When it comes to managing risk, reputation management often falls of the radar. But making sure your company promotes a positive, engaged image is critical to building your brand and reducing risks. Here are a half dozen tips to implement in the New Year:
- Don’t let your social presence wither. Many businesses make the mistake of simply establishing account at social sites and then never — or rarely — maintaining them. In the meantime, visitors may be saying things about your company that need to be addressed. Visiting on a regular basis — at least daily — prevents potential damage from going too far.
- Watch what you say. Likewise, when you do post, make sure the person posting uses proper etiquette to avoid saying something that could get your company into legal trouble, either by making untrue or unfounded claims or being rude to posters. Establish a social policy that spells out precisely how to respond in different situations, such as when a customer makes a complaint.
- Don’t argue. When a customer does complain, online, in person or on the phone, don’t engage in an argument; instead, be humble and apologize to defuse the initial anger. Then focus on what simple things you can do to make it right.
- Protect your execs’ reps. If you’re serious about your company’s rep, you probably search for it online regularly to see what people are saying. That’s a good policy to use for your business execs as well. Make sure your execs take part in positive activities that benefit the community, then talk about it on blogs and social sites. You might even consider buying eponymous domain names — for instance, “johndoe.com” or “johndoe.net.”
- Start — and regularly update — a blog. Blogs are incredibly powerful marketing tools that allow you to proactively and strategically position your brand. Just be sure to keep it updated regularly.
- Show gratitude. Use your social accounts to say “thanks” to customers or offer incentives for purchase. Stay engaged in your community — locally and online — and be positive. And take some words of advice from your mom: If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
