How to improve your online reputation in 2021 starts with knowing where you stand. If you're a marketer, you've heard this kind of phrase before: "The only way to increase our online traffic is to advertise aggressively and broadly." This kind of cookie-cutter statement is no longer relevant at the time of writing.
So, what's the solution? How can you improve your online reputation in the future? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question as the online world is constantly evolving. Social media has made it easier than ever to share information, products, and experiences with millions of people affected in the blink of an eye. But social networks are far from being the be-all and end-all when it comes to online reputation.
The principle of e-reputation
If you want to know how to improve your online reputation, you need to understand how it works. The premise of the online social space is that you, the owner/administrator of a given site, have the ability to control who can and cannot access specific pages or areas of your website.
However, some see it as a business decision. How to improve your online reputation in this situation is to determine which group or individual deserves inclusion and which should be excluded. It's a balance between freedom of expression and effective management of your brand online. How can this be achieved? You do this by creating topic-focused content with well-known keywords – keywords that potential customers are likely to search for when looking for information on a particular topic.
We've talked about the notion of a website, but your online professional space on which your e-reputation is exercised is not just about a site. They can also be social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram or Linkedin. But it can also be a Google My Business listing, or specialized sites that reference consumer reviews such as Tripadvisor in the tourism sector.
Fight against content that is negative to your online reputation
There are many cases where one can face a threat to one's reputation due to negative reviews online. One could be the target of cyber-stalkers who leave abusive messages, or simply disappointed customers who openly and sometimes abusively express their dissatisfaction.
Another situation could come from competing companies looking to smear your online reputation, in an effort to win back disappointed customers. Beware of negative and anonymous content, particularly derogatory reviews of you. This is often a matter of denigration. In these cases, you have to answer, justify yourself, explain that "it's probably disparagement, because this person has never bought your product". It's better for you to respond because silence in the face of negative messages is approval. Indeed, don't forget that all these results are public, and readable by all the people who are interested in your company.
Social media has played a major role in online reputation and brand management. It is important for brand owners to monitor social media content, especially those that contain threats, hate speech, and those that include the promotion of illegal activities. This form of social media content needs to be monitored by law enforcement to prevent the spread of malicious and threatening content. A law enforcement official can search for any social media content using a reliable search engine such as google, msn, or Yahoo. If these sites are found to contain threats or hate speech, the content should be removed immediately.
SEO is excellent for your online reputation
This is called SEO, or search engine optimization. A relatively new concept, SEO is increasingly being used online. To use it, you need to use keywords and key phrases for which you want to be recognized on the Internet. This approach also allows for better placement of meta tags, which helps the algorithms used by search engines determine page rankings, as a result of a user's search.
To improve your online reputation in this way, you need to target specific groups of individuals, such as teens, landlords, gamers, travelers, seniors, etc.
The idea is to create content that meets their needs and gives them what they want: answers to their questions, and that also gives you what you want: increase web traffic to your site and the number of page views.
Use SEA instead of display
If you are not a fan of SEO, as this technique takes a lot of time, we suggest you try your hand at SEA. The principle is the same as SEO, but instead of being referenced in a natural way for certain keywords, you are highlighted in a paid way. It's a more natural way to advertise. The key advantage of SEA over display is that it really targets your persona according to their needs, and therefore according to what your product is able to bring to them.
Instead of wasting time writing general ads and running them all over the internet, try to specifically target the target audience, creating ads that address specific aspects of the niche, such as how to reduce tan glare or how to eliminate acne. Many aspects of lifestyle can lead to a better online reputation, you only need to identify what your brand's comparative advantages are and why your customers come to you.
This process has the added benefit of attracting visitors to your website who might otherwise be unsure of your online presence. Rather than getting your brand out there, you're getting the word out about your product (good or service). If you need to learn more about how to improve your online reputation in this way, keep reading the resource articles we've prepared for you.
Our blog will continue to grow as we teach the techniques and strategies you need to use to create, maintain, and protect your brand online. Stay tuned!