Online reputation management’s industry experts stress proactive strategies, that is, integrating RM solutions to online business campaigns to give the company initial edge over competitors. The proactive system also walls the online brand in defenses such as client loyalty and meaningful web traffic, attracting positive feedback from the start and having a good run counter a few hiccups down the road.
Failing this, businesses will have little to work with come inevitable mistakes in the business process that will send bad reviews and customer complaints their way. Customer dissatisfaction or disappointment is a fact of the business cycle. So is a democratized Internet, which admits all manner of emotions to its feedback mechanisms. Social networking and review sites give voice to negative feedback, and typical online reputation repair and defense systems tend to reclaim good standing by going punch for punch.
Reactive efforts with no prior foundation will necessarily be small. Having a good proactive RM strategy beforehand, however, generates the most meaningful rebuttals to malicious online attacks. Lots of good press, which can only be made possible through a thorough, layered, and best of all, forward-thinking content marketing strategy slows down bad online feedback in the search rankings. It also sets off new conversations that will push issues to the back burners.
Speaking of back burners, there is no alternative to allaying negative customer experience relayed in social networking sites but to respond. In this, too, a well-developed content strategy schools social media managers and business owners to rectify situations by establishing the brand’s tone and overall message. Even an irate customer brings out a new chance for promotion. Think along the lines of “We’re deeply sorry for having caused you inconvenience. Please allow our other services and products to assist you in improving the situation.”