managing your online reputation

Managing your Online Reputation

March 6, 2013Presented By: Steve ThomasPresident of The Net Impact

About the Speaker

Steve ThomasPresident, The Net ImpactVice President, UnidevPresident, American Marketing Association-St. LouisPresident, Missouri Venture Forum

With over 18 years of internet strategy experience, Steve is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and entrepreneur.

Contact me:Twitter: @TNIMANLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/stevenrthomas

True or False?

Everything you read on the internet is true.

True

False

EVERYTHING on the internet is TRUE

True or False?

You can “control” your online reputation.

True

False

You Can Control Your Online Reputation

Learn about your reputation

Learn about your reputation – Google yourself– Set up alerts– Look at local reviews– Don’t forget Yahoo and Bing– Yelp yourself– Online reviews– Analytics

Google Alerts

Set up a Google Alert with your company name and related terms. – This ensures you are among the first to know if

someone makes a comment, negative or positive.

Google Alerts

Sample alert

Why Do I Care?

The benefits of a good online reputation• Improved image for your brand• Better first impressions• More new customer inquiries• Increase in conversions • Reduced customer concerns

Why Do I Care?

7 out of 10

customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

(ReachLocal.com)

Reviews Can Kill

Sample negative review on Google

Reviews Can Help

Sample positive review on Google

Google +

Basic Sites to Monitor

Other Review Sources

Other Review Sources

Surveys

Surveying your customer after a job is done is a great way to get feedback.

• If feedback is positive, encourage customers to review online or publish the testimonial on your website.

• If the feedback is negative, try to rectify the situation before the customer goes online.

Handling Positive Feedback

• If a customer gives a positive review, be sure to provide them with positive feedback, whether it be liking their comment or responding.

Case Study: Hotel in St. Louis I recently stayed at this property and was very pleased by the stay. They are a themed (not like one of "those" hotels) but old English Inn. Bad weather forced me to stay there and I enjoyed

their large lobby with fireplace and friendly staff.

Great little morning continental breakfast area, but it was replenished by the desk staff and would run out of things (may have been due to the snow day keeping staff away?). Overall a funny place that I enjoyed. Nice little features and also a very small bar/lounge that had live

music (for a nice touch).

What great feedback! Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your experience at The Cheshire. With the renovation of the property in 2011, our goal was to keep the old English charm and yet add the modern comfort that we all enjoy. We are very happy you've enjoyed each bit of it.

We hope to see you again under different circumstances especially on a sunny day.

True or False?

There is nothing you can do about a bad review.

True

False

Handling Negative Reviews

Handling Negative Reviews

TRANSPARENCY“IF YOU LOOK AT COMPANIES THAT ARE NOT TRANSPARENT, IT IS

NOT A QUESTION OF IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE FOUND OUT, IT IS WHEN.”—PETER SHANKMAN, FOUNDER OF HARO

How to Handle Negative Feedback

Acknowledge the comment

Address the issue

Respond politely

Provide solutions

Thank you for staying with us and we truly value your feedback. I'm so sorry that you did not enjoy the hotel's layout and I know that with a hotel of this size, some might find it a bit out

of the way to get to the pool. At the same time I am glad you were able to utilize it. As for your room, I offer my sincere apology and I hope that if you do stay with us again you will

reach out to us and let us know that there is something we can do to make it better. Thank you for your time and we hope you'll come stay with us next time you're in the area. Happy

New Year!

Case Study: Hotel in St. Louis

While the lobby looks nice the rest of the hotel is dated. To get to the pool area is a task in itself. The pool was very small and not kept up too well. The rooms were OK but did have a musty smell to them. The breakfast served was marginal at best.

Scenario

Thanks for lying to me ABC company! The project took longer than you said it would and now I have to look at an unfinished floor! You are the worst!

Tom Jones

ABC Company

Hi Tom, We are sorry your project was not finished in the time estimated. We hate to have an unhappy customer. Let’s work together to find a solution. Please call me, Jared, at 555-555-5555 today and we can work something out.

Shelf Space StrategyBasic Text Content Sites

• Website• Google + (Places) / Bing • News• Articles• Press releases• Blog• Wikipedia• Facebook• Twitter• Linked In• Directories like YP, Yelp…

Basic Image Content Sites• Website• News• You Tube• Vimeo• Flickr• Google• Bing• Pinterest

Shelf Space Strategy: Images

Shelf Space Strategy: Images

Shelf Space Strategy: Images

Product listing ads. Requires exporting product feeds. Through Adwords

Learn About Your Reputation

Take-away OneThe time to manage your reputation is NOT after it has already been damaged.

Because everything on the internet isn’t true, you have to be constantly aware

of your brand reputation

Be Transparent

Take-away Two Customers will be more likely to trust you if you are transparent. Own up to mistakes by being honest and humble.

Shelf Space Strategy

Take-away Three You can help your brand name’s visibility online using

content. Google +, your website SEO content, articles, press releases, images, social media,

listings…

Thank You!

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