Online reputation management is a necessary part of maintaining a solid online reputation for your business, but do you know the difference between proactive and reactive ORM? Today we’re talking about these two ORM styles and why a proactive management style is beneficial for your business.
Online Reputation Management Styles
Reactive Vs. Proactive Online Reputation Management
There are two approaches to online reputation management that are seen most often – reactive and proactive.
Reactive Online Reputation Management
Reactive online reputation management is a style of management that focuses on reacting to feedback, comments, or articles that have been left for or about your business. While reactive online reputation management is necessary for recognizing customer feedback and managing negative comments or feedback, it should never be your only approach to managing your online reputation.
Examples of Reactive Online Reputation Management
There are two types of reactive online reputation management- reacting to the positive and reacting to the negative. Reacting to positive feedback and comments is beneficial to your business because it lets your customers know that you are not only reading their feedback, but that you value what they have to say. These types of relationships help to build relationships with customers as well as to show that your business is personable and client centered. Reacting to the negative is also a necessary part of cultivating your online reputation, however, how you react is crucial. When responding to negative comments, you should always keep your company image in mind, know that how you react can either salvage a customer relationship or ensure that that relationship is lost and portray your company as an unprofessional and petty one.
Proactive Online Reputation Management
Proactive online reputation management is another style of online reputation management, however, this method doesn’t only focus on addressing comments and feedback that have already been left about your business. Proactive online reputation management involves actively promoting and sharing your business in a positive light. Although reactive ORM does have it’s place in promoting your business’s online reputation, proactive ORM is the key to getting your business name out there in a positive light while giving you full control over what is said, when it’s said, and how it’s said.
Examples of Proactive Online Reputation Management
Proactive online reputation management lets you take the reins and steer the conversation about your company, for example, you might write an article promoting a new product you have coming out soon. This serves to create “buzz” about your company and your product but also ensures that you are in charge of what information is shared and how it’s shared.
Another example of proactive ORM is a professional press release that allows you to control negative situations. For example, if you own a restaurant and discover that a number of customers became sick after eating a particular dish over the weekend, you might make a professional press release addressing the issue. It can be tempting to avoid these matters and hope that they go away, but by taking control and announcing them before anyone else does, you put yourself in a position of power. You also give yourself the opportunity to show yourself as a truthful company that isn’t afraid to admit mistakes – something that customers connect with. Yes, it will be an unpleasant admission if you have to publish such a press release, however, you can use a professionally written press release as a chance to redeem your company reputation too.
Balancing Your ORM Approach
Of course, each management style of your company’s online reputation has it’s role in a healthy online presence and it’s important that you understand how to balance these two methods of online reputation management. As a business owner, however, it can be difficult enough to find time to address even a single aspect of your company’s online presence. Your schedule is already tight, your responsibilities are already overflowing, and your family life is likely suffering. This is why it’s best to assign the task of ORM to someone who not only has the time to undertake it, but who also has the experience and tools to do it well. Sure, you could pass off your company online reputation management to one of your employees, but without the proper education in ORM and without the proper tools on board, it’s all too possible that your employee could do more harm than good. Fortunately, that’s where companies like Online Presence Manager come in. We have a team of dedicated professionals whose only job is to monitor your company’s online reputation, to respond to new comments and feedback and to create buzz proactively.
Ready to Assign Your Company Online Reputation Management to a Professional?
If you are ready to hand over your company’s reputation management online to a professional who can not only regularly monitor your presence online but also create that presence where it is lacking, Online Presence Manager can help! Not sure how we can help or want to know more about our services before you commit? No problem, just give us a call toll-free at 727-475-6460 and take advantage of your free consultation today to see how we can make your business the talk of the town in your community!
