SOURCES: TNSGLOBAL.COM, EMARKETER.COM, SATMETRIX.COM,

HUFFINGTONPOST.COM, WPR.ORG, CNN.COM, MARKETWATCH.COM,

BUSINESSINSIDER.COM, PCWORLD.COM, BUSINESS2COMMUNNITY.COM

What’s said about your company and how your brand is perceived across social media, external websites, and search results can have tremendous impact on your business and your bottom line. A strong online reputation requires happycustomers, honesty, engaging content, and proactive work on your end. Here, we take a look at online reputationmanagement (ORM), showing which companies are doing it well, what happens when it isn’t done right, and how togain control of your company’s online reputation.

ARE YOU READY?

THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY

AMERICAN AIRLINES

To existing and potential consumers or partners, your online reputation matters.

Things said about your brand are important to your audience. Every month, consumers using social media:

Still, less than half of all corporate-communication professionals feel ready to take on bad brand buzz if a crisis arises.

When it comes to maintaining or defending an online reputation, there’s a wrong way and a right way.

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT LESSON:

Develop a formal communications plan to deal with crises and train staff to implement it. Ensure consistent communication across all channels.

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT LESSON:

Monitoring tools can be used to help, but never replace human interaction and judgment.

HOW TO

of clicked search results are organic, not paid.

Hear other consumers’ experiences

Learn more about brands’ products and/or services

Compliment brands

Express concerns or complaints about brands

70%

65%

53%

50%

TRY THIS!

THE DON’TS

THE DOS

TARGET Target has earned a reputation for

being fun, helpful, and engaging

with its customers.

Their Facebook and Twitter campaigns

show that online interaction goes beyond

sharing coupons.

The “Give With Target” Facebook

campaign allowed users to vote for

schools to receive gift cards.

PROGRESSIVEINSURANCE

THE PROBLEM: When a woman’s family sought policy collection after her death in a car accident, Progressive Insurance took the wrong approach.

KITCHENAID

The Problem: KitchenAid tweeted “Obamas gma

even knew it was going 2 b bad! ‘She died 3 days

b4 he became president’. #nbcpolitics" during a

2012 presidential debate.

Reputation Management: KitchenAid deleted the tweet almost

immediately and tweeted an apology. KitchenAid’s marketing

head tweeted several personal apologies and suggested the

media DM her through Twitter for follow-up.

+ f

facebook reputation management

Social media is about your brand’s voice !rst and your products second.

Proactively build a positive online reputation with happy customers.

Foster brand advocates and positive online reviews and mentions.

Your reputation across social media will affect search results.

Every online user has power, so don’t be quick to ignore anyone.

GoogleGoogleGoogleGoogle#yourvoice

AND BE SURE TO:

DESIGNATE an individual or team for online

reputation management.

Continuously MONITOR mentions of your

brand online.

IMPLEMENT and LEVERAGE proper SEO practices.

Always ENGAGEwith your audience.

REPUTATION ESTABLISHMENT

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

To build a good online reputation, remember:

It’s easy for a mistake or misunderstanding to become a disaster.

Status Photo Place Events Video Product Polls1

To head off a crisis as it starts, your company should:

Utilize tools to monitor for negative social media mentions.

Implement a practiced social media crisis-response plan.

Try to resolve the situation before it develops into a crisis.

Evaluate the situation and communicate appropriately.

If the crisis escalates:

Respond quickly and decisively.

Take responsibility for thesituation.

Be honest and transparent.

Correct misinformation.

THE PROBLEM:

From celebrity complaints on social media to a viral video of a ranting "ight attendant, American Airlines built a negative reputation.

IN 2013, American Airlines suffered a nationwide "ight grounding.

AA’s failure to communicate a consistent message created a crisis.

AA’s social media updates reached passengers before gate agents.

This caused more frustration, increasing online customer complaints.

When the family attempted to collect, Progressive sided with accused killer.

The woman’s outraged brother’s blog post blasting Progressive went viral.

Progressive used automated sympathy tweets, meeting “contractual obligations.”

Within days, thousands claimed to drop or never do business with Progressive.

ALL PLANES GROUNDED!#ourbad

UPDATE:

THIS IS A TRAGICCASE...

THIS IS A TRAGIC

CASE...

Both of them are making strong points while avoiding some ofthe questions. #debate

Obamas gma even knew it was going 2 b bad! ‘She died 3 days b4 he became president’. #nbcpolitics

KitchenAid @KitchenAidUSA

If these two had a show, it would make either the best or worst sitcom ever, right? #debateobservations

Lane Knoxville @laneisagent

“...I take full responsibility for my team...”

Remedy the situation creatively.

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT TODAY REQUIRES TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR OWN BRAND MESSAGE ONLINE BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DOES.

Don’t over-inform.

Begin a plan to rebuild thereputation.

94% That’s how much your online reputation matters.

of U.S. adults have searched someone before doing business with them.

discovered things online that changed their minds about doing business

42% Of those, 45%

40% feel prepared 29% feel neither prepared nor unprepared

30% feel unprepared

of consumers trust opinions posted online by other consumers.

of consumers trust brand recommendations from friends and family.

*Percentages do not add up to 100% due to rounding.

BUILD AN ONLINE COMMUNITY AROUND YOUR BRAND,AND ALWAYS BE PREPARED FOR ANY SITUATION

70%92%

HAVE YOU SEEN YOURONLINE REPUTATION?