So, what is brand reputation?
You’re familiar with Nike, right? You don’t even need to tell me what they do or who they are. In your head, everything you are associating with the word is reputation.
How people perceive your brand is your reputation. When people hear your name or see your logo, what images come to mind? What words or even people come up? These are things within your control and this has always been the goal of marketing and PR.
You don’t need an MBA to know that a good brand reputation translates into sales. Or, that customers trust brands that are reputable and trustworthy. Because that’s what you would do right? And, that’s the keyword. Trust.
A brand is all about building trust. And not just building trust with your customers but even with your employees.
The marketplace is social—it’s all on social media
Reputation is more important now in the digital age. Our first instinct is always to Google first. If we can’t find what we need, we turn to Twitter or Facebook or Reddit or Instagram, and even TikTok.
Experts tell us that up to 40% of customers nowadays don’t trust traditional advertising. We know this. We’d rather hear from our mutuals, right?
So, your online reputation makes or breaks your business. The world PR report found that top-level CEOs place reputation as their most valuable intangible asset.
They invest so much to monitor and influence their brand perception, and here’s why you should too.
3 benefits of positive brand reputation management
1 – Brand reputation = sales, sales, sales
People always come back to the brands they trust. With a strong brand reputation, customers will more likely choose you over competitors. And if you strategize correctly, you don’t have to wait for people to form an opinion about you.
Your reputation should eventually speak for itself. That’s what brand loyalty is all about. Every person out there is a potential customer. When customers trust and are loyal to a brand they will influence others to do the same.
2 – Ambassadors and influencers will seek you
And speaking of influence, your good brand reputation does not only affect your consumers but other brands and sources of marketing strategies out there. In this age of influencers and brand ambassadors, even people like them choose who they associate with.
And you can’t underestimate these individuals, even an Instagram account with 10k followers will have a huge impact on your reputation and sales. You have to be a brand people will want to work with.
3 – You’ll have the competitive edge
And all goes back to trust. Your brand reputation gives people reason to choose you over your competitors. The key is reliable and clear brand identity. Because this shows that you have clear goals and a vision—a purpose.
The ICCO’s World PR Report found that purpose is the most defining characteristic of successful brands today. If you build your brand reputation strategy around this idea then you’ll have the upper hand over competitors.
3 consequences of negative brand reputation
1 – Dealing with negative PR is expensive
Don’t always believe the saying “all publicity is good publicity.” Bad publicity or a negative reputation should not be on your strategy.
There’s simply just more benefit to being seen in a positive light. And it doesn’t even have to be a big PR disaster. Just check your customer testimonials.
You’ll be losing sales on top of having to damage control whatever bad press you got. Take a strong stance against this. Don’t wait for those negative headlines on social media platforms and new sites, stay on top of it and maintain a favorable brand reputation.
2 – All it takes is one bad review
Up to 90% of people will avoid a business with just one bad review. I mean wouldn’t you? Customer experience cannot be underestimated.
So, it is very important to keep track of these things, especially when most discussion and conversation about your brand happens outside of your official channels.
Forums like Reddit and public communities like Twitter are often where consensus is made for brands. Stay in the loop. Know what people are saying about you and make sure they are positive reviews.
3 – Potential employees will not want to associate with you
Company culture is also a factor that affects your brand reputation. How you treat your employees is a key factor in brand image.
What kind of people works for the company? Are they just as passionate about your purpose and mission?
And it goes beyond employee retention. You want the best and most driven people to potentially offer their services to your brand. Again, you have to make a brand that is worth working for.
How to get started with brand reputation management
- Create a strong brand identity from the start
From your logo to your brand name, the keyword is consistent. Make sure every element of your brand, from the colors you chose to your voice on social media, makes sense with your mission and purpose.
When we say a brand has a strong identity it means it is reliable and stands the test of time. Understand the trends but stay ahead and set your own path for your brand. Those are the names that stick.
- Strategize how you will maintain your reputation
Have a content plan. Utilize digital marketing campaigns and efforts. Build strong PR networks. Use strong copywriting and be part of the best search engine results. Be prepared for any scenario but be proactive about how you are forming your reputation.
Listen to customer feedback and provide avenues for online reviews. Respond and let potential customers feel comfortable with you. It’s all about planning.
- Use brand reputation management tools to help you monitor and manage your online presence
Now, this is the tricky part. We have to admit that the marketplace is highly competitive because of social media. You need to be ten steps ahead.
As much as possible you want to be aware whenever your brand is mentioned anywhere on the internet. Especially on platforms like Twitter and Reddit.
These are called social listening tools, and as much as possible you want your brand to always be mentioned positively—and organically.
If you are serious about growing your brand, we at SOAR offer an organic Brand Mention service on Reddit.
We will provide organic conversations to happen on Reddit whenever your service, brand, content, and even competitors are mentioned. This will help your brand reputation in so many ways.
If you’re interested to learn more, book a call with us today! Or, if you prefer chat messaging, we have a live chat team available for you to ask any more questions.