For this article, we’ve consulted with over a dozen prominent business people and online reputation experts on the most burning questions of online reputation management. They’ve shared their ideas, best practices, and success cases, translating into a unique knowledge source to fix online reputation you’re about to tap into.
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Online reputation is fragile. You don’t need more than one wrong campaign or one bad product to damage it. This harm can be severe and possibly permanent.
Is it, though? Is it possible to repair online reputation and implement strong online reputation monitoring practices so you’ll never lose credibility points again?
The short answer is “yes.”
Reputation damage control and repair practices have long been used by risk-averse market players, big and small. They know that protecting online reputation is key to sales. You can do it on your own or with professional reputation management services.
Read on to learn how to fix online reputation, build a positive online presence, and consistently increase your communication standards.
Understanding Online Reputation Management
Did you know only 62% of customers trust companies, with a good reputation traditionally being the number one trust factor? Without any shadow of a doubt, online reputation is your most valuable asset, the one that is worth managing with the highest level of precision.
This is what online reputation management (ORM) does. It shapes how the public sees your company. It does this using specific strategies, often custom. These strategies affect how search engines treat your content. They also impact how negative online reviews impact engagement and sales.
Long story short, the right online reputation management will make them love you.
How To Estimate your Company’s Online Reputation
The online multiverse is vast. You can never explore its every nook and corner. You can’t see what people there think about you.
Naturally, you’d like to focus on the most impactful online reputation factors, the ones that affect the perception of your brand and the client flow.
Here are some reputation avenues to explore:
Social Media : Social media reputation management is crucial for brands. They draw clients from well-known platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or – for B2B – LinkedIn.
Being proactive, having a consistent brand voice, and regularly updating content are key parts of building a strong online reputation. Interactivity is also vital.
Search Engines : Search engine reputation management involves controlling how your brand looks within SERPs when someone searches for your products.
Most of the time, search engine reputation management is about making sure your content and SEO create the right images in search results.
Content : Creating and promoting content boosts your online reputation. This is one of the most important tasks of online reputation management.
Here you must combine data and psychology. The data is things like which colors to use and where to place your CTAs. Psychology involves, for example, the right words to instill trust.
Customer Feedback : Customer feedback is key. It helps you stay in touch with your audience and deepen your relationships to a personal level.
The basics of personal connection are politeness and timely responses. This applies to positive and negative feedback. Needless to say, this is key.
Of course, many more factors can potentially strengthen or damage your online reputation than those in the table. However, you can ignore minor factors if you have the proper crisis management measures in place.
Be it a sudden flood of negative reviews – real or paid – or the need to increase the price of your staple products, you must know how to maintain and fix online reputation.
And now let’s turn to our experts. We’ve asked them the following:
What methods do you prioritize when assessing an individual’s or company’s online reputation?
| Kevin Watts, Founder and President at Raincross | “My initial step in evaluating a company’s online reputation involves a diagnostic approach, where advanced analytics and SEO tools play a pivotal role. These tools help identify the volume and sentiment of online mentions and rank visibility. I particularly focus on how a company’s digital content ranks in response to positive and negative queries since this can significantly influence public perception.” |
| Talar Malakian, CMO at Phonexa | “There’s a lot to look at: I prioritize monitoring online reviews to better understand positive and negative sentiment from customers on the review sites our buyers typically frequent when making a decision. Further, we use media monitoring software to better understand earned media mentions across channels.” |
| Rex Liu, CRO at GoSite | “Initially, I focus on a comprehensive audit of all brand mentions, including reviews, social media interactions, and third-party websites. This detailed collection and analysis allow us to understand the depth of sentiment around the brand and guide responsive measures. An integral part of this process is distinguishing between isolated incidents and patterns of feedback that point to larger operational issues or product improvement opportunities.” |
| Tom Jauncey, “Head Nerd” at Nautilus Marketing | “Prioritized methods: Monitoring social media sentiment, analyzing customer reviews across platforms, and conducting regular Google searches to track public perception are key strategies.” |
| Abid Salahi, Co-Founder of FinlyWealth | “The most important method I use when assessing a client’s online reputation is listening. I carefully monitor social media conversations, reviews, forums, and other platforms to understand public perception. This allows me to pinpoint problem areas and opportunities.” |
| Pavel Naydenov, Head of Marketing at Businessmap | “When assessing an individual’s or company’s online reputation, I prioritize a multi-angle approach, combining SEO/SEM strategies to enhance positive content visibility with rigorous social media analysis to grasp public perception.” |
Strategies to Fix Online Reputation
Evaluating your reputation, whether on your own or through professional reputation repair services, is imperative to understand how potential clients perceive your brand.
