Yes, Your Digital Reputation Really Matters…
…People just aren’t thinking about it. As described in the presentation by Matthew Kilmurry, Digital Reputation Management (DRM) is like the left side of the brain. It’s more strategic and more analytical, but you have to engage with it. Social media management (SMM) is the right side of the brain which allows more creativity; therefore, making it a bit more fun to engage. About 72% of consumers trust online recommendations like they trust a personal recommendation. That’s a pretty large percentage, right? That’s just one more reason to start thinking about your online reputation and engage with your customers and clients.
First things first, always engage. Whether the comments or recommendations about your product or company are negative or positive, always take the time to have those one-on-one conversations with the customer. Not only does it make them feel heard, but it assures them that something is going to be done about it. For example, customers love to hear, “I will take it to our next meeting,” or “I will take this to someone in a management position who can do something about it.” People eat it up. Check out Wal-Mart’s Facebook page when you get a chance—they are doing a great job of engaging with their customers.
In regards to negative comments or recommendations, put yourself in their shoes and apologize for how they feel. If they had a negative experience, that is going to impact how they feel and you need to try and understand where they are coming from. Lastly, always thank your customer for taking the time to write a recommendation. It shows they cared if they took the time to write a response based on their experience.
If You’re Not Using Data, Think Again
You need to start using data. It is becoming the all around tool for marketers in order for them to grow their business and grow their brand. Data is now driving our understanding of who our customer is. Startup marketers are using data to see what works and what does not because now you can run data tests and spend much less than companies used to in order to get the necessary results. Small spend, fast learn. Hypothesize, design, test, analyze. The decisions you make within your company should be driven by the data. Data, data, data. I know that’s all you’re hearing but it’s true. Get creative with the nitty-gritty data in order to reach your customers. For example, you can come up with a sponsorship or a creative ad campaign via Twitter. Find things other people are doing and take it to the next level. Put your own creative spin on it. Data may sound dull but you can make it interesting.