Millions of people are taking to the worldwide web each day to vent their frustrations and share their customer service experiences. Company reputations are being made and damaged every minute on sites like Twitter and Facebook. Whether your business participates in the social media world or not, your brand is being discussed online ? often in 140 characters or less.
The social media network was started as a way for people to stay connected to friends. however, it has quickly become a way for businesses to connect with the public and expand their reach quicker and cheaper than more traditional marketing tactics.
Organizations can no longer turn a deaf ear to social media outlets. Cision Global Media Intelligence explains, ?Communities of like-minded individuals, often thousands or millions strong, are communicating, interacting and creating their own content. These networks host their own conversations where passionate advocates often air out powerful preferences and opinions for and against brands.?
Businesses that are not ready or willing to participate in the online conversations should at least be monitoring and analyzing their online reputation. The internet has opened up an entirely different medium of media exposure for businesses. Monitoring media and press mentions used to just mean paying attention to the traditional journalists of print, radio and television. Today, it has become just as important (if not more so) to know what online journalists, bloggers and even customers are saying.
With today?s technology, anyone with internet access can affect your brand?s reputation. Essentially, every online user is a reporter. A single post or comment has the ability to enhance or destroy the consumer?s perception of your organization. by learning how to monitor those posts, you have the ability to participate in the conversation, respond to messages about your brand and alter your online brand reputation.
Take Zappos for example. There?s a company that has embraced social media and made it work for them as a way to promote exceptional customer service. many of their employees have Twitter accounts and they?re constantly monitoring the network for mentions, customer comments and complaints. Zappos? Twitterers are able to quickly respond to any negative customer mentions and resolve the issue before the story spreads. And on nearly every page of their website, Zappos connects to their employees? Twitter accounts to let customers know ?What are Zappos employees doing right now?? It?s an interesting look at Zappos employees, their customer interactions, and what it?s like to work for such a socially-savvy company. by staying on top of their online brand perception, Zappos has been able to continue keeping their customers happy and loyal while growing brand awareness in a public forum.
There are several avenues to take when monitoring the social media network for your brand. Ultimately, it could prove beneficial to use all of these tactics, but if you don?t have the resources choose those that are of greatest priority.
Gauge your Online Perception ? By simply monitoring what is being said about your organization online ? through blogs, social media networks and customers ? you will have a clear understanding of how your brand is being perceived. The instant, first-hand nature of online mentions gives a better understanding than that of more traditional press mentions.
Follow the Competition ? By monitoring what your competition is doing and what the public is saying about them you can help determine how your business matches up. Knowing how your competitors are being perceived and what their successes have been can help strengthen your strategies and campaigns.
Monitor your Industry ? Industry experts, trade publications and others within your field are talking in the online world. by paying attention to what they?re saying you may be able to learn about new technologies, upcoming trends, emerging competition, and changes in industry standards.
Build Relationships with Current Customers ? Monitoring for mentions of your brand in these online forums allows you to quickly react and switch any negative perceptions with a little customer service.
Reach Potential Customers ? You will also be able to reach and secure potential new customers by monitoring social media networks. Think about the possibilities of reaching your competition?s dissatisfied customers or those who are seeking information about a product or service that you may offer.
?If you?re new to social media, the best advice is to start small. Pick one outlet to start with whether it be Twitter, Facebook, another social media outlet or even a blog that relates to your industry. as you feel more comfortable with your strategies, grow your online monitoring and determine where your business can make the biggest impact by getting involved in the conversation.
Remember, conversations will continue to take place about your brand online whether or not you decide to participate. you may as well take advantage of the added exposure and have some say in your online brand perception.
Source: http://www.wa8pyr.net/your-online-brand-reputation-monitoring-social-media/
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