But what do you do if the evaluation shows you’re in shambles already?
The morning after a failed product launch or a dishonest review from someone with a big following could be devastating to the whole team. Desperation coming to make a quick patch to fix the reputation, which would ease the pain and still retain the client flow.
Alas, the quick fix isn’t something you will likely come up with.
Sometimes – for example, if you were slandered or defrauded – a quick reaction can help. You could put a video on your website or YouTube channel. But reputation repair strategies require time and consistent efforts.
Here’s how to fix online reputation, among countless other strategies:
Reacting to Online Feedback : Besides timely and fair communication, you can improve your online reputation by offering feedback incentives. Also, by making changes based on what your customers like and dislike.
Translating feedback into real business decisions is what many companies lack and what can give you an edge.
Demystifying the Product : Make sure your customers know how to deal with complex and expensive products. The more their commitment, the more support they need.
Enable extra communication channels if you feel like your online reputation plummets because of the lack of clarity. For example, a brand ambassador promoting your product is a great strategy to solidify your online presence.
Managing the Workload : Taking on too much will lower quality. Some requests might even go unanswered. If the workload is too much, expand your staff or think about how you can reorganize your departments.
Most reputation repair strategies focus on creating positive and hide negative content. This happens across marketing channels and touchpoints, with marketers and SEO specialists working hand in hand.
From the ad wording to the website link profile to the post-purchase flow, a smart cross-department approach is what can grant you a coherent online reputation.
For this section, the question to the experts was:
Could you share a case study where an ORM strategy significantly improved a client’s online presence?
“I ran marketing for an NFT startup a few years ago.
It was daily practice to record sentiment and feedback from our Discord channels, as well as Twitter, considering how quickly our community was growing. Those insights led to key developments in our product and the way we delivered experiences.” – Insight by Talar Malakian – CMO at Phonexa
“We once worked with a retail client whose online reputation suffered due to fiercely negative online reviews and poorly handled customer feedback on social media.
By implementing a blend of targeted SEO content strategies, active engagement policies on social platforms, and transparent communication channels for dissatisfied customers, we saw a dramatic turnaround.
Not only did the positive reviews begin to overshadow the negative, but the client also experienced a significant increase in organic search traffic and conversion rates as their online presence strengthened.” – Insight by Kevin Watts – Founder and President at Raincross
“A particularly impactful case involved GoSite, where we noticed a trend of feedback highlighting usability challenges for less tech-savvy users.
By implementing a targeted ORM strategy that integrated clear, educational content directly addressing these challenges and encouraging user testimonials on improvements, we significantly enhanced our online presence.
This not only improved our review ratings but also established GoSite as an accessible platform for its target user demographic.” – Insight by Rex Liu – CRO at GoSite
“A notable case involved a hospitality brand that faced negative reviews.
By implementing a comprehensive ORM strategy that included responding to all reviews, encouraging satisfied customers to share their experiences, and improving service based on feedback, the brand saw a 40% improvement in its online ratings within six months.” – Insight by Tom Jauncey – “Head Nerd” at Nautilus Marketing
“One client I worked with was a wealth management firm struggling with negative reviews about poor customer service.
Analyzing the themes in these reviews, I discovered the issue’s root was an understaffed client support team. We implemented more robust staff training and grew the team. Within 6 months, their online ratings improved dramatically.” – Insight by Abid Salahi – Co-Founder of FinlyWealth
“A notable case study involves a retail brand facing a PR crisis; by implementing a targeted content strategy that highlighted their community involvement and customer service excellence, we significantly improved their digital footprint within six months.” – Insight by Pavel Naydenov – Head of Marketing at Businessmap
Building a Positive Online Presence
It is better to build a good online presence from the start. Then, you can get a strong shield to protect your online reputation before anyone or anything harms your brand on the web.
The good news is that making a good online presence uses the same marketing and communication strategies.
A strong online presence needs a solid core. This core is granular audience segmentation. It means dividing customers by their needs, wants, and motivations. And, precise targeting. It lets you hit them with the right message at the right time.
