[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Introduction” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve heard the statistics: 88 percent of customers trust reviews as much as their friends (Business2Community<\/a>). Reputation can boost sales and increase a brand\u2019s value (PRWeek<\/a>). With online reputation management stats<\/a> like that, it\u2019s little wonder you\u2019ve been hired to manage a brand\u2019s online reputation. Now you need a reputation management plan to get started.<\/p>\n Now that you have a reputation management plan, grab our white-label reputation management sales playbook to guide your sales pitch and close more reputation management clients.<\/a><\/p>\n Why is reputation planning so important for business leaders? Over the past decade, online reputation management has expanded exponentially. There are so many new touch points, from review sites<\/a> to business directories, to social media and beyond.<\/p>\n Without an actionable plan, reputation management can be overwhelming\u2014even for seasoned professionals<\/a>. A plan in hand makes it much easier to work toward your client\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n Best of all? Creating an online reputation management plan can be simple. Just use this 6-step guide to get started.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Reputation 101: What is reputation management?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Before we dive into an action plan, it helps to have a quick refresher on reputation management. What is it, what does it look like, and why do your clients need it?<\/p>\n A brand\u2019s reputation can make or break them in the digital marketplace. Reputation influences how people feel about a client\u2019s brand. That, in turn, determines how they interact with the business\u2014including whether they decide to buy from them or not.<\/p>\n Your client could have the best product on the market, but if they have a bad reputation<\/a>, it won\u2019t matter. The would-be customers will go elsewhere.<\/p>\n Reputation management refers to all of the actions agencies can take to improve their clients\u2019 online reputations. If a client has a poor reputation, this could mean taking steps to turn public opinion around. If they have a good reputation, then you\u2019ll want to work to keep that hard-earned recognition.<\/p>\n If you read the definition of reputation management and asked, \u201cIsn\u2019t that PR?\u201d, you wouldn\u2019t necessarily be wrong. Public relations is one type of reputation management.<\/p>\n Reputation management goes beyond sending out press releases or arranging photo ops, though. Reviews, for example, are another key pillar of reputation management. A strategy to get new reviews and respond to them is a big part of any reputation management action plan.<\/p>\n Social media monitoring is another type of reputation management. Managing listings in online directories and your SEO efforts<\/a> can be part of an online reputation management<\/a> action plan.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”What is a reputation management action plan and why do you need one?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n There are many different aspects of reputation planning in the digital world. Any one of these tasks can end up being a full-time job for your team. If you do review incentivization right, you should get lots of customer feedback. That also means you need to keep an eye on those reviews and respond to every last one of them.<\/p>\n Social media monitoring can also be time consuming. You might already know how much SEO demands from your team. And maintaining online directory listings can be an uphill battle.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to see how reputation management can be overwhelming. Your team might feel like you\u2019ve set them adrift in a sea of endless (and thankless) tasks.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why an online reputation management plan is crucial to your success. Without one, your team can spend a lot of time on tasks that may not impact your client\u2019s reputation at all.<\/p>\n An action plan makes it clear what your goals are and what steps you\u2019re going to take to get there. Think of it as allowing you and your team to see the forest, instead of getting lost among the trees.<\/p>\n So, how do you create an actionable plan for managing a client\u2019s online reputation<\/a>?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Steps to take before you start reputation planning” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n You can\u2019t craft a good reputation plan if you don\u2019t know where you\u2019re starting from. Your client might think they have a great reputation, but in reality you might have a lot more work to do than they realize.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why your first step should always be to take stock where the client\u2019s brand is. You\u2019ll want to do two things:<\/p>\n \n An audit needs to happen first. Without one, you don\u2019t know where your client stands with customers or how they stack up against competitors.<\/p>\n You should also add reputation monitoring as soon as you can. An audit can tell you where your client\u2019s reputation is right now. Monitoring can start feeding you data about how perceptions are changing over time.<\/p>\n Both data points are crucial as you set out to make a plan. Not knowing where your client stands could mean you tackle the wrong goals or indicators. You could create a plan to tackle problems that don\u2019t exist\u2014or one that ignores other problems.