9 ways to make sure your company's efforts for your business are paying off

How do you know if your company’s efforts to improve your business’ online reputation are working? You won’t really know until much later, but here are nine ways you can tell. The better your reputation management company does its job, the more of these apply to you and your business!

1) Keep Track Of Your Reputation

The first and most important thing you can do is keep track of your reputation. Make a note of what’s said about you online and take stock of what people like and don’t like. Then, build a database of keywords that relate to your business – but don’t simply rely on Google; put effort into finding sites where potential customers hang out. Check back regularly so you have an accurate representation of how things are going with regard to public opinion. This will give you something clear to respond to if problems arise. Now, when these keywords pop up in search results, you’ll know if it is time for damage control or not.

2) Continuously Improve

Even if everything seems fine now, you need to continuously look at how your online reputation management is helping you. It’s easy to be distracted by other things that go on in life, but managing your reputation is one of those things that it’s critical not just pay attention to—but also measure. There are plenty of tools out there that can help you do so, but they don’t require much time or effort on your part. You could create reports once a month and send them out via email so each member of staff knows what you expect them to achieve during their next reporting period. This will also act as a bit of an incentive for them, knowing that they’ll be held accountable come report time.

3) Understand The Services Provided By An Online Reputation Management Company

SEO is marketing, and businesses pay a lot of money for traffic from search engines. They may not be willing to share those details with you, but it's helpful if you have a basic understanding of how SEO works. First, let's start with keywords. In order to get your website onto page one of Google results, you need a set of keywords that people will type into Google when they're looking for things related to what you do. It may sound confusing now, but once you see an example of how it works it'll be clearer.

4) Choose Good Keywords For SEO That Will Direct Traffic To You

In case you're utilizing web-based media devices, like Twitter or Facebook, watch out for what individuals are saying about you or your ORM Services company. You can even sign into web crawlers and type in your name to perceive what springs up. Be ready to deal with negative remarks by making a quick move if vital. Converse with an online reputation management master who can perceive you how best to react so you limit any harm done. It's significant not to freeze if something occurs; keeping a level head will assist you with trying not to settle on impulsive choices.

5) Educate Employees And Vendors About Online Reputation Management

Make sure that every employee is aware of social media platforms they’re active on. That way, you can be certain that if something negative shows up online, it won’t come as a surprise to them. Also remind them about what kinds of things should never be posted—and have them sign an agreement promising not to do so. Tell vendors how important online reputation management is to your business, and ask them to provide testimonials on their websites or in their ads. This will help boost credibility. Remind Customers And Community Members Of How You Can Help Them: The best form of positive advertising comes from recommendations from friends and community members, so spread word about how great you are at what you do.

6) Create A Professional Image On Websites And Social Media Profile Pages

According to an Aberdeen Group report, 53% of customers have purchased from a vendor at least once because they saw that vendor’s message posted on another Web site. If you spend any time on Facebook or Twitter, you already know that buzz is hard to generate organically—you have to pay attention, build relationships and work constantly. But, if you can show customers that people are talking about your brand online in both social media and elsewhere online (on blogs, forums etc.), it can really help prove that you’re an active part of your industry. That kind of visibility will lead more potential customers to trust you with their business. And trust matters when it comes down to making sales...and referrals.

7) Host Educational Events That Raise Awareness About Online Reputation Management

There is an old saying that Nobody gets fired for buying IBM. That’s because IBM has been around forever and has always been a safe bet. These days, IBM’s reputation is even stronger because it has shown itself to be nimble by jumping on social media marketing quickly. It now offers social media marketing services, training and consultation. To show customers that you are doing well and staying active in your industry, try sponsoring contests, online forums or trade shows. This is also a good time to ensure your website is keeping up with standards within your industry by updating often with information that reflects current trends in technology or industry news topics.

8) Get Involved In Other Online Marketing Activities To Show Customers That You Are Doing Well And Stay Active In Your Industry (e.g., sponsoring trade shows, contests etc.)

No one wants a deadbeat business. Showing customers you’re active and thriving keeps them coming back—and recommending you. Getting involved in other online marketing activities also gives potential customers a chance to experience your brand firsthand, which can lead to more conversions. In fact, 71% of consumers say that positive word-of-mouth is what makes them trust a brand, so being active in these types of endeavors is a smart way to encourage more positive buzz about your business.

9) Measure The Results Of Efforts To Manage Your Online Reputation (the number of leads generated by organic search traffic; visitor behavior; measurement tools such as Google Analytics; number of mentions; etc.)

Online reputation management is a long-term game. It’s not something you do once and then expect immediate results. It’s important to track your progress over time, both with organic search traffic as well as social mentions of your brand name. Measurement tools, such as Google Analytics or Hootsuite, can provide insight into these metrics that are specific to your industry or sector. You may also want to investigate using sentiment analysis tools like Brandwatch Analytics or Radian6 Social Marketing Suite. These can help indicate how consumers feel about you on social media networks through positive/negative sentiment metrics and allows brands to see what people are saying about them online in real-time.