Businesses across the world have used the internet to generate a lot of revenues & profits. In fact, the internet is arguably the most important channel for businesses today.

The internet, however, is an open & democratic medium where brands and businesses are susceptible to criticism from consumers and other stakeholders. And, it is important that bands and businesses are well prepared for all kinds of online conversations that involve them.

Protecting a brand’s reputation online is a whole new ball game, and, it is to deal with this new beast that “Online Reputation Management” has been developed.

What is ORM?

Simply put, online reputation management is every online activity that is carried out to create, maintain & protect a brand’s online image. Although, ORM is a vast and comprehensive subject, some of the simple strategies that are often implemented by businesses include asking customers for positive reviews, quick & polite responses to positive & negative feedback, recommendations & better engagement with customers.

Apart from dealing with customers, ORM can also be done through SEO, SMO & other technical methods, with the help of which you can optimize the positive feedback & reviews and push down all the negative chatter.

Benefits of ORM

Investing in ORM can help you protect your brand’s reputation, and in the long run, build a strong and sustainable image. Let us see some of the main advantages of online reputation management:

• Increased visibility

By engaging with your customers and target audience through online platforms like search engines, social media networks & blogs etc you can create a lot of positive chatter for your brand. You can encourage a happy customer to leave positive reviews on prominent platforms (like Google, twitter, facebook, etc.)

All this activity can help improve the online performance of your brand and make it more popular amongst your target audience.

• Builds Trust

A common tendency in online buyer behavior is that people tend to read a lot of reviews before they buy a product. And, one way to build trust and create brand advocates it to gather as many positives testimonials as possible. This is especially true for local businesses, in which people seek opinions of previous customers before making a decision.

The ORM process can help you optimize all the positive feedback that you get from your customers and make your brand more trustworthy in the eyes of your customers & your target audience.

• Conflict resolution

Unresolved negative feedback about your brand or business can damage its reputation. With the help of the Basic ORM Guide, however, you can find all the criticism that is happening online and resolve them as soon as possible.

Quick responses are something that customers generally appreciate and it also shows that you as a brand are sensitive to the needs of the customers. This is one reason why many of the top companies are also heavily invested in ORM.

• Decreases Risk

This perhaps the most important point and, also one that many new brands & businesses often ignore. Many brands choose to hire an ORM partner only after something goes wrong, and they are unable to deal with the damage & loss of reputation.

If you have a comprehensive ORM strategy from the very beginning, you’ll be better prepared to deal with criticism and negative reviews. And in the long run, you’ll reduce the risk of losing your brand’s reputation.

Conclusion

Online reputation management (ORM) has now become an inseparable part of online marketing, and with the consumers becoming more enlightened and aware, the need for ORM is pertinent. To stay ahead of the curve, however, it is important to be proactive rather than reactive and be well prepared for ORM challenges.

FAQs

1. How does ORM boost a brand’s online presence?
   Ans. ORM provides support through generating positive perceptions by means of customer reviews, encouraging active participation, and ensuring that profiles are optimized across multiple platforms so that the shop gets noticed on search engines as well as within social networks.
2. How is a customer’s level of trust directly related to their online reputation?
   Ans. Before making a purchase decision, consumers read through reviews and ratings which help shape their perception of your business. Therefore, you must ensure a favourable reputation online so consumers will consider you when making such purchase decisions.
3. How does ORM assist in successful resolution of negative feedback in a timely manner?
   Ans. Through ORM strategies, businesses can monitor negativity regarding their brand, respond quickly and appropriately to the negativity, and publicly acknowledge any concerns expressed regarding their brand, thus minimizing the potential for damaging conversations about your business that occur online.
4. How do ORM efforts reduce long-term business risk?
   Ans. Proactive reputation management will help prevent the propagation of false information or false reports about your business, resulting in reduced damage to your business and also equipping you with the necessary skills to effectively manage crisis situations.
5. Why do businesses need to view ORM as an ongoing plan rather than a one-time action?
   Ans. Online discussions never cease or slow down; therefore, continuing to monitor, engage with and develop your online reputation will allow for the sustained building of a strong digital presence.