Building Your Credibility with Reputation Management

Person looking at ipad in a public space

Reputation management takes being a purveyor of information one step further by tracking, monitoring, and willingly engaging in conversation via social media with those commenting on your goods or services. When done properly, social media reputation management builds your credibility with customers which ultimately strengthens trust in your brand.

First and foremost, obtaining Google reviews needs to be a priority. And every review, good or bad, should be responded to by a representative of the company. Make it clear that you’re paying attention to what people are saying and you care. Consumers are more inclined to buy from businesses that respond to online reviews.

From Greg Sterling’s article in Search Engine Land,

“Review count matters more to local business revenue than star ratings, according to study Businesses with more than average number of reviews bring in 82% more in annual revenue than businesses with review counts below the average.”

Chart displaying annual revenue at businesses by total number of reviews

How can you increase the quantity of your Google reviews?

Email Campaign

Initiate an email campaign where representatives from the company email happy customers, provide them with a direct link to your Google review page, and ask that they give a review. It is an exercise that should be done on a continual basis.

Ask For Reviews

You can design call-to-action buttons for posting on facebook, Instagram, and Google My Business that literally ask for reviews:

Merrimack Auto Facebook post looking for customer feedback

Add a Reviews Page to the Website

There are multiple ways to do this:

  • ABC Sign – list customer reviews and include icons to facebook and Google that link directly to reviews pages
  • Kanga Roof – list Yelp, Google and facebook icons that link to reviews pages
  • United Window Cleaning – include Google icon only that links directly to the reviews page; all reviews listed are separated by type of review
  • S&S Tire – add review panel/testimonial block to footer of site and include facebook & Google icons/links to review pages
  • Weninger Dentistry – hire a third party review service (rate-a-biz)

Quarterly Email via Mailchimp

Send out a scheduled email blast that asks for reviews and be sure to provide a direct link to review sites.

Include Review Link on Invoices and Email Footers

Something easily added to an invoice or email footer is a hyperlink to the Google review page. It can’t hurt to ask.

Survey Monkey

Send out a Mailchimp email blast that features a survey on customer service. For anyone who responds favorably, follow-up with an email requesting a review and include a link to your Google review page.

Schema Mark-Up

Add complimentary letters and emails to behind the scenes code so that search engine robots can scan positive comments. (Your webmaster can do this for you.)

Reputation management is an ongoing effort that, in order to be successful, takes commitment and consistency. If your company needs help with reputation management, Upright Communications is happy to assist.