Before we turn to the experts, here are some underlying principles of building a positive online presence:
| Omnichannel Reputation Management | 67% of decision-makers think omnichannel marketing is “very important” or “important”. It’s essential to ensure consistent reputation management across all channels. In practice, this means keeping a universal brand image, messaging, tone, and service quality. Even when adapting to new marketing channels, the core message should stay the same. It should at least keep your business’s distinctive features. |
| Reworking the Negative Perception | You can find cases of negative perception in surveys, review forms, and social media monitoring. They will show you what to change to make your clients happy. In this regard, addressing negative feedback gives you the biggest room for growth. It also looks most credible to potential clients. |
| Delivering on Your Promises | Not only should you maintain consistency around posting content and communicating with your customers, but you should also deliver quality-wise. Focusing on interaction quality is better. It builds a good reputation more reliably than trying to cover many channels superficially. |
For this section, the question to the experts was:
How do you recommend clients engage with their audience to authentically build a positive online reputation?
“Regularly interact with your audience through social media, respond promptly and thoughtfully to both positive and negative feedback, and create valuable content that reflects your brand’s values and mission.” – Insight by Tom Jauncey – “Head Nerd” at Nautilus Marketing
“I advise clients to engage with both detractors and supporters directly. Responding professionally to criticism and thanking fans builds credibility. I also coach them on creating authentic content that provides value to audiences. This content attracts organic shares and links, crowding out harmful content.” – Insight by Abid Salahi – Co-Founder of FinlyWealth
“Clients should engage authentically with their audience by responding promptly to feedback, showcasing transparency, and actively participating in relevant online conversations and communities. You need to show up authentically to your audience, whether it’s a fun announcement or a difficult one.”– Insight by Talar Malakian – CMO at Phonexa
“Engaging authentically with your audience online is crucial. I recommend leveraging social listening tools to understand and address customer concerns promptly, coupled with showcasing real customer stories to build trust and empathy.” – Insight by Pavel Naydenov – Head of Marketing at Businessmap
“By responding to negative feedback in a timely and empathetic manner, you show that you value your customer’s opinions and are willing to make amends.
This not only helps in resolving the specific issue at hand but also showcases your commitment to providing excellent customer service.
Engaging with your audience goes beyond just addressing negative comments. It involves actively participating in online conversations, responding to positive feedback, and initiating discussions about your brand or industry.
By engaging with your audience, you build trust and credibility, and this can significantly enhance your online reputation.” – Insight by Dmitriy Bobriakov, a marketing manager at RealEstateU
Preventative Measures for Maintaining a Stellar Online Reputation
It’s crucial to stay proactive. Don’t be reactive with your online reputation management strategies. You should always seek good ways to connect your brand, products, and values to clients. Look for personal channels for potential and existing clients.
To learn your clients better, you can use a lead management system. It can track, distribute, and analyze clients in multi-channel journeys.
Knowing where your successful and failed clients come from is key. Also important is how they interact with you. It’s also important to know what leads to the final purchase. This info can take your online reputation management to a new level.
Also, predictive modeling software can help you simulate customer interactions. It can handle direct ones too. This helps you choose the best path and make backup plans.
And now to our experts.
For this section, the question was:
What are your top strategies for businesses to proactively fix online reputation?
“One of my principal strategies involves creating a robust digital footprint that spans across various content platforms—blogs, industry forums, social media, and more.
This preemptive creation of positive, valuable content serves as a buffer against potential negative feedback by ensuring that a company’s narrative remains in its control.
Regular monitoring and updating of this content based on performance analytics also help in maintaining a strong, positive online presence.” – Insight by Kevin Watts – Founder and President at Raincross
“My advice to businesses looking to authentically build a positive online reputation includes fostering open, transparent communication channels and actively seeking customer feedback.
This not only helps in quickly addressing any discontent but also in demonstrating a commitment to customer satisfaction.
Encouraging user-generated content, such as user success stories, can also provide authentic endorsements that resonate well with prospective users.” – Insight by Rex Liu – CRO at GoSite
“Establish a strong online presence across multiple platforms, actively request feedback from customers, monitor online mentions with ORM tools, and have a crisis management plan in place.” – Insight by Tom Jauncey – “Head Nerd” at Nautilus Marketing
“My top strategy for proactive online reputation management is to instill a culture focused on customer experience. Businesses with happy customers don’t need to worry as much about reputation. I work with them to solicit feedback, address pain points, and wow their customers.” – Insight by Abid Salahi – Co-Founder of FinlyWealth
“You can be incredibly proactive in monitoring, but your customer experience is ultimately what drives positive influence, regardless of the tactics you put into place to avert crises and mitigate negative feedback.
