Brands across the world have understood that to survive in the contemporary business environment, they need to maintain two types of branding efforts, i.e. offline and online. Online branding is the more recent, ever-evolving medium that is constantly challenging marketing experts to sustain and expand a positive web-based reputation. This niche is often referred to as online reputation management and includes every type of web-enabled medium, including blogs, discussion forums and product-review sites. Online reputation management remains a slightly dicey, if not challenging, aspect since it requires the marketers to be reactive, guarded and proactive—a blend that isn't the easiest to maintain. For comprehensive online reputation management, using various channels, primarily social media, is essential. However, this too puts forth a slightly demanding situation since some channels have gained a global reputation while some aren't necessarily as productive, making the choice difficult. The following is an attempt to decode the channels that seem most sensible from an Online Reputation Management perspective:
Getting Professionally Linked via LinkedIn is Recommended
LinkedIn is the most established, globally-acknowledged of professional networking sites. Though it is often referred to as a tool for easing the process of selecting and hiring suitable employees, having a LinkedIn profile is vital to establishing a formal, corporate side for every organization. With nearly every new entrant and the most renowned of international businesses having a LinkedIn profile, it is a wise decision to be connected with peers in your respective niche. Unlike some other social networking sites, the tone on LinkedIn is quite professional and sharing of information remains slightly restrained without impairing your freedom to express. A LinkedIn profile signature in your emails induces a degree of credibility. The public LinkedIn URL helps prospective employees, business partners and investors gain an immediate view about your organization.
Being on Twitter is Simply Inevitable
Twitter has survived the onslaught of many new entrants in the social media niche and its reputation as an online promotional tool remains unchallenged. Having a Twitter handle means you can easily follow industry leaders apart from receiving the most recent update from your contemporaries. Twitter helps you get connected and promoted across like-minded people and folks who either belong to your business segment or share similar interests. Overall, Twitter combines professional and public networking with the utmost ease. It provides the freedom to follow and being networked with a select group, ensuring that your Twitter-based efforts are more goal-oriented. Posting a few Twitter posts throughout the day helps to establish that your business is active on the social networking platform and promotes interaction with its customers and prospective investors/partners.
Being Googled Should be Your Priority
You can be the most social media savvy brand but without a Google-based presence, your online branding efforts cannot be regarded comprehensive. Please note that some people decipher online reputation management as a matter of performing in the social media segment only. However, gaining a foothold in Google rankings provides the biggest, most visible impetuous for online branding purposes, i.e. it establishes Credibility. If your website can constantly surface within the first page for search results related to your industry, your brand exudes online credibility. Just look around—how many brands can claim this kind of online presence? So ensure that you invest time and money for rising in the Google search results page along with updating your Google profile in every possible manner, including your geographical location. With Google+ announcing its entry into social media, having a Google-based presence just cannot be argued.
Yes, YouTube Presence is Critical for Online Management!
Perhaps, the easiest and the most interactive way to manage your online reputation is addressing prospective customers via an audio-visual presentation and this is made easier via YouTube. Uploads are free and you can induce links within the clippings that promote your brand. This is the easiest way of addressing clients who might have become comprehensive about your brand due to some unwarranted negative publicity. This is the most engaging way to create more positive feedback for your brand since in terms of daily visitor volumes few online channels can challenge YouTube. You can upload presentations explaining your corporate profile and explain the advantages of your products/services. Interact continuously with the YouTube community via comments and timely responses and you have succeeded in creating a dedicated set of followers, promoting your brand with minimal efforts!
Facebook—the Defining Channel for Your Online Branding Efforts
Facebook has become the most dexterous of social media channels that can be used for anything, ranging from finding single, ready-to-mingle people to promoting a brand. It takes some time for your Facebook efforts to yield results but once the process is set in motion, the results are easily visible and often, overwhelming. This is the best medium to explain your brand. You can create a profile in the most elaborate manner, complete with images, captions and links that help people get acquainted with your range of services/products. You can promote your logo and interact in a more casual, forthcoming manner with your audience. Yes, this also creates the risk of people bad-mouthing your brand but it also provides the opportunity of explaining your stance on the issue, making everybody understand that your brand isn't afraid of facing criticism and is humble enough to improve itself. Like Twitter, Facebook provides the freedom of identifying your audience and limiting your networking with folks you deem are best suited to manage a positive online reputation. The Facebook community grows dramatically via instant shares and recommendations and you can import your email contacts too, sending invitations to get connected via Facebook. You can even provide a socially-responsible aura to your brand by starting a group dedicated to a cause, like using eco-friendly office items!
Besides the channels discussed above, many more might have a significant regional or industry-based presence, but these channels are critical to any online reputation management endeavor.
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