The big question that lies before digital marketers is about the connection between the brand’s reputation and the quality of leads that are generated for the brand or a business. With increasing awareness about how companies behave behind the scene and what the companies stand, their customers and the people in general form their public opinion on the companies. Here is why the reputation of the brand or the company directly impacts the quality and quantity of leads the business gets. There are numerous instances and occasions when stocks of companies rose or crashed because of their good and bad reputation respectively within a very short period of time even in hours. So, a brand’s reputation is paramount to the growth of the company as the quality of its sales leads depend on its reputation. A brand gets quality leads when it really cares about social and ecological well being. A brand that despises societal harmony and wellbeing is penalized.
These days, the online media especially social media plays a significant role in the formation of public opinion about a brand. As though for the personality of a person, the personality of a brand also does matter. Consumers and public alike identify a brand to be of a positive or negative brigand based on the brand’s behind-the-scene activities, behaviours and attitudes such as socially active or inactive, just or racist, socially responsible or irresponsible, socially sensitive or insensitive, eco-friendly or or indifferent, and such and such things. People form their opinions based on how brands reveal or express themselves. So, the brands have to consciously build or promote their reputation in the online world. Otherwise, even misconception, distortion, misunderstanding, sabotage or falsehood by the public or consumers can prove disastrous for the brand in the worst case scenario.
Customers view a brand as how it is portrayed or promoted. A brand may be viewed as humanistic or inhuman, responsible or indifferent when it comes to a social cause or an ecological issue. This presses the fact that brands have to clearly articulate its ethical, ideological, social, geo-political and/or ecological standpoint beyond doubt, distortion or dilution.
Relevance of Online Reputation Management (ORM)
Brands that don’t care about managing their online reputation or image are bound to be hit by misfortune and misconception and get into oblivion sooner or later as its customers and people do not see the brand as responsible or trustworthy.
But, those brands that are conscious about how they should be viewed and regarded in the online space survive and thrive. These are brands that people have trust and believe as those companies or brands that give in return to the society. People and the brands’ customers value such brands and they prefer to buy products and services from such companies. Buy HQ Backlinks from Digital White Labels and manage your brand better.
People in social media are also aware of how brands behave when it comes to fulfilling their business and social obligations and responsibilities. The failure on the part of brands to fulfill or show concern for its customers, community and ecological well-being would result in severe backlash for the brand that could even lead to closure of the brand or result in complete boycott of the brand’s products and services as the brand’s reputation will be at stake. So, it is all the more important, as is the quality of the products that a brand sells, so has to be its reputation.
Improve your brand’s Online Reputation with the Best SEO Agency.
Impact of ORM
There are many good instances and bad instances of brands getting treated for their high and low reputation. Your brand’s good reputation wins social goodwill and encourages the community to continuously support your brand or buy your products and services. However, a brand with low esteem will be rejected or ignored even by its own loyal customers if it runs into notorious scams, serious frauds, bad news as that of mistreating its employees or not having equality within the organisation or offering poor customer service or selling outdated products or not being fair with its stakeholders or not fulfilling its commitments and promises or making false claims or making exaggerated claims or showing lack of initiative in humanitarian situations. Such a company with bad reputation runs into real trouble and as such the brand is definitely doomed to failure.
How to Improve Brand Reputation?
There are multiple ways that a business can improve its brand reputation online. Here are a few ways.
- The brand should consciously communicate their philosophies and policies subtly or prominently through ads and other forms of digital communication.
- The brand should use every digital marketing opportunity to reveal what it stands for and to prove its mettle and integrity in the ethical, philosophical, social, ecological and environmental contexts.
- The brand can demonstrate its ideology and ethical steadfastness by promoting its logo and other brand identities which are expressions of the brand personality. These brand identities include its brand names, product names, brand keywords, website url, website content, blog content, social media profiles, slogans, captions, etc., so that the public will easily understand what cause this brand stands for and constantly reminded about its positive persona and social commitments. It can be done through social media ads, website content and every way possible.
- Write and post exclusive articles and blog posts and also carry a special section in the website explaining and declaring your commitment to the society and the world stating clearly about your ethics and values. Reiterate wherever possible to ensure your vision, mission and principles are better and clearly understood without any confusion or ambiguity. Then, the people will be able to understand your company, and its core values, determination, legitimacy and social commitment.
- You can use your social media profiles as ready reckoners to communicate, showcase and demonstrate your brand’s technical might, expertise, capability, integrity, unique identity, philosophy and principles so that the customers and all stakeholders can see them and understand your company’s views, purpose, abilities, strengths and what not.
Conclusion
Online Reputation Management (ORM) is not such a strange thing that you have to study rocket science and make an effort. It is a simple process of understanding how to frame your content and other things to influence your target audience. You can do every possible step to prove your brand’s tradition, heritage, steadfastness and values by propagating your policies and philosophies so that your brand is not misunderstood or misconstrued. You don’t have to showcase yourselves overly as champions of the society or so, but you’ll have to definitely show yourself as safeguards of your stakeholders’ interests and that you really care and never hesitate to fulfill your social obligations. It will not be an overstatement if you declare that you as a business or a brand will even step out of the way and offer assistance whenever the situation demands.
