Online reputation management is surrounded by common misconceptions and rumours that build a negative perception of the industry. Many businesses are discouraged out of building any type of online presence out of fear influenced by these myths concerning online reputation management. These commonly believed fallacies are a major reason as to why companies are failing to succeed with their online presence. Common misconceptions about ORM practices may include that businesses have little to no control over their reputations, removing content is impossible, removing all negative reviews will save your reputation, and finally, ORM tactics take too long to implement and are not worth the investment. Falling into the trap of believing these delusions may lead your business into failing.
Brands have a hard time believing that they have any control over their own online reputation management. This may be due to the fact that consumers are given freedom of speech over the Internet, which directly effects consumer perceptions of a brand. The best and most effective way to take control of your brand’s online reputation is to continuously monitor your brand’s involvement in online consumer conversations. Make sure that your organization has adopted a strategy in which continuous efforts are being made to generate interest and business for your brand. You may want to create a posting schedule for new content. There are ways to take/regain control over your brand.
It is common for brands to believe that once something has been posted online, it is impossible to delete. It may be true that something is never completely deleted from the Internet, however, there are measures that brands can take in an effort to hide the content or make it less relevant. If the content that is harming your business cannot be removed or deleted from the Internet, you can begin to create some new, fresh content of your own to replace the results that are affecting your business. Essentially, this will push the unwanted content down the list of results and allow your new content to replace it.
Online reviews have a direct impact on businesses. Your brand cannot control how others review your products/services. However, if you deal with the negative ones accordingly, your brand will have less to worry about. Organizations have developed the belief that by attempting to delete every negative review that is written about their business is the most effective way to deal with them. Consumers may grow suspicious and skeptical if all they are reading are positive and glowing reviews about your brand. Customers know that no business is perfect.
Organizations may not take the time or invest the money that goes into online reputation management because they do not see the benefits of it. They are only interested in quick fixes and immediate results. If this is the case, then your brand needs to re-evaluate. The benefits of developing a strong online reputation management strategy are endless. It is better to be proactive than reactive. Make sure that your brand takes the time and energy into developing a strong strategy before jumping into online activity.
It is best to know the facts and the realities of these ORM rumors before engaging in any type of online business or branding. It will help your organization in developing the best image for itself.