<\/p>\n Knowing how your client\u2019s brand reputation is faring over time is also important. This can give you insights into what factors most affect their brand reputation. Has their reputation been getting worse, or is their star already on the rise? Knowing this could change the steps you add to a reputation management plan.<\/p>\n Once you have completed an audit and you\u2019ve started monitoring, you can begin drafting your plan.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Step 1: Set goals for your online reputation management plan” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Almost any action plan starts with goal setting.<\/p>\n Why?<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to outline a plan of action if you don\u2019t know where you\u2019re trying to go.<\/p>\n Reputation management is no different. You can write a plan with no goal. It will be hard to see if it\u2019s actually having any impact in your client\u2019s business.<\/p>\n What kind of goals should you set in your online reputation management action plan<\/a>? You might want to consider one (or any combination) of the following:<\/p>\n These goals are specific and measurable. A goal like \u201cimprove client\u2019s brand reputation\u201d is too vague and much harder to measure. That can cause issues down the line (Corporate Finance Institute<\/a>).<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve picked a goal or two, you\u2019ll want to figure out how you\u2019ll know if you\u2019ve achieved the goal. What indicators will tell you if your action plan is working?<\/p>\n Benchmarks are also useful. Instead of waiting a year to see if your plan improved a client\u2019s online reputation, you can use benchmarks to track progress.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Step 2: Prioritize certain online reputation management tasks in your action plan” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Your next step is to determine which online reputation management tasks matter the most to your goals. If you\u2019re trying to increase the number of reviews a client receives, then focusing on SEO might not be the best use of your resources.<\/p>\n For most brands, there are many important online reputation management (ORM) tasks to complete. You\u2019ll have more than one task in your plan, so it helps to rank them. An easy way to divide tasks is to use the following four categories:<\/p>\n An example of a \u201cthankless\u201d task is keeping online directory listings up to date. This is a big job. It requires some care, and it needs to be done on an ongoing basis. All that said, making sure your client\u2019s information is accurate may not change their online reputation that much if you\u2019re not also managing their reviews and brand mentions.<\/p>\n Something like a new review strategy can be a \u201cbig bet.\u201d It might take time and effort to respond to reviews<\/a>, but the pay-off is well worth it. Almost 50 percent of consumers are more likely to buy from a business that takes time to respond to negative reviews, for example (PR Newswire<\/a>).<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Step 3: Create communication policies and response plans” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Now it\u2019s time to look at your communication policies. This includes your response plans.<\/p>\n Communication policies are a key part of reputation planning. They give your client, your team members, and anyone you\u2019re working with a guide for:<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have a response plan,<\/a> each team member might approach reputation management differently. One person might be too polite and give customers too much information. Another team member might respond to a customer\u2019s bad attitude with their own.<\/p>\n A policy can help employees find the right tone. It can also give them guidance about when to offer solutions and what kind of solutions to offer. Finally, it also provides guidance on how soon they need to respond to customers. For guidance: The majority of customers expect a response within a week (Search Engine Journal<\/a>).<\/p>\n Guidelines are important when it comes to responding to positive reviews and comments. Your team should strive for a friendly\u2014yet professional\u2014tone. Someone who responds too casually might turn off customers.<\/p>\n Timing rules also apply here, as well as guidelines about when to offer information or how to approach it.<\/p>\n Most communication policies are aimed at responding to negative reviews. All too often, brands try to \u201cfight fire with fire.\u201d They\u2019ll respond to criticism in a defensive manner and with negative comments of their own.<\/p>\n Neither of these approaches helps your client\u2019s reputation. Instead, your team should strive to be friendly and professional at all times. Policies can guide employees on when to offer a solution, when to take a conversation private, and more.<\/p>\n Having these policies in place make your plan more actionable. If \u201creply to reviews\u201d is the what<\/i> of your plan, then a response plan is the how<\/i>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Step 4: Build on the positives” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n It can be easy to think of a reputation management action plan as a kind of \u201ccrisis management\u201d<\/a> blueprint. A solid online reputation management action plan will help manage crises, but that\u2019s not its main purpose.