Managing Your Business’s Reputation Online
Put your business in the spotlight.
We know our stuff when it comes to online business here at UK2. We write and write and write about the myriad ways in which you can influence how your company is viewed online, and we can’t stress enough how important it is to not only embrace the digital age and its effect on modern commerce, but to hit the digital world head on with an armoury of tactics to show the World Wide Web just how great you are. Let’s go over a few basics that can set your company up for success in today’s digital-eat-digital universe, as well as some not-so-obvious points to round out your online reputation.
Social media isn’t just for teenagers to discuss the ins and outs of how to craft the perfect selfie. It is now the primary way that businesses interact. We all know about LinkedIn, but it isn’t the only online environment where business networking takes place; Twitter and Facebook should also be part of your social media arsenal. Connect with complementary companies, find out about in-person events (yes, people still meet face to face these days) to build your collaborative circle, and engage potential clients in a lighthearted repartee to craft your social image. At the risk of sounding a little Big Brother-esque, your company is being watched all the time, so make sure all online interactions reflect your company’s true image.
Starting the social media conversation isn’t enough; actively participating in the conversation will also get you noticed by other companies. This is a new wave in marketing; your social media director can help the company’s latest ventures be in the foreground of the virtual world by participating in forums, retweeting related content, and commenting on blog posts. (Insider tip: if you want all the other companies to think you’re friends with the coolest bloggers out there, start by typing under “Leave a response” at the bottom of this page). Show the rest of the online world that you have a voice and you know how to use it.
As for your website address, registering the .com address alone for your company’s website just doesn’t cut it. With the recent onslaught of gTLDs, you must think defensively to avoid your company name being slandered. Before letting a Negative Nancy defile your company’s image, register the .sucks domain for your company. You can even get creative and register .sucks as a place for customers to report complaints. Show those naysayers out there that your company is proactive, and with a sense of humour to boot. There are plenty more domain names to get your hands on and protect your company’s profile; more on this subject here.
ere at UK2 we have a very active blog, and we bloggers genuinely enjoy writing these posts. But we’re not doing it for our health: content is one of the most important things on your site, and it plays a huge role in your business’s brand voice and public facing image. Craft creative, current, and search-engine-focused writing to not only increase the number of visits to your site, but to also define the role that you play and how you play it. Because you’re not doing it for your health either, are you?
We’ve listed just a few of the ways you can determine the image your company has online. Thankfully, getting the most out of your business’s online presence has never been easier. There are countless resources online to help you increase the breadth of your company’s digital reach. Forbes has a great article with tips on how brand marketers can manage reputation online. Business News Daily has a list of what they call “reputation management services” that they recommend here. Whatever the method, make sure your reputation is set by the most important business in your sector: yours!
Boost your online reputation with web services from UK2.