Reputation is the reputation that a person or institution enjoys as a result of outstanding achievements. It is the decisive factor in whether information is disseminated in a positive or negative sense. Basically, reputation is a form of propaganda that determines intrinsic value and, at a certain point, is irreversible.
In the 21st century, the reputation development of companies or organizations in particular has largely shifted to the Internet. The unfavourable aspect that goes with this is that a negative opinion spreads much faster than before. On the other hand, the Internet opens up ways to handle reputation in a controlled manner and thus bring about a positive development.
The activity of ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT was created in order to carry out exactly this advantageous course of a reputation in a controlled and target-oriented manner. The tremendous importance of this activity increases with each passing day as commerce and entrepreneurship move to the World Wide Web.
Table of Contents
Facts – What Is Online Reputation Management – ORM
A market research study by the US company ” Search engine land ” revealed that 72% of those questioned attach at least as much importance to online ratings as to personal recommendations.
The survey also demonstrates that 52% of respondents are influenced by online reviews even at local businesses.
The same survey was repeated 2 years later. The result proves that the trend is increasing exponentially and that online reviews are becoming increasingly important. As a result, online customer ratings, whether in Google, Facebook , AMAZON Trip Adviser or other rating media, have an immense impact on consumer buying behaviour.
If a negative recession now appears in the top comments of Google “My Business ” or “Socials”, for example, this can become a serious problem for brands and companies. Therefore, in the advancing Internet age, online reputation management is of inestimable importance for entrepreneurs.
Function & Goals Of The Measures
Through various measures, which at the same time offer added value from a marketing point of view, online reputation management aims both at improving the reputation and increasing the level of awareness of a company. The aim is to gain unrestricted control over one’s own reputation on the Internet.
The extremely lucrative aspect of this is that it comes with an improved conversion rate. Even for local companies, sales increases are achieved through this process.
Solve Problems Yourself Or Hire An Expert?
Success and a good reputation are strongly linked. Regardless of whether you are a private individual, a company or an organization, in the information age your own online reputation should not be neglected if you are aiming for success.
A single critical statement, regardless of the platform, can collapse the house of cards of an entire concept for success. Inappropriate content and criticism, depending on the weighting, have the potential for fatal consequences for a company’s reputation, success and sales figures.
The solution to this problem is to hire a professional company specializing in online reputation management. Even if an entrepreneur acquires the know-how on this topic himself, it is difficult to find the massive amount of time that is required for this.
Online Reputation Management Strategy
- Using website optimization of your own websites and social media promotion, put positive impressions in the foreground.
- Increase the positive brand presence through search engine marketing and thus overshadow the unfavorable.
- Remove so-called ”Online Mug shots”, e.g. harmful Google recessions.
- PR campaigns: A positive reputation is built up in a targeted manner through “social media
- marketing”, press releases or the submission of articles to well-known rating portals.
- BACKLINK BUILDING: Link building using high-quality backlinks relevant to search engines ensures both search engine placement and a positive reputation base.
- General improvement and search engine optimization of the brand or company website.
- Convey a strong image of the company through regulated content management.
Ongoing Online Reputation Management
Professional online reputation management is extremely effective and helps to eliminate fatal problems. However, a reputation can change in a very short time in the fast-moving World Wide Web.
That’s why online reputation management is an ongoing process that should basically be an integral part of every company.
Monitoring is therefore necessary to maintain a positive reputation in the long term. Especially since it is a form of marketing , which turns out to be doubly lucrative for the entrepreneur.
Also Read: Information Security – Values, Change And Culture