Building a brand takes years of hard work, research, and persistence. But as with anything that is built, it can come crashing down in an instant!
Consumers today are trained to make snap judgments and live at a fast-paced tempo. So it can only take a moment for them to lose trust in your brand and ruin your reputation.
Brand reputation is near impossible to get back once it is tarnished. For many, once the brand reputation is gone, a whole new re-brand effort is needed if the company wants to stay afloat. This can be timely, costly, and not a lot of fun to do.
But it is not all doom and gloom just yet for brands online. There are five ways to protect your brand and ensure that your reputation stays intact!
1. Address all comments, even the bad ones
Yup, you read that right. For many brands, this might be a hard pill to swallow, as no one likes to suck up to a customer that wrote a really mean review. But it is important to be the bigger person in these sorts of scenarios and acknowledge the complaint and suggest a solution to make amends. Even if one customer does not take, it will make you look like the bigger person when other consumers are reading the online conversation. Many researchers are saying that not responding to comments is one of the worst things a brand can do!
2. Make sure your brand is associated in a positive way
This is where brand suitability comes in to play. Take the extra time to ensure that your advertising targets the correct places on the correct platforms with minimal risk. Understand the behaviors of your consumers and any potential risks or sensitivities to be aware of. Even with the world’s best advertisement, if it is placed on the wrong platform to the wrong people, it could have detrimental effects on your brand reputation!
3. Create quality content
A great way to become a trusted brand with your consumers is by creating positive content that they can trust. So it is not just about the keywords and SEO strategies in the content you produce. It is equally important that this content you produce is actually relevant and trustworthy. Take the time to research and back up any claims you make!
4. Place value in your website
One of the main objectives of advertising online is to direct consumers to your website. But what is the point of doing that if your website actually sucks? You should place as much effort—if not more—in ensuring that your website provides excellent user experience and that makes your brand an even more reputable one. The details really matter on your website just as much as they do on an ad. This means that your website needs to be honest, simple, and personable. If you do this, you are likely to be seen favorably by the consumer.
5. Show off your brand personality
Social media can seem scary, but it is a very popular way for consumers to get a snapshot of what a brand is really all about. Social media offers creative ways for you to showcase your brand personality and interact with consumers in a more playful and friendly way. Plus, it is a way for consumers to see how well-liked you are by others, based on the number of followers and engagements that you get on a post. If you do it right, it will do wonders for your brand!
Just because the digital world can be a scary landscape to navigate for brands does not mean you should avoid it altogether. It is one of the most important platforms to invest your time and recourses into.