency in business has never been more important. Withholding information or trying to “spin” events in your favor is no longer a viable option with consumers who are savvier than previous generations. Companies need to understand how to build trust in order to gain loyalty.

Too many companies view transparency as a tool to be used in a responsive manner, when they have to correct a mistake or own up to a failure. But this approach is not an effective way to build trust with consumers. People are drawn to companies that make transparency a regular business practice, and are more forgiving of mistakes when a company has a history of being upfront and honest.

Being transparent in business often brings its own risks, but attempting to withhold or cover up information is usually riskier.

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Monitor your reputation

Reputation management isn’t just about responding to complaints. You should always be aware of the general sentiment towards your company and services — good or bad. You should also know if and when a comment or other user-generated content warrants a response. A reaction is not always necessary, and the wrong reaction can cause serious damage to your business.

All of this requires regular monitoring of your own online properties as well as user-generated content posted on other channels. There are several free tools available online that allow you to do this, such as Google alerts. Other listening tools are designed specifically to monitor user-generated content such as blog posts, Facebook statuses, Tweets, and patient reviews. Depending on the size of your company and your monitoring needs, you may be able to assign these duties to a social media manager, or you may find it necessary to hire professional social media monitoring services.

It’s important that businesses have a plan in place for properly responding to criticism and feedback. Public-facing employees and those who operate company properties online must be trained in the company’s response protocol and core values. Defensive, aggressive behavior in the face of criticism will not work in the online world, and will often make a situation much worse.

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Types of negative content to watch forGeneral complaints

Complaints that are posted to social media — such as a comment left on a company Facebook post or a Tweet in which you are tagged — should always be addressed properly. Routine complaints do not typically pose a serious threat to your business, especially if they are handled promptly.

Twitter in particular has increased in popularity as a customer service channel; if your company has a Twitter account, make sure someone is monitoring it and is able to respond to any customer questions or concerns in a timely manner.

When complaints are made to your Facebook page or other channels that you have control over, it’s often tempting to delete them. Don’t! Unless the comment is belligerent, inflammatory, or otherwise in appropriate, leave it on your page. Respond and state that you are aware of the issue — the sooner, the better. If the complaint involves a known issue, such as your e-commerce site being offline, provide an expectation of when the situation will be resolved.

#sOunhappy...

#sOunhappy...

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If the complaint is regarding a more personal matter with a single customer, let the individual know that you will contact them directly to resolve the issue. Ask for contact information if necessary, or provide a customer service email address or phone number where they can reach someone capable of resolving the issue. Often, simply acknowledging a customer’s complaint promptly and professionally can go a long way towards defusing a situation.

Leave the original comment on your page along with your response. This will demonstrate to other customers that you are committed to providing prompt, professional service and to rectifying any issues. Sometimes, these dissatisfied customers can turn into your most loyal brand advocates after a negative situation is turned around!

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I hear you.

I hear you.

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Larger issues that can pose risks to your reputation

User-generated content posted to other online properties can often be more difficult to deal with. These may include negative patient reviews left on other sites where you aren’t able to properly respond or redirect the conversation. This could also include negative media coverage or even hate sites created expressly for the purpose of discrediting your company.

These situations illustrate the importance of having a proactive reputation management plan in place.

In many cases, your customers will jump to your defense if you have already made the effort to be transparent in your business transactions and build a loyal customer base.

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When to take legal action

If a patient review or other user-generated content on a third-party site is defamatory, makes false accusations, or was clearly posted in an attempt to discredit the company, you may be able to take action to have it removed.

First, contact the owner of the site or go through any channels provided to explain why you believe the information is inappropriate and ask for it to be removed. If possible, leave a comment identifying yourself as the businesses owner or company representative and explain the situation. Always be professional, and try not to sound defensive.

If all else fails, skilled online analysts may be able to help in cases of serious attacks on your company.

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To recap: 10 commandments of online reputation management

Be proactive and build trust. Don’t wait for a situation to arise before you start thinking about a reputation management plan!

Work to keep positive content on the first page of Google results. If a hate site or other inflammatory content is buried in the results, it is less likely to be seen.

Be transparent — even before a potentially volatile situation calls for it.

Monitor your online properties and user-generated content constantly. Automate this process as much as possible through the use of online listening tools.

React promptly and politely when necessary.

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Respond to criticism. Don’t ignore it or pretend it doesn’t exist! Many companies have had to shut down their Facebook pages after inflammatory customer comments had gotten out of control.

Learn from customer feedback or criticism. If your audience has a legitimate complaint or concern about your product or service, use that information to make it better.

Defend yourself against anyone posting inappropriate or illegitimate content.

Learn from your mistakes!

Get professional help when necessary.

Need help managing your online reputation? Agency H is a full-service inbound marketing company specializing in the healthcare industry. Contact us today to learn how we can help you improve your search rankings, build a loyal following, and better manage your online properties!

www.agencyh.com816.471.1877

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The secrets to ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT · Being proactive in your reputation management can keep complaints or defamatory content from hurting your business in a number of ways