Whether you’re starting out or an established business, your brand is important. It’s what defines you both on and offline. However, if you don’t manage your brand’s reputation online, the results can be disastrous.
Tracking is Critical
The most important task to complete to maintain your online reputation is not to keep your website updated or produce new content. It’s to track online reviews. Not simply for your own site. It has to be done wherever your product is sold.
For instance, if you’re an author, then you need to track reviews on Amazon and other book-selling platforms. You want to examine sites like Goodreads for their take. Furthermore, research is required at book review sites run by individuals or periodicals.
Why is this so important? Because a harsh one-star review can begin a landslide that ruins your brand. Now, this isn’t always the case, especially if your product has received a majority of positive reviews. However, if they’re average, a few one-stars that bash you and the item can do damage.
Determine a Review’s Validity
Another reason to track online reviews is to establish the validity of the reviewer’s identity. Unfortunately, there are entities who feel it is their responsibility to tear down the success of others. Even if they never buy the product or read the book, they bash it. Rather, they bash the individual connected to it.
When you regularly review your online reviews, you should be able to see a pattern with these types of contributors. Once you determine their validity, you can alert website admins to their malicious activity. Not only does this help restore your brand’s reputation but it also assists others who have been harmed.
Select Your Next Project
Taking time to track online reviews isn’t only to reduce attacks on your brand. It can also help you determine your next project.
Let’s go back to your theoretical books. The reviews for your latest release may be positive overall; however, they also feature a caveat. Perhaps they want to see a follow-up to a previous release. Or, they ask for a breakout story that focuses on a favorite character.
This information used to be gathered through correspondences received via mail or periodical reviews. Today, unless you review online comments, those are harder to come by. Not considering their suggestions can cause those same reviewers to question if you listen to them. The potential result is a loss of your online reputation.
While it might not stave off negative reviews, tracking these reviews and responding accordingly can help build a shield for you. One made of a fanbase that helps you withstand future attacks with minimal damage. In the end, it allows you … Read the rest