How can you resolve issues quickly and efficiently, meet your customers where they are and develop deeper relationships with them while increasing trust and brand loyalty? Reputation Management.
What is Reputation Management?
Social media platforms have become the new town square where people gather, exchange ideas and form relationships. Businesses need to connect with their audiences in meaningful ways by leveraging opportunities on social for authentic connection.
Reputation Management is the practice of systematically leveraging these opportunities to cultivate and strengthen relationships with your customers. It’s the best method to build loyalty, gain insights and learn from and grow your customer base – and the benefits don’t end there:
- The more connected you are with your customers, the more loyal they will be to your business.
- Social platforms reward time spent on the platform by pushing your content to more users.
- For prospecting, you can engage through their social channels before reaching out with a business pitch thereby eliminating the cold call.
Reputation Management is a two-fold strategy: inbound (reactive) and outbound (proactive). Inbound engagement allows you to actively listen to your target audience, respond to their inquiries and manage their concerns, all with the goal of providing an outstanding customer experience. While inbound engagement is important, outbound engagement is one of the most effective means of expanding your brand awareness.
What is outbound engagement and why is it so effective?
You wouldn’t ask someone a question and then leave before they answer. The same etiquette applies in the social media landscape. As social media has evolved, it’s not enough to post rich, informative, and authentic content. Each piece of content should be thought of as a conversation starter.
Outbound engagement is when you actively comment on or send messages to other accounts. Identifying the right accounts to follow and meaningfully engage with is an effective tactic within your overall social strategy that moves the needle and delivers ROI.
Connecting through social channels with outbound engagement also eliminates the cold call and funnels attention back to your own profile. Your efforts will be multiplied by garnering attention from other followers of these accounts who will see your business actively participating on social media.
The best outbound comments function as a billboard for your business.
“Social media is not just checking a box and making a post. You’ve spent a lot of time building your business and your brand, don’t let that investment become eroded by not putting reputation management as a top priority.” – Amy Jo Haven-Reynolds, President of haven Marketing.