<\/p>\n Remember when you did your reputation audit? Your key takeaways focused on the problems you want to fix, but you also noticed positive data points too.<\/p>\n Take the time in your action plan to focus on what\u2019s \u201cgoing right\u201d with reputation management already. What is the client doing well? If they\u2019re killing it in the reviews department, then try to capitalize on that momentum.<\/p>\n An example might be to use reviews to springboard a conversation on social media. Adding reviews to your client\u2019s website can increase trust from consumers and search engines (Search Engine Land<\/a>).<\/p>\n You can also think about why the client is getting so many reviews. How can you capitalize on this? Maybe you can ask some \u201csuperfans\u201d to provide more feedback. Can you get them talking on other platforms to help spread the word? A review management service<\/a> might be able to help.<\/p>\n Getting reviews is often a struggle. Your happy customers outnumber the dissatisfied ones, but it’s tough to get them to review.<\/p>\n In your action plan, take a look at both the client\u2019s own review strategy and how their competitors are faring. If someone is getting a ton of reviews, think about how they\u2019re encouraging that\u2014and how you can adopt the strategy or technology that allows them to get more reviews<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re getting negative reviews, it might be time to take it to the streets. Ask the client\u2019s customers for feedback. Some people might not want to post a public review, but they will share insights with you.<\/p>\n This feedback can help you identify things your client does well\u2014and where they can improve.<\/p>\n If your client has online directory profiles, social media profiles, a Google Business Profile, or they are active on any other platform, it\u2019s time to take charge.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t manage these profiles, then someone else might take the liberty of managing them for your client. This can lead to confusion among their customers, especially if there are duplicate profiles. Active management also keeps their information up to date across platforms. Finally, being active can encourage people to interact with the brand more often online.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Step 5: Monitor progress and adjust your online reputation management plan as needed” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n You\u2019re already monitoring your client\u2019s reputation, and you should keep collecting data as you put your plan into action. Use the benchmarks you identified in Step 1 to help you track your progress toward your client\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be afraid to adjust your plan if you\u2019re falling short of your benchmarks. A small tweak could go a long way to improving your client\u2019s reputation and meeting their goals.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Step 6: Keep improving your action plan” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Finally, don\u2019t think of your plan as a \u201cset it and forget it\u201d type of document. Much as you should keep adjusting it, you can keep improving it as well.<\/p>\n New tactics and strategies emerge as platforms shift their algorithms, new technology arises, and consumer demands change. This can fuel the rise of \u201cbad\u201d tactics, some of which can help in the short term (HBR<\/a>). You\u2019ll want to learn about which tactics to adopt and which to avoid.<\/p>\n Staying up to date on this front will help you ensure your plan is always effective for your clients.<\/p>\n A little bit of research goes a long way. Keep an eye on your client\u2019s competitors, and make note of where they\u2019re finding wins in the reputation game. Are there strategies they\u2019re using that you could adopt?<\/p>\n Keeping an eye on competitors\u2019 reputations can also help you understand what makes the client\u2019s brand unique. From there, you can build their reputation to appeal to their customers.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Bonus: Use reputation management tools to jumpstart your plan” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nReputation 101: What is reputation management?<\/h2>\n
What types of reputation management are there?<\/h3>\n
What is a reputation management action plan and why do you need one?<\/h2>\n
Steps to take before you start reputation planning<\/h2>\n
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Step 1: Set goals for your online reputation management plan<\/h2>\n
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Set benchmarks<\/h3>\n
Step 2: Prioritize certain online reputation management tasks in your action plan<\/h2>\n
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Step 3: Create communication policies and response plans<\/h2>\n
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Responding to positive reviews and comments<\/h3>\n
Responding to negative reviews<\/h3>\n
Step 4: Build on the positives<\/h2>\n
Encourage more reviews<\/h3>\n
Ask for customer feedback<\/h3>\n
Actively manage your client\u2019s profiles<\/h3>\n
Step 5: Monitor progress and adjust your online reputation management plan as needed<\/h2>\n
Step 6: Keep improving your action plan<\/h2>\n
Learn about new tactics and strategies<\/h3>\n
Keep an eye on competitors<\/h3>\n
Bonus: Use reputation management tools to jumpstart your plan<\/h2>\n