We’re sure you’re familiar with the marketing and advertising adage, “positive word-of-mouth advertising is the best kind of advertising.”  A saying that you may have learned in school, at work, somewhere along your career path, or even from a friend. A saying that almost certainly applies to one of your recent purchases, dining or drinking choices, or visit to a local hotspot. And most importantly, a saying that still holds true with immense value in today’s rapidly changing marketing and advertising industry.

The power of word-of-mouth advertising can be seen in the services and applications dedicated to this type of advertising. Yelp, one of the biggest review sites in the world, was created to document consumer experiences and share them with other consumers to help them make more informed decisions. Yelp is not the only powerhouse review site in the industry though; Google Reviews, Trustpilot, and Angie’s List are amongst other review platforms leading commerce sectors as the trusted resources for consumer reviews on businesses within that sector. Shoot, before all this technology, these applications, and dozens of different review sites, there was the Better Business Bureau! If you couldn’t tell by now, word-of-mouth advertising and business reviews have always been a crucial part of the buying process as a consumer. Below we will discuss why brand reputation management is so important for your business by covering three of the biggest ways your brand can interact with consumers.

Providing Remedy for Negative Reviews

As a business, whether you sell products or provide services, you are bound to have a bad customer experience once in a while. Maybe the product they ordered was damaged in transit by the parcel courier, maybe what they ordered to eat was slightly undercooked, or maybe they were in a bad mood that day and you were doomed to get a two-star review from the start. The bottom line is, your business is bound to receive some negative reviews and negative feedback from your customers throughout the course of your operations. You should not look at these negative reviews as the end of the world though; rather, they provide your company with the spotlight to turn a negative into a positive! These reviews also provide you with valuable consumer insight.

With the ball now in your company’s court, you are able to remedy the situation and to make any adjustments needed moving forward based on general sentiment from your consumers. Responding to these reviews is where you will look to rectify the situation and turn a negative into a positive. Remember the customer believes they are right 100% of the time even if they are wrong. What do we mean by this? When responding to negative reviews, be considerate of the stage you are on. Try not to attack the reviewer; instead, you should focus on creating a solution for the situation that is a win-win for both you and the customer.

As you can see, a negative review is a chance for you to win over a consumer and invite them back to trying your business out in the future! Oftentimes, a consumer will change their negative review to a positive one after your business rectifies a previous bad experience. This is especially true if your business places a strong emphasis on the quality of your products or services and the first consumer experience was a fluke. We see this ALL THE TIME in the marketing industry!

Create A Loyal Customer Who Has Had A Positive Experience

While you can win over a customer who has previously had a negative experience, it is much, much easier to create a loyal customer with one who has already left a positive review. These are your brand advocates who are generating positive word-of-mouth advertising for you—embrace and reward them!

When someone leaves a positive review on your company, it creates a unique opportunity to capture that consumer for future business. While you should certainly respond to these reviews just like you would do with the negative ones, your responses here should express gratitude. Here are some examples of things you can do to create a loyal customer when responding to a positive review:

• Mention you can’t wait to see them again
• Offer them a BOGO, discount, free item, or another promotion
• Create incentive for them to come back through an experience
• Induct them into a customer loyalty program
• A combination of these options plus others… The options are limitless!

Harness your already happy customers to create more positive word-of-mouth advertising, turn them into loyal customers, and add coal to the fire any way you can that will create a win-win situation for you and them!

Express Your Brand Tone & Commitment To Customer Service

Digital brand reputation management is the arena where you can make a statement on behalf of your business and distinguish yourself from the competition. When responding to customer reviews, be sure to incorporate your brand tone. If you are a firm providing professional services, you will most likely want to lean more towards more professional responses. If you are a surf shop with radical boards and even more radical employees, make your responses to your customers radical. If your brand tone is humorous, sarcastic, playful, trustworthy, or whatever it may be, make sure your response demonstrates it where applicable. The moral of the story here is to let your brand vibe shine through in your brand reputation management practices.

One caveat to this is for certain negative reviews. When a consumer is already frustrated from their recent experience with your company, it is best to approach the situation with professionalism and a tone that demonstrates your concern and care for their opinion. Treat each customer review uniquely and put yourself in the shoes of the consumer when trying to rectify the situation and your responses will see greater success.

Big Takeaways

If you couldn’t tell, brand reputation management for your business is a crucial part of your long term success. Remember, a poor review on behalf of your company doesn’t have to be  negative forever! Treat these situations with optimism and look for ways to solve your consumer’s problem or pacify their frustration by providing a remedy. On the other end of the spectrum, a positive review is a ripe opportunity to create a loyal customer. No matter what you do, be sure to consistently manage your reviews and always respond. Being active and proactive with your brand reputation management practices will display a caring image for your business which is important to potential customers!