That being said, for businesses to proactively protect their online reputation, you can implement some best practices.
First, maintain a strong online presence through regular monitoring of reviews (ensure you’re addressing these reviews and commenting/replying), social media mentions (whether they tag you or mention you by keyword, what do they most commonly say), and search engine results.” – Insight by Talar Malakian – CMO at Phonexa
“For businesses looking to protect their online reputation proactively, my top strategies include establishing a strong, positive online presence early on through thought leadership and consistent, values-aligned messaging across platforms.” – Insight by Pavel Naydenov – Head of Marketing at Businessmap
The Future of Online Reputation Management
No one can predict the future. But, the foundation of future online reputation management has already appeared. It is based on growing, AI-driven automation.
AI will do most routines that don’t need human interaction. Humans will get more time for key decisions.
At the same time, the demand for a human touch will make human interactions even more special, valuable, and impactful. After all, you can’t simulate customer experiences and emotions.
For this section, the question to the experts was:
In your opinion, how will online reputation management evolve in the next few years, and how should companies prepare?
“AI will revolutionize online reputation management by providing real-time monitoring, sentiment analysis, personalized responses, predictive analytics, and content generation, enabling businesses to efficiently and effectively protect and enhance their reputation in the digital landscape.
I think we’ll be able to get more real-time insights across the web and consolidate that information more easily.” – Insight by Talar Malakian – CMO at Phonexa
“I anticipate that the future of ORM will increasingly hinge on the integration of AI and advanced machine learning technologies.
These tools will not only streamline the process of monitoring online mentions, but also provide predictive insights on potentially volatile issues before they escalate.
Businesses should stay abreast of these technological advancements and be prepared to incorporate them into their ORM strategies to maintain a resilient online reputation.
From these experiences, it’s apparent that a multifaceted and proactive approach to managing online reputations, grounded in strategic digital marketing and content creation, is paramount.
The dynamic nature of online interactions necessitates constant vigilance and adaptability, reinforcing the need to stay ahead of the curve in ORM practices.” – Insight by Kevin Watts – Founder and President at Raincross
“I foresee ORM evolving to emphasize even greater personalization in customer engagement strategies, with AI playing a pivotal role in delivering customized responses to feedback and inquiries.
Businesses should prepare by investing in technology that helps in understanding customer sentiment at scale and in real-time, enabling them to act swiftly and effectively to maintain a favorable online reputation.
The interplay between tech platforms and ORM underlines the importance of not just monitoring online sentiment, but actively shaping it through strategic engagement and content dissemination.
My experiences underscore the value of a dual approach that addresses immediate reputation concerns while building a long-term, positive online presence.” – Insight by Rex Liu – CRO at GoSite
“ORM is expected to become more integrated with artificial intelligence and machine learning for better sentiment analysis and predictive analytics. Companies should invest in advanced ORM tools and focus on building a genuinely positive customer experience to stay ahead.” – Insight by Tom Jauncey – “Head Nerd” at Nautilus Marketing
“In the next few years, I foresee online reviews and social media growing even more influential in shaping reputations. Businesses must invest in 24/7 social listening and be prepared to respond swiftly. There will be no hiding from public opinion in the digital age.” – Insight by Abid Salahi – Co-Founder of FinlyWealth
“The future of online reputation management (ORM) lies in the integration of AI and machine learning for more sophisticated sentiment analysis and predictive analytics.
Companies should prepare by investing in ORM tools that offer these capabilities and by fostering a culture of continuous listening and adaptation to customer feedback.” – Insight by Pavel Naydenov – Head of Marketing at Businessmap
Continuous Reputation Improvement to Reach New Heights
Online reputation management is a lifelong journey. Wherever you are now, the next moment will bring changes. You will have to react to changes in demand, market, customers, or even a reputation crisis.
In business, it’s not as much about reaching the top as the ability to stay there.
With this in mind, it might be wiser to play the long game from the start. You’d use a set of measures for reputation repair and management that reflect your long-term vision. They would show how you’d like to look in a year, five years, a decade.
If you want to track your online reputation and stay up to date to what people are saying about your brand online, you can get a 14 days free trial of our social listening tool ! Try for free.
